The ongoing legal battle between actress Blake Lively and her It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni has taken a deeply unusual turn, following the emergence of testimony from Baldoni's deposition last October.
A Bizarre Home Meeting Revelation
According to court documents obtained by the Daily Mail, Baldoni, 41, informed a then-pregnant Lively, 38, that he was 'circumcised' during a December 2022 meeting at her New York City home. The meeting was also attended by her husband, Ryan Reynolds, who was reportedly in and out of the conversation.
In the deposition transcript, Baldoni confirmed to Lively's attorney, Michael J. Gottlieb, that the discussion arose while talking about whether Lively's then-unborn baby, Olin, would be circumcised. When Gottlieb asked, 'Did you at any point share with Ms. Lively whether you were circumcised?' Baldoni replied, 'Yes.'
However, under further questioning, Baldoni admitted that Lively did not directly ask him about his genitalia. Gottlieb followed up: 'Did Ms. Lively ask you whether you were circumcised?' to which Baldoni responded, 'Directly, no.'
'People All Around': The Scene Described
Baldoni described a chaotic scene at the time of the alleged conversation. He stated that numerous household staff were present, making the disclosure even more incongruous.
'There were people going all around,' Baldoni said in his deposition. 'Mr. [Ryan] Reynolds was in and out of the conversation. She had, I think, two nannies. I felt like there was a housekeeper there. Her assistant was walking around. I think she had two assistants there. Her and I were sitting on the couch, but there were people all around.'
When Gottlieb then asked if Baldoni had ever discussed his genitalia with other work colleagues, the actor gave a contradictory response: 'I don’t talk about my genitalia, so no.'
The Core of the Multi-Million Dollar Lawsuit
This strange deposition detail surfaces amidst a bitter $400 million legal fight. Lively initially sued Baldoni in December 2024 for sexual harassment, retaliation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress related to the production of their film It Ends With Us.
Baldoni has vehemently denied all allegations. He filed a massive countersuit accusing Lively of extortion and defamation, though a judge later dismissed it. His legal team recently filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing Lively's claims are a 'litany of minor grievances' that do not constitute a hostile work environment.
Lively's attorneys have fiercely opposed this, requesting the case proceed to a jury trial scheduled for March next year. They argue the evidence points to a 'toxic work environment' and accuse Baldoni of using 'DARVO strategies'—a manipulation tactic involving Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender.
The legal filings also reveal intense behind-the-scenes conflict, including text messages where Baldoni claimed to feel 'emotionally paralyzed' after being scolded by Ryan Reynolds. Baldoni told actor Rainn Wilson that Reynolds had 'talk[ed] to me like a five-year-old' during a confrontation in January 2024.
Further complicating matters, Baldoni's team submitted a deleted scene from the film as evidence, claiming it shows Lively improvising a kiss on set—an act she has cited as part of the harassment. The clip, filed in November, shows Lively's character kissing Baldoni's in a hallway scene not in the original script.
With the trial looming, this latest deposition revelation adds another surreal layer to a case that has already captivated the entertainment industry. Both parties maintain their positions, and representatives for Lively and Baldoni have not commented on the Daily Mail's report.
