Washington, July 14 -- Justin Baldoni has asked a federal judge to deny or "substantially reduce" Blake Lively's request for more than USD 8 million in attorneys' fees and litigation costs, escalating the latest chapter in the high-profile legal dispute between the two actors.

According to a court filing submitted on Monday, July 13, Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios argued that Lively's application is "anything but a typical fee motion", alleging that her legal team billed excessive hours and charged unreasonable rates, as reported by People magazine.

The filing compares Lively's request with an attorney fee application previously submitted by The New York Times, arguing that the newspaper sought only USD 181,622.70 in legal fees after succ...