Latest news with #JameyHeath
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Behind-The-Scenes Footage Could Haunt Blake Lively As Deposition Gets Underway
's long-awaited deposition in her lawsuit against is officially underway, and legal experts say it could be a turning point in the high-profile battle between the "Gossip Girl" alum and her "It Ends With Us" co-star. The actress first filed her complaint in December, alleging sexual harassment, retaliation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and more against Baldoni and film producer Jamey Heath. Blake Lively's case, originally submitted to the California Civil Rights Department, has since moved to federal court. Justin Baldoni's Team Ready To Grill Blake Lively Over Harassment Allegations According to Fox News Digital, Baldoni's legal team plans to zero in on behind-the-scenes footage showing Lively 'flirting' and 'joking' with Baldoni during filming. Attorneys suggest the clips could be used to undermine her accusations that she felt uncomfortable and harassed on set. 'Baldoni's team wants to get admissions from her about the weaknesses in her case and information to support Baldoni's defenses,' employment and defamation attorney Camron Dowlatshahi explained. 'For example, they will likely do a deep dive into the videos of her joking and flirting with Baldoni and get her to admit that she was doing so, instead of purportedly feeling uncomfortable, as her representation has claimed," he added. Why The Deposition Matters Lively's testimony is considered Baldoni's 'one opportunity' to lock in her account under oath. 'This is Baldoni's one opportunity to ask Ms. Lively questions under oath, to lock in her testimony, get her to admit things that are helpful to his case and challenge testimony that helps her case,' entertainment lawyer Tre Lovell told Fox News Digital. 'It's also an opportunity to get her to authenticate and lay a foundation for documents and information that Baldoni wishes to introduce at trial.' At the same time, Lively's deposition could help her bolster her claims by offering specific examples of Baldoni's alleged misconduct or identifying witnesses who may corroborate her version of events. Blake Lively Wins Protective Order To Control Deposition Setting In Harassment Lawsuit Judge Lewis Liman granted Lively a protective order earlier this month, allowing her to choose the deposition location and limiting Baldoni's team's ability to turn the proceedings into a media spectacle. Lively's legal team maintained that the protections were necessary to ensure a fair process and to prevent the deposition from turning into a media circus amid the widespread public scrutiny of the case. The deposition was initially scheduled for July 17 but was postponed at the last minute, eventually being rescheduled for July 31. Former Prosecutor Says Baldoni's Team Will Target 'Inconsistencies' In Lively's Testimony Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani noted that Baldoni's lawyers will likely scrutinize Lively's testimony for any 'inconsistencies' with her written complaint. 'Depositions can generally reveal inconsistencies, create impeachment evidence for testimony at trial, and uncover facts that support Baldoni's arguments in the lawsuit,' Rahmani said. 'In this case specifically, Baldoni's lawyers want admissions from Lively about decision-making authority under their agreement and who has creative control or communications with third parties that may undermine her sexual harassment claims." He added, "Lively's text messages and prior statements may be used to attack her argument that Baldoni created a sexually charged workplace and hostile work environment.' Blake Lively Braced With Rigorous Training From Her Lawyers Before High-Stakes Deposition According to legal experts, Lively's team almost certainly put her through rigorous prep sessions before facing questioning. Dowlatshahi told the news outlet that "they will explain to her the typical objections lodged by the other side, such as privilege, vagueness, ambiguity and speculation and how those objections can cue her responses." Meaning, by the time she is placed under oath, she will have "likely gone through hours of mock questioning from her lawyers," though, even with the preparation, "the pressure from competent counsel can be difficult for any deponent." "The most important rule in depositions is to answer the question truthfully, but only the question and nothing more," Rahmani told Fox News Digital. With both sides prepared for a grueling legal battle, today's deposition marks a pivotal moment, one that could define how the case plays out in court and in the public eye. Solve the daily Crossword
News24
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
Lawsuit rejected: Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's courtroom drama hits a plot twist
Justin Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit against former co-star Blake Lively and The New York Times has been rejected by a US judge. NYT previously reported that Lively had filed a complaint against Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath for allegedly inappropriate behaviour while making the film It Ends with Us. The complaint said Baldoni - who also directed the film - had spoken inappropriately about his sex life and sought to alter the film to include sex scenes that were not in the script and had not been agreed to. A US judge on Monday rejected a $400 million lawsuit that actor Justin Baldoni filed against former co-star Blake Lively and The New York Times after she accused him of sexual harassment and other misbehaviour. Lively reacted to the dismissal with a statement on her Instagram story. She wrote about the 'pain' she felt from the Baldoni 'lawsuit.' 'Like so many others, I've felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us,' she wrote. 'While the suit against me was defeated, so many don't have the resources to fight back,' she added. 'I'm more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman's right to have a voice in protecting themselves, including their safety, their integrity, their dignity and their story.' She also expressed her gratitude to her supporters. Back in December, the Times reported that Lively had filed a complaint against Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath for allegedly inappropriate behaviour and comments during the shooting of the movie It Ends with Us. The complaint said Baldoni - who also directed the film - had spoken inappropriately about his sex life and sought to alter the film to include sex scenes that were not in the script and had not been agreed to. It also said Heath had watched Lively while she was topless despite having been asked to turn away. It further said Baldoni waged a PR campaign to wreck Lively's reputation. READ | Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds pursue gag order against Justin Baldoni's lawyer amid heated saga A lawyer for Wayfarer, the studio behind the film, said in a statement released to the New York Times at the time that neither the studio, its executives, nor its PR team did anything to retaliate against Lively. 'These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media,' lawyer Bryan Freedman wrote in December. Baldoni filed suit in January against the actress, her husband Ryan Reynolds and the Times, arguing that an article the paper ran in December defamed him. On Monday, Judge Lewis Liman of the US District Court in Manhattan dismissed the lawsuit filed by Baldoni. The judge said the Times had simply reported on Lively's original legal filing alleging harassment on set and a retaliatory smear campaign and that it had taken the trouble to seek a reaction from Baldoni to the actress's allegations. The judge also rejected allegations by Baldoni that Lively, whose Instagram account has more than 43 million followers, had tried to seize control of the film and its promotion. Baldoni accused her husband, Reynolds, of wrongly describing him as a sexual predator. In a statement carried by US media, Lively's lawyers celebrated what they called a 'total victory' over Baldoni's 'retaliatory lawsuit.' Baldoni's lawyer did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. Based on a best-selling novel by the US writer Colleen Hoover, 'It Ends with Us' is a romantic drama that made more than $350 million at the box office in 2024, making it one of the biggest hits of the year. It was previously reported that Lively attempted to withdraw two claims of intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress she made against Baldoni, according to BBC. Variety also reported that the judge overseeing Lively and Baldoni's case decided that her emotional distress claims were 'dead'.
