Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni come face-to-face in deposition over misconduct lawsuit
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni met in person today for the first time since their public dispute, during Lively's deposition in her lawsuit against the actor and director. The session took place at Lively's legal team's office in Manhattan.
The legal battle stems from their work on the 2024 film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's novel It Ends With Us, in which Lively starred and Baldoni both acted and directed. In December, Lively, 37, filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, 41, alleging she suffered 'severe emotional distress and pain, humiliation, embarrassment, belittlement, frustration and mental anguish' as a result of his conduct during production.
Baldoni denied the claims and filed a countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist Leslie Sloane. His filing alleged extortion and defamation. He also filed a separate defamation action against The New York Times. It comes after Blake was blasted for being rude to staff in a New York shop.
Last month, Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Baldoni's $400 million countersuit and the defamation claim against the newspaper.
Today's deposition was conducted in private. Only attorneys for both parties, a court reporter, and a videographer were present. The testimony may remain under seal.
According to reports from TMZ and ABC News, Baldoni chose to attend the deposition in person. The case is scheduled to proceed to trial in March 2026. Cameras will not be permitted in the courtroom and both Lively and Baldoni have confirmed that they will testify.
Lively's attorney, Mike Gottlieb, has previously stated that she intends to take the stand.
Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, previously suggested that Lively's testimony should be given publicly at Madison Square Garden, with proceeds from ticket sales going to organisations that support domestic violence victims.
'Since Ms. Lively is open to testifying, let's make it count,' Freedman said in May 2024. That proposal was not pursued.
The ongoing dispute began after the release of It Ends With Us, which was based on Hoover's 2016 novel. The adaptation generated significant attention due to its subject matter and the involvement of high-profile actors.
While some legal claims have been dismissed, the core allegations in Lively's lawsuit remain active. The case continues to attract widespread media coverage in both entertainment and legal contexts.
Neither Lively nor Baldoni, nor representatives for Reynolds or Sloane, have commented publicly on today's proceedings.
The deposition marks a key stage in the pre-trial process, providing sworn testimony that may be used during trial. The outcome of the case will be determined in federal court in New York.
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