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Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are now officially heading into one of the most anticipated legal face-offs in entertainment, as both prepare for a deposition in the ongoing lawsuit involving Lively and the It Ends With Us director. Recent developments reveal that the court has granted Lively a protective order ahead of the proceedings, setting strict parameters around how her deposition will unfold.
According to documents obtained by People Magazine, the judge agreed that Lively, who is a mother of four, should have control over certain aspects of the deposition. She is permitted to designate the space where the session will take place and must provide a computer with printing and copying capabilities. On the other side, Baldoni and his legal team are required to notify Lively about the exact number of individuals who will be present during the deposition by July 15, adding a layer of transparency that her team had pushed for.
The protective order follows claims by Lively’s attorneys that Baldoni’s legal team had been trying to turn the deposition into what they called a “spectacle.” In response, the judge acknowledged that while Lively is entitled to certain privacy considerations, she is also a plaintiff who has “hurled serious allegations of misconduct against the Wayfarer Parties.” As such, the judge reminded all parties that the defendants, including Baldoni, have the right to depose her and gather key evidence for their defense.
Previously, tensions escalated when Baldoni’s team argued that Lively was leveraging her celebrity status to control the narrative and logistics of the deposition. The protective order marks a compromise—one that offers Lively some logistical protections while reinforcing the defendants’ right to a fair discovery process.
In an interview with TMZ, Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman made it clear that the defense is well-prepared and eager to cross-examine Lively under oath. He claimed they have “videotapes, footage, text messages, and emails” ready for use during questioning. Freedman hinted that any discrepancies between Lively’s testimony and the actual evidence will be scrutinized intensely.
The deposition is just a stepping stone in a legal process that appears to be growing more complex and combative by the week. With both sides clearly gearing up for a fierce courtroom battle, the full trial is scheduled to begin in March 2026, leaving ample time for more revelations to surface.