Movies

Blake Lively Refuses Deposition by Justin Baldoni’s Attorney in $400M Suit!

BBG News

According to DailyMail.com, Blake Lively is seeking to prevent Justin Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, from questioning her in a deposition.

The lawyers for the actress have communicated to the legal team of Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer, that they are not in favor of experienced lawyer Freedman questioning her under oath.

In a recent correspondence sent to the presiding judge in New York, Baldoni’s legal team has disclosed an unexpected surge in demand regarding the $400 million defamation lawsuit involving the co-stars of It Ends with Us.

I can’t help but passionately voice my opinion here: It’s been said that a certain 37-year-old actress, famously known for her role on Gossip Girl and married to the legendary Ryan Reynolds, has no business telling people what they can or cannot ask. However, I firmly believe that everyone should have the freedom to field inquiries about their life and career, as long as it’s done with respect and understanding.

On January 30, 2025, the lawyers representing the Wayfarer Parties asked Judge Lewis Liman to schedule Blake Lively for a deposition at the earliest convenience, as noted in a letter penned by Kevin Fritz, counsel for Baldoni.

The lawyers representing Ms. Lively and Ryan Reynolds voiced their disagreement against the main attorney of the Wayfarer Group taking part in deposing Blake Lively.

The lawyers for the Lively group have stated their objection to Bryan J. Freedman personally conducting Ms. Lively’s testimony, due to unspoken comments allegedly made by Mr. Freedman.

When questioned about the reasons behind their opposition, the lawyers representing the Lively Parties chose not to provide further details.

In a past court filing, Lively and Reynolds sought a restraining order against Freedman (who has represented figures like Tucker Carlson, Julia Roberts, and Megyn Kelly in the past) to prohibit him from making distressing or reprisal-driven statements towards the press.

In response to Lively’s plea, Fritz clarifies that there seems to be no circumstances under which the former party could decide on the attorney conducting their deposition.

In legal terms, parties involved in a lawsuit don’t hold the authority to decide which lawyers representing their opposing side are allowed or disallowed to question them during the deposition process.

At a February 3rd pretrial conference in a New York federal court, both the gag rule and the recent dispute are topics that will be discussed.

40-year-olds, Lively and Baldoni, harmoniously shone on screen during the 2024 film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s renowned novel, delving into themes of domestic violence and emotional torment.

Or:

In the 2024 screen adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s celebrated novel about domestic violence and emotional abuse, the 40-year-old actors Lively and Baldoni meshed perfectly on camera.

It became a surprise hit at the box office, grossing $351million on a budget of $25million.

In the course of time, it’s come to light that our creative visions started to diverge, and I found myself advocating for more control in our projects. At the same time, I began to feel uneasy during our intimate scenes, which wasn’t a situation I had anticipated or welcomed.

Initially, Lively filed a lawsuit, claiming that Baldoni barged into her trailer without warning while she was bare-chested. She also asserted that he exhibited graphic footage of his wife in labor and forcefully kissed her, biting and sucking on her lips during an unplanned smooch scene.

She went on to allege that he was involved in a plot to tarnish her image, pointing out a text from Baldoni’s representative, Melissa Nathan, which stated: ‘We can easily discredit anyone.’

Her allegations of sexual harassment gained worldwide attention due to the nearly simultaneous release of a comprehensive article by The New York Times, spanning over 4,000 words and heavily quoting from the complaint she had submitted to the California Civil Rights Department, an entity known for maintaining confidential records.

Baldoni is taking legal action against The Times, arguing they didn’t properly investigate Lively’s accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation. Instead, they predominantly used Lively’s unsubstantiated and self-beneficial story, copying it almost exactly while ignoring a wealth of evidence that went against her assertions.

The newspaper plans to ‘vigorously defend against the lawsuit,’ per its spokesman.

After that, Baldoni filed a lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds, flipping the story around by asserting that it was actually their side who were spreading false rumors, and demanding $400 million in compensation.

He claimed that she manipulated the intent of his messages and was collaborating with Leslie Sloane, a prominent Hollywood PR figure, to seed unfavorable reports about him in the press.

As a die-hard admirer, I can’t help but see through the veil of deceit. It seems to me that everything was strategically orchestrated, as Baldoni suggested, with the sole purpose of restoring Lively’s shining reputation. The criticism she faced for her prickly demeanor during interviews and promotional events had left a tarnish on her image. But now, it feels like a cleverly crafted plan to smooth over that blemish and bring back the luster to her star-studded persona.

According to his argument, any unfavorable publicity about the actress, who is often referred to as his leading lady with blond hair, arose naturally on its own.

A fresh, unexpected turn occurred in the ongoing dispute when DailyMail.com revealed never-before-seen raw video of Baldoni and Lively performing a passionate dance as their characters, Lily Bloom and Ryle Kincaid.

Lively’s lawsuit claims that Baldoni leaned toward her, softly trailed his lips from her ear to her neck while saying, “It smells wonderful,” during their conversation.

According to DailyMail.com’s video, they appear to be exchanging friendly yet business-focused remarks during their breaks from filming.

At a crucial point, Baldoni inquires of Lively if he’s perhaps acquiring a beard on her. To which she responds, ‘I might be giving you a spray tan instead.’ This exchange causes Baldoni to remark, ‘It smells nice,’ followed by them both chuckling.

Freedman emphasized that the video served as evidence supporting his client’s conduct, indicating there was nothing secret or incriminating about their actions.

He has additionally promised to share all private communications between his co-stars publicly, allowing the public to decide for themselves which individuals were spreading false rumors.

Lively countered that the footage obtained by DailyMail.com confirmed her claims of harassment.

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2025-01-31 21:20

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