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Judge Grants Blake Lively Control Over Deposition Venue

The ruling shields Lively from media exposure with strict protocols on venue, attendees and document handling ahead of her deposition.

Overview

  • On July 14, Judge Lewis J. Liman granted Lively’s motion for a protective order, allowing her to choose the location of her July 17 deposition.
  • The order obliges Justin Baldoni’s team to notify Lively’s side of every attendee by midday July 15 and to provide dedicated computer access plus printing and copying facilities.
  • Baldoni’s lawyers had opposed the motion, arguing that Lively was using her celebrity status to dictate the terms of her testimony.
  • Lively’s attorneys cited fears of paparazzi ambush and public spectacle, pointing to her counsel’s claim that Baldoni’s team once suggested streaming the deposition from Madison Square Garden.
  • The deposition is part of pretrial discovery in Lively’s sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Baldoni, with a full federal trial set for March 2026 in New York City.