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The legal dispute between It Ends With Us co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni continues to escalate as the scheduled deposition approaches. The conflict, which began in December 2024, has now taken a contentious turn, with both sides accusing the other of leveraging power, influence, and legal tactics to manipulate the case’s trajectory.
According to recent reports, Lively has requested a change in the deposition’s location and date, citing privacy and safety concerns. She wishes to have it held at her attorneys’ office in New York City rather than Baldoni’s legal representative’s office, stating that the presence of paparazzi outside the opposing counsel’s location could pose a security risk. However, Baldoni’s legal team is pushing back strongly against this request.
In a pointed rebuttal, Baldoni’s attorneys accused Lively of using her celebrity status to control the judicial process. They claimed there was no proof of paparazzi activity in the area and dismissed the concern as a tactic to sway court procedures in her favor. Their statement, obtained by Page Six, read: “Although Lively’s foot-stomping and use of her celebrity status may have enabled her to seize control of the film, which is the crux of this dispute, her counsel’s tantrum has no place in this Court.”
This comes after Lively’s team previously accused Baldoni’s high-profile lawyer, Bryan Freedman, of trying to “turn the deposition into a spectacle.” In their official statement, they emphasized the actress’s commitment to participating in the deposition, asserting, “Ms. Lively is looking forward to her deposition next week, and it should follow the same rules as every other witness in this case.”
The feud between the two stars began when Lively filed a lawsuit accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign against her during the production of It Ends With Us. The case quickly intensified when Baldoni filed a countersuit, accusing both Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion.
As the legal battle unfolds, what began as an offscreen creative clash has evolved into a deeply personal and public courtroom drama. With the deposition now set and both sides digging in, the upcoming proceedings may shed further light on the allegations and the breakdown of their once-collaborative relationship.