Perez Hilton Walks Out Of Court Smiling After Scoring 'Personal Victory' Against Blake Lively

Perez Hilton was all smiles leaving the Nevada courtroom on Tuesday as he fought back against Blake Lively’s legal team in their ongoing legal saga. Hilton, born Mario Lavandeira, became the focus of a heated dispute over whether he should be forced to hand over his sources and unpublished material tied to Lively’s lawsuit against her "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni. Ahead of Tuesday's court battle, Perez Hilton made it clear that he had no intention of backing down, framing the battle as a matter of protecting his journalistic integrity. So what happened inside the courtroom on Tuesday? The Blast has the scoop.

In court today, Perez Hilton put his faith into Nevada’s journalist shield laws, which are meant to safeguard reporters from being forced to reveal sources or unpublished materials. He has continued to maintain that his media coverage of Lively was based solely on his personal opinions about the case against Baldoni, not part of any coordinated smear campaign.

Lively’s legal team countered that Hilton shouldn’t be afforded the same protections as traditional journalists, as they claim he is a well-known gossip star, not a newspaper. "This isn't just about me," he previously told The Blast about the subpoena. "It could potentially impact journalists all over the country, especially as more leave traditional media and go digital only."

The stakes were high in Tuesday’s hearing, and The Blast was there as the drama played out. As we reported earlier today, following a 45-minute delay, the judge unexpectedly cleared the courtroom to conduct a private review of a “privilege paper.” Left inside were only Perez Hilton and the judge.

After nearly an hour behind closed doors, Perez Hilton exited the courthouse and addressed the media, framing the outcome as a personal victory, even if the process is far from over. “If [Blake] Lively wants to continue with this awful subpoena requesting my privileged and protected information of me and you, it’s going to be a very long process," Hilton said. "That’s basically what the judge said today. It’s not gonna be something quick.”

Hilton explained that while Lively’s attorneys argued for a speedy resolution, the judge set in motion a far more complicated process. “I view that as a win, because her lawyers said in court today, 'We want this resolved quickly,' and I wanted that as well, until I found out I can have her pay for all of the work it would take to compile a detailed privileged log, which is what the judge is requesting as the first step,” he continued.

He went on to explain how complicated the process will be. He noted that before even reaching the first official step, the judge ordered him to gather quotes from three forensic experts and a paralegal by Monday. “The judge will then assess the fairness of those estimates and force Blake Lively to pay for them if she wants this privilege log,” Hilton said, adding, “and even just that is not quick. The estimate is by Monday, then compiling the privilege logs might take weeks or over a month.”

Despite admitting that the ordeal has worn him down, Perez Hilton made it clear he’s not backing away from the legal battle. “I want to be done with this,” he admitted, saying he’s “tired” of the constant back-and-forth. Still, Hilton insisted he’s willing to press on for a bigger cause. “I’m willing to keep fighting and keep the process going because it’s the right thing to do for journalists,” he said.

He added that he refuses to be intimidated “by this woman and her husband using their money to get things they know they’re not entitled to.” For Hilton, the case has become less about personal inconvenience and more about setting a precedent for press freedom in the digital age.

The Blake Lively drama first erupted last December when the actress sued Baldoni for $250 million, accusing him of inappropriate on-set behavior during the filming of "It Ends With Us." Baldoni countered with a $400 million defamation claim, but in June 2025, a federal judge in New York dismissed his countersuit.

Both sides have denied the allegations, and Lively’s $250 million case remains on track for trial in March 2026.