NEED TO KNOW<\/p>\n
Justin Baldoni<\/a> has issued a response to Blake Lively<\/a>‘s request for a protective order from the judge presiding over their ongoing legal battle.\n<\/p>\n On Friday, July 11, Lively\u2019s legal team filed a motion requesting that Judge Lewis J. Liman\u00a0enter a protective order directing defendants to take her\u00a0upcoming deposition on Thursday, July 17<\/a>,\u00a0at a redacted location,\u00a0according to legal documents obtained by PEOPLE. They also requested that everyone attending the hearing be identified in advance.\n<\/p>\n The legal team for Baldoni, 41, addressed Judge Liman in a letter dated Sunday, July 13, writing that they oppose Lively\u2019s motion and arguing she is using her \u201ccelebrity status\u201d to dictate and control the deposition, “at a location of her choosing.”\n<\/p>\n “Lively is a plaintiff who has hurled serious allegations of misconduct against the Wayfarer Parties,” the letter continued. “Like all defendants, the Wayfarer Parties are entitled to depose Lively to develop evidence crucial to their defense. They are also entitled to choose the location of the deposition, which they did.”\n<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for\u00a0PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n Blake Lively in New York City on April 27, 2025; Justin Baldoni in New York City on Dec. 13, 2023.<\/p>\n Taylor Hill\/FilmMagic; Dia Dipasupil\/Getty\u00a0<\/p>\n Lively\u2019s request stated that the Another Simple Favor<\/a> actress, 37, and her team asked the judge to block Baldoni and his team\u00a0from selecting the deposition location.\n<\/p>\n Her team alleged that Baldoni’s has “not denied that their intent is to manufacture a harassing publicity stunt by requiring Ms. Lively to parade through paparazzi, or by inviting unknown attendees to the deposition, including members of the media or social media influencers, or any other number of abusive tactics,” before claiming Baldoni’s team has refused to address their concerns.\n<\/p>\n \u201cSince virtually the inception of this litigation, Defendants have used even the prospect of Ms. Lively\u2019s deposition to generate press interest,\u201d her filing alleged.<\/p>\n Lively’s request followed statements from Baldoni\u2019s attorney Bryan Freedman<\/a>, who said in May that the actress’s deposition should be held at Madison Square Garden\u00a0in New York City.\n<\/p>\n \u201cHold the deposition at MSG, sell tickets or stream it<\/a>, and donate every dollar to organizations helping victims of domestic abuse,\u201d he told PEOPLE at the time.<\/p>\n The PEOPLE App<\/a>\u00a0is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more!<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n Blake Lively in Austin, Texas, on March 7, 2025; Justin Baldoni in Los Angeles on Dec. 4, 2024.<\/p>\n SUZANNE CORDEIRO\/AFP via Getty; Araya Doheny\/Variety via Getty<\/p>\n Representatives for Lively told PEOPLE on Friday that the Gossip Girl<\/a> alum \u201cis looking forward to her deposition next week, and it should follow the same rules as every other witness in this case.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \u201cJustin Baldoni\u2019s lawyer has tried to make this matter a public spectacle<\/a> at every turn, even proposing to sell tickets to a televised deposition at Madison Square Garden,” the statement continued.\n<\/p>\n It concluded, “This is a serious matter of sexual harassment and retaliation and it deserves to be treated as such.\u201d\n<\/p>\n