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Tensions continue to mount between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively as the legal battle surrounding their involvement in It Ends With Us grows more contentious. Central to the latest clash is a deposition set for Thursday in New York City, with Lively requesting it be held at her lawyer's office due to fears of paparazzi ambush. Baldoni's team has rejected the request, asserting that Lively is exploiting her fame to tilt the proceedings in her favor.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Baldoni's attorneys argue that no evidence supports Lively's claims of potential harassment outside their office. They emphasize that the two proposed venues are barely a mile apart and insist the issue is less about safety and more about control. "Although Lively's foot-stomping and use of her celebrity status may have enabled her to seize control of the film... her counsel's tantrum has no place in this Court," the filing reads.
Blake Lively's representatives responded through a statement to People, highlighting concerns that Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman is attempting to sensationalize the deposition. "Ms. Lively is looking forward to her deposition next week, and it should follow the same rules as every other witness in this case," her spokesperson stated. They accused Freedman of turning legal proceedings into a spectacle, citing his sarcastic suggestion to livestream the deposition from Madison Square Garden and sell tickets for charity.
Freedman, speaking on TMZ Live, defended the pushback. "I'm gonna ask her questions under penalty of perjury... she's gonna have to provide the truth of the stories," he said, affirming their intent to treat the deposition with legal seriousness. Still, the suggestion of a stadium broadcast has drawn sharp criticism, with Lively's camp labeling it a "publicity-seeking distraction."
The feud traces back to production tensions during It Ends With Us in 2024, which ultimately escalated when Lively filed a lawsuit in December alleging sexual harassment and retaliation. As the lawsuit unfolds, both sides have traded accusations of manipulation and misconduct. In June, Lively's legal team suffered a setback when a judge denied a protective order aimed at excluding her text exchanges with Taylor Swift from the case record.
With Lively now preparing to testify under oath and Baldoni's team pushing for procedural parity, the courtroom drama promises more revelations. At its heart remains the question of whether celebrity should shape the rules, or abide by them.
