Blake Lively’s ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni has taken several twists, with her upcoming deposition at the center of the latest developments. The actress, 37, is seeking to limit her testimony to a single, seven-hour session, a request that comes amidst dismissed claims and public accusations in a complex sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit related to the filming of It Ends With Us.

Originally scheduled for earlier this week, Lively’s deposition has been rescheduled for July 31st by mutual agreement, as reported by TMZ. While federal rules typically cap depositions at seven hours per day, the complexity of this case raised concerns about multiple sessions. Lively’s legal team, led by Michael Gottlieb, is pushing for a strict one-session limit, a demand revealed by Matthew Russell Lee from Inner City Press.

This push to limit the deposition follows a setback for Lively when a federal judge dismissed her claims against social media PR expert Jed Wallace due to a lack of jurisdiction. Wallace and his company, Street Relations, are based in Texas, not New York where Lively’s lawsuit was filed. Despite the dismissal, Lively’s representatives told TMZ that the decision was procedural and “has nothing to do with the merits of her allegations about Mr. Wallace’s role in the smear campaign,” adding they are exploring “numerous options for holding Mr. Wallace accountable.” Wallace’s lawyer has indicated he would demand another deposition if brought back into the case.

Location Dispute and Concerns Over “Media Spectacle”

Another point of contention has been the deposition’s location. Lively’s lawyers successfully argued against Baldoni’s request to hold it at his legal firm’s Park Avenue offices. Concerns about a “media ambush” and paparazzi swarming Lively prompted the judge to grant her request to select a more private location, which remains redacted from public filings.

Lively’s team also voiced worries that Baldoni might invite social media influencers, turning the confidential proceeding into a “public spectacle.” Bryan Freedman, one of Baldoni’s attorneys, controversially suggested in a previous TMZ interview that Lively’s deposition should be live-streamed at Madison Square Garden with ticket sales benefiting domestic violence victims—a suggestion Lively’s attorney immediately rejected as a publicity stunt. Lively’s team cited these remarks as evidence that Freedman could not be trusted to maintain professionalism at a location of his choosing.

Baldoni’s defense team, in turn, has accused Lively of using her “celebrity status” to gain an unfair advantage, arguing that holding the deposition elsewhere would inconvenience them and that her “foot-stomping… has no place in this Court.”

Allegations of Sexual Harassment and Retaliation

At the heart of the legal dispute are Lively’s allegations of sexual harassment against Justin Baldoni on the set of It Ends With Us. She further claims that Baldoni, his publicity team, and other defendants retaliated against her after she made these allegations.

Lively’s civil rights complaint describes Jed Wallace as a “hired gun” for Baldoni and his team, allegedly engaged in “untraceable” social media campaigns to “weaponize a digital army” and “create, seed, manipulate and advance disparaging content” against her. Wallace, in turn, filed a defamation lawsuit against Lively earlier this year.

Baldoni has consistently denied Lively’s allegations, and his legal team has pushed back on her claims, arguing she hasn’t supported them with sufficient evidence.

Taylor Swift’s Involvement and “Khaleesi” Reference

Adding another layer of intrigue, Lively recently suffered a setback when a judge denied her attorneys’ application to block her text messages with Taylor Swift from being entered as evidence. Baldoni’s team subpoenaed all communications between Lively and Swift related to It Ends With Us, and these messages are now subject to scrutiny.

One embarrassing exchange reportedly shows Lively referring to herself as “Khaleesi” (a Game of Thrones character) and to Swift as one of her “dragons.” Furthermore, Baldoni’s filing claims Swift was present at a meeting in Lively’s New York penthouse to discuss script changes for It Ends With Us. However, sources close to Swift insist the singer had no knowledge of the meeting and simply arrived to find it underway, reportedly leaving her feeling “exploited” by her long-time friend.

While the parties had tentatively agreed to conduct the deposition on July 17th, recent legal filings indicate ongoing conflicts over discovery requirements. Lively’s lawyers have accused Baldoni’s team of failing to provide evidence in a timely manner, which could hinder their ability to prepare for questioning.

Lively, along with her husband Ryan Reynolds, was previously dismissed from Baldoni’s separate $400 million defamation and extortion lawsuit against them, their publicist, and Jed Wallace. That lawsuit alleged extortion and defamation, all of which Lively, Reynolds, and their publicist have denied.

Lively is tentatively slated to take the stand when the trial for her sexual harassment lawsuit begins in New York City in March 2026. Insiders close to Lively suggest she is prepared for a series of difficult inquiries during her deposition, with Ryan Reynolds not expected to attend.

This complex legal battle continues to unfold, with significant implications for both Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.