Blake Lively’s ongoing legal fight with Justin Baldoni has taken another turn, with her upcoming deposition scheduled for Thursday. The actress has further alleged that Baldoni improperly hired both Jed Wallace and his business, Street Relations LLC. She claims their aim was to destroy her reputation by flooding the internet with harmful material about her. This allegation is just one thread in the tapestry of a current countersuit in which Lively has accused sexual harassment and retaliation by Baldoni.
On July 16, Lively’s legal team sent a letter to attorney Liman. In doing so, they repeatedly and boldly delineated their position and proclaimed their might in quashing Baldoni’s claims. The legal skirmish escalated when Wallace rebutted Lively’s allegations and then turned around and filed a defamation lawsuit against her.
Unfortunately, earlier on in the proceedings, a federal judge dismissed Baldoni’s lawsuit against Lively, which was seeking $400 million in damages. This dismissal did not stop Baldoni’s legal team, who announced their intention to amend and refile the case.
In a statement, Lively’s spokesperson remarked, “The Court dismissed the frivolous $400 million Baldoni-Wayfarer lawsuit in its entirety.” They further noted that the dismissal was significant, saying, “In the days that followed, Baldoni’s lawyer said the judge’s decision to dismiss their case was not a big deal as they promised to amend and refile it. As per usual, that was not true.”
Despite these developments, the legal wrangling continues. Lively’s deposition was initially set for July 17 but was postponed by mutual agreement between the two parties’ legal teams. According to Lively’s team, “Plaintiff Blake Lively writes to respectfully advise the Court that… counsel for the parties met and conferred and mutually agreed… that Ms. Lively’s deposition will be continued until July 31, 2025.”
Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, noted that the ruling on the motion to dismiss is irrelevant to their defense. He stated, “The Court’s decision… has no effect whatsoever on the truth that there was no harassment nor any smear campaign, and it does not in any way affect our vigorous defense against Ms. Lively’s claims.”
As the case moves forward, both complainants’ and defendants’ sides seem determined to continue fiercely defending their respective claims. As Baldoni’s defense team looks for other legal remedies, Lively has refused to back down from her claims of anti-LGBTQ harassment.
