New York, New York – Blake Lively has taken a new step to prevent her legal battle against co-star Justin Baldoni from further becoming a “public spectacle.”
The 37-year-old Gossip Girl star sought a protective order on Friday, requesting that her upcoming deposition be held at a “redacted location,” per People.
Lively’s team further slammed attorneys for the 41-year-old filmmaker, saying that they have “tried to make this matter a public spectacle at every turn”.
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, previously suggested that Lively’s deposition be held at New York’s Madison Square Garden, even calling for it to be live-streamed and tickets to be sold for in-person attendance.
Brad Pitt hits Angelina Jolie with new filing amid bitter winery war!
Sabrina Carpenter flaunts coquette style in new alternate cover for Man’s Best Friend
“This is a serious matter of sexual harassment and retaliation, and it deserves to be treated as such,” Lively’s team said in their filing.
The A Simple Favor actor’s attorneys are now asking that the judge block Baldoni’s side from selecting the location of her deposition, which is scheduled for Thursday, July 17.
“Since virtually the inception of this litigation, Defendants have used even the prospect of Ms. Lively’s deposition to generate press interest,” Lively’s team wrote.
“The high-profile nature of this litigation, and the nature of Ms. Lively’s retaliation claims, demonstrates a substantial risk of the deposition turning into a publicity event and potentially attracting interested individuals who could pose security risks.”
The court battle between the It Ends With Us co-stars has dominated headlines since Lively first took legal action against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and retaliation in a December 2024 lawsuit.
Baldoni has denied the allegations against him and countersued Lively, accusing her of defamation, extortion, and more.
The Jane the Virgin actor’s case was tossed by a federal judge last month, and his team has decided not to refile claims against Lively.
