The legal drama between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively just got another chapter. Baldoni, 41, was spotted right there in the room as Lively, 37, gave her deposition in New York City. This news, first reported by TMZ, was later confirmed by Us Weekly.
Lively’s deposition was supposed to happen earlier, on July 17. But the date changed to Thursday, July 31. Court papers obtained by Us Weekly show that both Lively’s and Baldoni’s legal teams agreed to this new date. The change came after a social media expert named Jed Wallace was removed from the case. His removal was due to questions about which court had power over him.
Lively’s spokesperson said she respected the court’s decision about Wallace. They explained it wasn’t about whether her claims against him were true. Instead, it was only about where he could be sued, New York or somewhere else. Lively’s team is looking into ways to hold Wallace responsible. They claim he played a big part in a campaign to get back at her. They say Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties hired him, paying him many thousands of dollars each month for this.
On the flip side, Baldoni’s team had previously suggested Lively was using her fame to control the deposition. A letter obtained by Entertainment Weekly earlier this month laid out their view. It stated that Lively made serious accusations against the Wayfarer Parties. Like any person being sued, the Wayfarer Parties had the right to question Lively. They needed her testimony to gather important facts for their defense. They also felt they had the right to pick where the questioning happened.
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, caused a stir in May with a rather bold suggestion. He said Lively’s deposition should take place at Madison Square Garden. “Since Ms. Lively is willing to testify, let’s make it count,” Freedman told People at the time. He even proposed selling tickets or live-streaming it. All the money, he suggested, would go to groups that help victims of domestic violence.
Lively’s representative quickly hit back. They told the same outlet that the actress’s deposition should follow the same rules as anyone else involved in the case. Lively’s representative argued that Freedman’s idea was just trying to turn a serious matter into a public show. They reminded everyone that this case deals with "sexual harassment and retaliation." It needed to be treated with proper respect. In the end, a judge decided that Lively could choose where her deposition would happen.
Us Weekly confirmed today that Lively arrived for her deposition, which is being led by Baldoni’s legal team. This meeting is part of the ongoing court fight between Lively and Baldoni. It all started in December 2024. Back then, Lively accused Baldoni, who was both her director and co-star on the movie It Ends With Us, of sexual harassment. She also claimed he created a bad work environment and planned a smear campaign against her.
Baldoni denied all these accusations. He then filed his own lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist Leslie Sloane. He sought $400 million, saying the three were guilty of extortion and defamation. They, in turn, denied his claims.
Just last month, a judge dismissed Baldoni’s lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane. His lawsuit against The New York Times, which first reported Lively’s claims, was also dismissed. Baldoni’s lawyer, Freedman, told Us Weekly in June that this court decision didn’t change the fact that there was no harassment or smear campaign. He added it wouldn’t affect their strong defense against Lively’s claims. Freedman noted that the process of gathering facts continues. He said they feel sure they will win against these claims, which he called baseless. He also mentioned that his clients would look for other legal options they might have.
Lively’s spokesperson also spoke about this legal win. In a statement to Us Weekly, they said the court completely dismissed Baldoni-Wayfarer’s “frivolous” $400 million lawsuit. They pointed out that Baldoni’s lawyer had said the judge’s decision to dismiss the case didn’t matter, and they promised to change and refile it. Lively’s team said that wasn’t true. They called the court’s dismissal of Baldoni’s false lawsuit a "total victory."
The full trial for Lively and Baldoni is set for March 2026. Us Weekly has reached out to both Baldoni’s and Lively’s teams for more comments on the situation.