Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni’s lawyer of participating in an ongoing smear campaign against her during her deposition in New York City on July 31, a development shared exclusively by Us Weekly. The deposition was part of a legal dispute where Lively’s team claims that Baldoni and his representatives have engaged in retaliatory behavior after she accused him of sexual harassment.
Details Revealed in the Deposition Exchange
During the deposition, Lively was questioned directly about the smear campaign. When asked,
“When did the smear campaign end?”
by Baldoni’s legal counsel Bryan Freedman, Lively responded,
“It doesn’t feel like it’s ended.”
She confirmed that the campaign appeared ongoing when pressed further. When asked who she believed was involved, Lively stated,
“I believe — outside of what I know through attorneys — I believe that the defendants are involved.”
She explicitly told Baldoni’s lawyer,
“All of them. And I believe you are.”
Freedman challenged Lively to provide the basis for her claim, to which she replied,
“Outside of what I know through my attorneys, I believe the act of a retaliatory lawsuit and the press that you have done and the statements that you have made about me and my character have felt incredibly retaliatory.”
However, when questioned about specifics regarding other defendants’ role in the smear campaign, Lively said,
“Like I said, outside of conversations with my attorney, I’m unable to answer that.”
Allegations of Deposition Information Being Leaked to the Media
Lively’s legal team accused Baldoni’s side of leaking selective details from the deposition to the press. According to Lively’s motion, these leaks reportedly came from a “source in the room” and were intended to create a narrative portraying the deposition as a face-to-face confrontation exclusively between Lively and Baldoni. The filings argue that Baldoni’s team aimed to exaggerate the scene by implying Lively required a large legal entourage while minimizing the presence of Baldoni’s own extensive legal team.
Lively detailed that although the narrative suggested only Baldoni and Freedman attended, Baldoni actually arrived with eight lawyers and several other team members. Bryan Freedman dismissed these accusations, stating,
“[Lively] also fails to explain why any such ‘leak’ could not have originated from [Lively], her husband [Ryan Reynolds], her multiple attorneys, legal or administrative staff from the law firm representing her (whose office she demanded host the deposition), or the catering staff employed thereby who served lunch.”
Defense Lawyer Responds to Leak Claims and Deposition Attendance
Freedman countered that identifying the individual responsible for any leak was irrelevant and emphasized that the identities of those present at the deposition lacked newsworthiness. He remarked,
“Putting aside the identity of the culprit, the identities of those in attendance for her deposition are not newsworthy because all parties are entitled to attend all depositions.”
Background of the Legal Conflict Between Lively and Baldoni
Blake Lively initiated a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment on the set of the film It Ends With Us. She also claims that Baldoni hired a crisis PR team to launch a smear campaign against her as retaliation for her complaints about his conduct. Conversely, Baldoni has denied all allegations and accused Lively of using her star status to dominate the film’s production after principal photography was completed. He further alleged that Lively is responsible for damaging his reputation.
Statements from Lively’s Team and the Road Ahead to Trial
A spokesperson for Lively commented on the deposition’s progress, saying,
“We are very pleased with the outcome of her deposition, and now look forward to deposing Justin Baldoni and each of the codefendants in short order. Deposition testimony is confidential for good reason – it’s evidence in a legal proceeding and is subject to objections and evidentiary rules. Juries aren’t just handed deposition transcripts to read at home, and instead they listen to testimony that is presented at trial under a judge’s supervision.”
The legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni is scheduled to proceed to trial in March, with both sides preparing for more depositions and courtroom proceedings that will further explore these serious allegations and counterclaims.
