The ongoing legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has seen some major developments as of late. Back in June, a judge tossed out Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit against Lively, which marked a big win for her. (Baldoni’s hefty libel suit against the New York Times was also tossed.) Now, the aforementioned actress is set to share testimony in a matter of days and, per a source, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, has been banned from attending. The insider also shared claims about why that’s supposedly the case.
What’s Being Said About Ryan Reynolds And Why He Reportedly Can’t Attend The Deposition?
Blake Lively’s deposition is set to take place on Thursday, July 17, and details are allegedly being finalized now. One alleged point of contention within the situation is who will be allowed to be present when Lively shares her remarks. Hollywood insider Rob Shuter shared on his substack that he’s heard that Ryan Reynolds wanted to be there with his spouse. Despite that, per Shuter’s source, Lively’s own lawyers purportedly decided against it for a specific reason:
They told him this isn’t Hollywood. It’s a legal fight — and he’s a distraction.
Robert Shuter’s contact also claimed that the Rhythm Section star ultimately agreed to her team’s supposed mandate but did so reluctantly. Nevertheless, the unnamed individual sharing the details also said that while the A-list actress “loves” her husband, “this is war.” According to reports, Ryan Reynolds (who was also part of Baldoni’s suit) has stood by his wife since she became embroiled in this legal back-and-forth. Like his wife, Reynolds was allegedly also relieved after the previously mentioned suit was thrown out.
Still, this legal battle continues, and there’s more to this deposition than who’s attending. Most recently, Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively have also been in conflict in regard to where the legal proceedings will actually take place.
Why Are Blake Lively And Justin Baldoni At Odds Over Where To Hold The Deposition?
Justin Baldoni’s lead attorney, Bryan Freedman, previously suggested that the deposition be held in Madison Square Garden and that tickets be sold. It was Freedman’s contention that the proceeds could be donated to organizations that seek to support victims of domestic abuse. On top of that, that lawyer also recommended that the deposition be livestreamed for the general public.
Blake Lively and her team were not comfortable with Bryan Freedman’s idea and believe he’s trying to turn the situation into a “public spectacle” by suggesting a televised-event. On that note, she and her team filed a motion for a judge to initiate a protective order. As part of that request, Lively and co. are hoping the judge will require the deposition to be held at a redacted location, with a report also alleging that the actress wants to give testimony in her lawyer’s office. As of this writing, Freedman has yet to respond to that filing.
This legal saga began in earnest when Blake Lively filed a complaint against Justin Baldoni, who she accused of committing sexual harassment on the set of It Ends with Us. Lively also alleged that Baldoni and others launched a smear campaign against her and eventually sued for that and the harassment claims. Baldoni, who denied wrongdoing, eventually countersued Lively, Ryan Reynolds and more for alleged offenses like extortion and defamation. Amid all of that, was also the allegation that Deadpool & Wolverine’s Nicepool character was based on Baldoni, with the assertion having been denied by Reynolds’ camp.
For his part, Ryan Reynolds recently alluded to the legal drama surrounding his family right now. The Canadian actor didn’t go into specifics, though he did say that “none of us are comprised of our best moments” and “None of us are defined by our worst moments.” As his wife’s deposition approaches, time will tell whether Reynolds will actually opt to remain out of the picture as alleged.