Actress Blake Lively is set to be deposed on Thursday in her ongoing legal battle with fellow actor Justin Baldoni. Here, she has alleged sexual harassment and retaliation. The actress claims that Baldoni independently hired Jed Wallace and his company Street Relations LLC. She thinks their goal was to destroy her reputation by posting damaging information about her online. This deposition takes place in the wake of widespread legal changes. A federal judge recently threw out Baldoni’s suit against Lively.
On July 16, Lively’s legal team, based in part on this First Amendment doctrine, sent a letter to Baldoni’s attorney stating their position.… acknowledge the strong public interest in this matter despite the strong confidence articulated. … They emphasized the idea that a coordinated smear campaign against the star had clearly been planned. Wallace, head of Street Relations LLC, has pushed back on Lively’s accusations. He has filed a defamation suit against her.
Plaintiff Blake Lively writes to respectfully advise the Court that, following today’s emergency hearing, counsel for the parties met and conferred and mutually agreed that… Ms. Lively’s deposition will be continued until July 31, 2025, remained Lively’s team, in a motion filed almost two weeks before her deposition was to be taken.
Meant to take place on July 17, Lively’s deposition was delayed after Wallace was removed from the case by the court for jurisdictional reasons. Both plaintiffs’ and defendants’ attorneys agreed to this delay post dismissal, evidence of continuing dialogue between both sides.
A federal judge dismissed Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit in its entirety, a ruling that Lively’s spokesperson characterized as a victory. “The Court dismissed the frivolous $400 million Baldoni-Wayfarer lawsuit in its entirety,” the spokesperson stated. Following the dismissal, Baldoni’s lawyer downplayed the significance of the judge’s ruling, asserting intentions to amend and refile the complaint.
In the days that ensued, Baldoni’s counsel attempted to spin the judge’s ruling to dismiss their case as victory. So sure of themselves, they pledged to fix it and refile. As per usual, that was not true, Lively’s spokesperson added.
Baldoni, for his part, has strongly denied all accusations filed by Lively. His legal representation maintains that the judge’s decision on the motion to dismiss does not impact their defense against Lively’s claims. “The Court’s decision on the motion to dismiss has no effect whatsoever on the truth that there was no harassment nor any smear campaign,” said Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s attorney.
Lively is still fighting these legal battles under the public spotlight. She was recently seen at the premiere of her film “It Ends With Us” in Copenhagen on August 9, 2024.
