In a development worthy of a courtroom drama, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni came face-to-face for Lively’s deposition on July 31 for the first time since their public fallout.
It’s now evident that the meet-up didn’t go well, with a letter from her attorneys filed yesterday in federal court accusing Baldoni’s team of ‘immediately leaking details from the deposition to the tabloid media.’
The letter read: ‘In rushing to file on the public docket the entirety of the 292-page transcript on the day they received it, with no plausible legal reason to do so, the Wayfarer Defendants and their counsel have proved Ms. Lively’s point,’ the correspondence read, asking the judge to seal the record, according to Deadline.
‘The transcript was ostensibly filed in support of their argument that there is no basis to assert that Bryan Freedman or his firm have participated in, fueled and advanced a smear campaign against Ms. Lively such that their conduct has amounted to public relations work rather than that of an attorney.’
The letter continues: ‘But, in fact, this tactic perfectly demonstrates the counsel-as-PR agent role because there is no conceivable legal purpose to file the whole transcript, particularly given that it has not been reviewed, corrected or finalized, and a mere two pages of it were cited in their argument.
‘The letter and attachment should be seen for what they are: a manufactured excuse to force the transcript into the public domain as fodder for the Wayfarer Defendants’ media campaign.’
In an August 1 letter filed the same day Blake Lively’s deposition transcript was temporarily sealed, attorney Kevin Fritz hinted at the contents of her testimony.
‘Upon questioning by Freedman at her recent deposition, Lively admitted that the only ongoing ‘smear campaign’ she has personal knowledge of involves (redacted),’ he wrote.
Some of the details Blake’s team is accusing Baldoni’s of leaking include: what she was wearing, the exact start time (10:13 a.m. ET), that her husband, Ryan Reynolds, accompanied her, what was said by her legal team, and that Justin Baldoni himself was present.
‘Consistent with their goal of creating a media circus around Ms. Lively’s deposition, it also appears that the Wayfarer Defendants immediately leaked details from the deposition to the tabloid media,’ attorney Hudson wrote in a letter to Judge Liman, who has previously expressed frustration over such tactics.
The tense reunion took place inside a law office in Manhattan for Lively’s deposition as part of her case against Baldoni, following drama during the filming of It Ends With Us.
The pair, who starred in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel of the same name last year, have been embroiled in a bitter feud in recent months.
In December, the Gossip Girl actress, 37, launched legal proceedings against the 41-year-old – who also served as director – over claims she suffered ‘severe emotional distress and pain, humiliation, embarrassment, belittlement, frustration and mental anguish’.
He denied all claims and filed a countersuit against her, husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicist, Leslie Sloane – alleging extortion and defamation – as well as separate documents against the New York Times.
According to People Magazine, Judge Lewis J Liman granted a motional to dismiss the $400m countersuit, as well as the defamation filing against the publication.
Now, according to reports from TMZ and ABC News, Baldoni made the decision to attend Lively’s deposition in person on July 31 at her legal team’s office in New York.
The private testimony took place behind closed doors with only legal representatives, a court reporter, and a videographer present.
The deposition marks a dramatic milestone in the escalating legal saga between the two stars.
Despite the dismissed suits, tensions remain high — and public.
Back in May, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, made headlines with a provocative suggestion: that Lively’s deposition be held live at Madison Square Garden, with proceeds going to organizations supporting victims of domestic abuse.
‘Since Ms. Lively is open to testifying, let’s make it count,’ he said at the time.
Though the MSG event never happened, Freedman confirmed this week that Baldoni was determined to be physically present for Lively’s deposition – a clear signal that he intends to keep the pressure on ahead of their scheduled trial in March 2026.
Cameras will not be allowed in the courtroom, but both Lively and Baldoni have committed to taking the stand.
Lively’s attorney, Mike Gottlieb, previously confirmed that Lively intends to testify when the case finally goes to trial.
A version of this article was first published August 1, 2025.
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