Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Put on a United Front Amidst Judge’s Ruling on Legal Fee Payout

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have made their first public appearance together since a judge ruled on the actress’ bid to recover millions of dollars in legal fees from Justin Baldoni.

Lively, 39, and Reynolds, 49, were spotted in New York on Friday during a family outing that also included Lively’s older half-sister, Robyn Lively, 54.

For the casual family day out, the Gossip Girl alum opted for a brown ensemble, pairing overalls and boots with a chunky gold necklace. Robyn was seen in a double-denim look as she walked behind her sister and chatted with Ryan.

Blake appeared relaxed and smiled at times, while the Deadpool star kept a more serious expression as the trio made their way through New York.

The couple’s outing comes after U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman issued a ruling awarding Lively $363,245.40 in attorneys’ fees and $44,206.35 in costs, a total of $407,451.75.

Blake had initially sought millions of dollars in legal expenses. Her lawyers argued that she should be reimbursed for costs connected to defending herself against Justin’s defamation claims.

However, Lewis found that the amount of time and number of lawyers billed were excessive for the specific claim at issue. The judge also criticized what he described as a “blunderbuss approach” to calculating the legal hours and said some expenses were too “intertwined” with the broader dispute to be recovered.

The Green Lantern actress' legal team nevertheless celebrated the decision, calling it historic.

“This first-ever award of fees and costs under this California law is historic, and demonstrates that there are real consequences of bringing retaliatory lawsuits,” her lawyers said in a statement to Page Six.

“As we have said from day one, Blake Lively’s case was never about money – it was about accountability," they added.

Justin’s attorney Bryan Freedman, meanwhile, characterized the ruling very differently, calling it “a significant victory” for his clients.

“The ruling is a significant victory for my clients and sends a clear message that, no matter how powerful you may be, the courtroom is not a place to take advantage of the law for your own personal gain,” Bryan said.

Blake and Justin’s legal battle began after she accused her It Ends With Us costar and director of sexual harassment and retaliation. The 42-year-old denied the allegations and later filed his defamation lawsuit against the actress, Reynolds and The New York Times.

Jane the Virgin star’s defamation case was dismissed in 2025, while the 39-year-old's separate claims were largely dismissed earlier this year. The pair subsequently reached a settlement, bringing the bitter legal fight to an end.