Justin Baldoni Rips Blake Lively Over Legal Team 'Tantrum'
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Justin Baldoni hit back at Blake Lively's request regarding her deposition location amid their ongoing legal battle.
Merriam-Webster defines "deposition" as "a testifying especially before a court."
Newsweek reached out to lawyers for Baldoni and Lively via email for comment on Monday.
The Context
In December, Lively, 37, filed a complaint against her It Ends With Us co-star and director Baldoni, 41, accusing him of sexual harassment on the set. Baldoni and production company Wayfarer Studios responded by filing a $400 million countersuit against her, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist, Leslie Sloane. The filing, which accused the parties of defamation, mismanagement, extortion and more, was dismissed by U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman last month, as Lively's accusations were legally protected.
Baldoni also sued The New York Times for $250 million for publishing Lively's story about events on set, which he believed relied on her "self-serving narrative."
The newspaper defended its reporting, stating at the time, according to CNN, that the article was "meticulously and responsibly reported" and "based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents." That lawsuit was also dismissed.
Justin Baldoni attends The CW Network's 2016 Upfront at The London Hotel on May 19, 2016, in New York City. Blake Lively attends the "It Ends With Us" UK Gala Screening at the Odeon Luxe...
Justin Baldoni attends The CW Network's 2016 Upfront at The London Hotel on May 19, 2016, in New York City. Blake Lively attends the "It Ends With Us" UK Gala Screening at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on August 8, 2024, in London. Morefor The CW;for Sony Pictures
What To Know
In a new filing, Baldoni's team argued that this week's deposition should be held at their office, rather than Lively's lawyer's office one mile away, because they may need to consult hundreds of pages of notes, the Daily Mail reported. They also have access to a conference room.
Lively's team, however, said the meeting should take place at their office because of paparazzi fears.
"Although Lively's foot-stomping and use of her celebrity status may have enabled her to seize control of the film, which is the crux of this dispute, her counsel's tantrum has no place in this Court," Baldoni's team said. "Lively is bound by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure like every litigant."
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively on the set of "It Ends With Us" on January 12, 2024, in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively on the set of "It Ends With Us" on January 12, 2024, in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
What People Are Saying
Justin Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, suggested Lively's deposition be held in front of an audience, per TMZ: "If Blake Lively is really serious about testifying for the world to see, let's live stream it in Madison Square Garden and give the money to the domestic violence survivors."
Blake Lively's lawyers, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, fired back at Freedman, telling People: "Justin Baldoni's lawyer has tried to make this matter a public spectacle at every turn, even proposing to sell tickets to a televised deposition at Madison Square Garden. This is a serious matter of sexual harassment and retaliation, and it deserves to be treated as such."
What Happens Next
The deposition is scheduled for July 17, and their trial is set for March 2026.
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