Blake Lively, known for her role in Gossip Girl, recently took a big step in her legal fight against Justin Baldoni. Baldoni directed and co-starred with her in the film It Ends With Us. Lively, 37, started giving her deposition to Baldoni’s legal team in New York City on Thursday, July 31. Baldoni is 41 years old. A source shared this news with Us Weekly. Us Weekly has tried to get comments from representatives for both Lively and Baldoni.
This particular deposition had been a source of some drama. It was first set for July 17 in New York City. Documents later obtained by Us Weekly confirmed the date shift to July 31. Both sides agreed to the change. This came after social media figure Jed Wallace was removed from the case due to court rules. The extra time allowed both Lively’s and Baldoni’s teams to prepare better before the deposition began.
Back in May, Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, made headlines with a bold idea. He suggested holding Lively’s deposition at Madison Square Garden. He told People magazine at the time, "Since Ms. Lively is willing to testify, let’s make it worth it." Freedman added, "Conduct the deposition at MSG, sell tickets or stream it and have every dollar donated to organizations that help domestic abuse victims."
Lively’s representative, however, told People earlier this month that her deposition "should follow the same rules as any other witness in this case." The statement also claimed Freedman was trying to "turn this matter into a public spectacle whenever he can." The representative emphasized, "This is a serious matter of sexual harassment and retaliation, and it must be treated as such." Lively had previously asked for her deposition to be in a private spot. She also wanted all attendees to be identified beforehand. Baldoni’s legal team then accused Lively of trying to control the deposition, using her "celebrity status." However, the judge ultimately sided with Lively. She was allowed to choose the deposition location.
Lively and Baldoni have been involved in this legal dispute since December 2024. Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment. She claimed he created a hostile work environment on the set of It Ends With Us. She also stated he purposely ran a smear campaign against her. Baldoni denied these claims. He then countersued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and publicist Leslie Sloane for $400 million. Baldoni’s lawsuit alleged extortion and defamation.
Before Lively’s deposition took place, a judge dismissed Baldoni’s countersuit against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane in June. Lively’s original case against Baldoni is now set to go to trial in March 2026.