Justin Baldoni Responds to Blake Lively's Request for Protective Order Ahead of Deposition
Justin Baldoni is responding to Blake Lively‘s request for a protective order amid their ongoing It Ends With Us legal battle.
Before the weekend on Friday (July 11), Blake’s team filed a motion requesting Judge Lewis J. Liman to enter a protective order directing defendants to take her upcoming deposition on Thursday (July 17) at a redacted location, per legal documents.
They also requested that everyone attending the hearing be identified in advance, according to People.
Justin‘s team addressed Judge Liman in a letter Sunday (July 13), writing that they oppose the motion, arguing she is using her “celebrity status” to dictate and control the deposition, “at a location of her choosing.”
“Lively is a plaintiff who has hurled serious allegations of misconduct against the Wayfarer Parties,” the letter reads.
“Like all defendants, the Wayfarer Parties are entitled to depose Lively to develop evidence crucial to their defense. They are also entitled to choose the location of the deposition, which they did.”
Blake‘s request stated that she and her team asked the judge to block Justin and his team from selecting the deposition location.
Her team alleged that Justin‘s team has “not denied that their intent is to manufacture a harassing publicity stunt by requiring Ms. Lively to parade through paparazzi, or by inviting unknown attendees to the deposition, including members of the media or social media influencers, or any other number of abusive tactics,” and claimed that his team refused to address their concerns.
“Since virtually the inception of this litigation, Defendants have used even the prospect of Ms. Lively’s deposition to generate press interest,” her filing claims.
The request followed statements from Justin‘s attorney Bryan Freedman, who said in May that her deposition should be held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
“Hold the deposition at MSG, sell tickets or stream it, and donate every dollar to organizations helping victims of domestic abuse,” he told People.
Representatives for Blake said that she “is looking forward to her deposition next week, and it should follow the same rules as every other witness in this case.”
“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,” the statement continued.
“This is a serious matter of sexual harassment and retaliation and it deserves to be treated as such.”
Their trial is set for March 2026 in New York City, and both parties plan to testify during the proceedings.
Find out more about the accusation of making the deposition a “public spectacle.”