Wallace Wants Lively Questioned Before Court Rules on Fees
Blake Lively is facing another legal dispute over nearly $800,000 in attorneys’ fees connected to her battle with crisis communications specialist Jed Wallace.
Wallace, who previously worked with people linked to Justin Baldoni’s publicity operation, is asking a Texas court to allow him to question Lively under oath before deciding whether he must cover her legal expenses.
According to court filings cited in entertainment reports, Wallace wants the new deposition to focus specifically on Lively’s request for attorneys’ fees, costs and other financial relief.
He argues that he should be permitted to examine what Lively knew and believed when she made allegations involving him and his company, Street Relations Inc.
Wallace is particularly seeking information that could support his argument that Lively acted with malice when making statements about him.
His legal team believes that issue could affect whether Lively is entitled to recover the amount she is seeking.
Lively’s lawyers strongly oppose the request.
They argue that Wallace has already questioned the actress under oath and should not receive another opportunity merely because she is now seeking reimbursement for legal expenses.
The amount involved in the Wallace dispute is separate from Lively’s much larger request for legal fees from Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios. In that separate New York matter, she has sought approximately $7.5 million in attorneys’ fees plus more than $500,000 in costs.
Wallace’s Defamation Case Was Dismissed Over Jurisdiction
The latest dispute follows Wallace’s unsuccessful defamation lawsuit against Lively in Texas.
Wallace and Street Relations sued the actress after she made allegations connected to the wider legal conflict surrounding the 2024 film It Ends With Us.
The lawsuit accused Lively of making defamatory statements about Wallace’s alleged role in a campaign designed to damage her reputation.
However, a federal judge dismissed Wallace’s lawsuit in November 2025.
The court concluded that it lacked personal jurisdiction over Lively in Texas.
Importantly, the dismissal was based on jurisdiction rather than a judicial determination of whether Wallace’s underlying defamation allegations were true or false.
The claims were dismissed without prejudice.
Wallace later appealed the decision.
In his appeal, he argued that Lively had sufficient connections to Texas because her allegations involved conduct allegedly occurring there.
He also pointed to her use of Texas lawyers and earlier legal proceedings in the state.
The appeal seeks to revive Wallace’s defamation case by overturning the jurisdictional ruling.
Against that background, Lively has sought approximately $800,000 in legal fees, expenses and related relief arising from her successful effort to have the Texas case dismissed.
Wallace is now challenging that request and wants additional discovery before a judge decides the financial issue.
Reports say he has also accused Lively of failing to follow procedures connected to an earlier deposition request.
Lively’s attorneys reject that characterisation.
They maintain that Wallace already had an opportunity to depose her and describe his latest request as an attempt to continue litigation after his lawsuit was dismissed.
Lively’s Lawyers Call New Request Meritless
Lively’s legal team has responded aggressively to Wallace’s latest move.
Her attorneys argue that their client already prevailed in the Texas proceedings and that another deposition is unnecessary.
They also claim Wallace is attempting to avoid the possibility of being ordered to pay substantial legal fees.
The disagreement adds another layer to the complex legal fallout surrounding Lively and her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni.
Lively originally accused Baldoni and others of misconduct and retaliation connected to the production and promotion of the film.
Baldoni denied wrongdoing and launched his own legal action.
A $400 million lawsuit brought by Baldoni and associated parties against Lively and others was dismissed in 2025.
A federal judge later ruled that Lively could seek attorneys’ fees connected to her successful defence against parts of that litigation.
In June 2026, Lively requested approximately $7.5 million in attorneys’ fees and another $539,514 in litigation expenses from Baldoni and Wayfarer.
Baldoni’s lawyers have challenged that amount as excessive and argued that any award should be significantly reduced.
The Wallace dispute is a separate proceeding, but both cases emerged from the same wider controversy.
For now, Wallace has not been ordered to pay the nearly $800,000 requested by Lively.
The court must determine whether additional questioning is necessary and what, if any, attorneys’ fees or costs Lively can recover.
Wallace’s appeal of the dismissal also remains an important part of the continuing legal dispute.
