Blake Lively has accused Justin Baldoni's legal team of leaking details from her deposition to the media, calling the move a 'manufactured excuse' to fuel a smear campaign. The actress gave a deposition on July 31 in the ongoing legal dispute over alleged sexual harassment and retaliation on the set of It Ends With Us.
In a letter filed in federal court on Monday, Lively's attorney Esra Hudson criticised Baldoni's lead lawyer Bryan Freedman for filing the full 292-page transcript publicly without justification. '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,' Hudson wrote. 'But, in fact, this tactic perfectly demonstrates the counsel-as-PR agent role.'
Hudson also noted that details from the deposition appeared in tabloids such as the Daily Mail and TMZ shortly after the session. These included what Lively wore, the start time of 10:13 am, the presence of her husband Ryan Reynolds, and that Baldoni himself attended. '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,' the letter stated.
Lively's legal team argued that the filing served no legal purpose, as only two pages of the transcript were cited in Baldoni's argument, and the document had not been reviewed or corrected. The letter also pointed out that while media reports suggested Lively had a large support team, the deposition room included Baldoni, Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz, Melissa Nathan, and Jennifer Abel, along with eight attorneys.
The dispute stems from Lively's initial complaint filed with California's Civil Rights Department in December, which was covered exclusively by the New York Times. Baldoni's $400 million countersuit was dismissed in June, and the trial is set to begin on March 9, 2026. A separate legal battle is ongoing in federal and California state court over insurance coverage for Baldoni's legal fees.
