Judge Sides With Blake Lively Over Justin Baldoni, Grants Her Deposition Plea

A federal judge sided with Blake Lively as part of her plea over the transcript of her deposition and scolded Justin Baldoni’s team in the process, Us Weekly can report.

On Friday, August 8, the judge presiding over Lively’s sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Baldoni, 41, granted the Gossip Girl alum’s request to not allow Baldoi’s team to use the transcript in court until it has been finalized. Baldoni denied all claims of wrongdoing.

Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, attached a portion of Lively’s deposition to a recent court motion. The transcript was filed under seal. Lively’s team argued it was improper for it to be attached.

Lively, 37, also asked that the full 292-page transcript not be released until it has at least been “reviewed, corrected or finalized.” The actress said she had every intention of having her testimony heard.

She said she believed Baldoni’s team submitted the transcript “solely for strategic media and public-relations purposes.” Lively said Baldoni’s team was trying to make it appear as if she wanted the transcript sealed.

Freedman responded by telling the court the transcript was under seal. He scoffed at Lively’s claim they were trying to make her defend the “continued sealing of the transcript.”

“Lively has the option of moving to keep the document sealed; although it is puzzling why she seeks to conceal her own testimony in an action in which she is the plaintiff,” Freedman wrote.

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In the newly filed order, the judge noted, “[Baldoni’s team’s] attachment of the entire, nearly 300-page deposition — after citing only two pages of it in the Letter — served no proper litigation purpose and instead appears to have been intended to burden Lively (and as a result, the Court) and to invite public speculation and scandal.”

The judge continued, “Even if the cited deposition portions were relevant or provided support for the [Baldoni’s team’s] arguments — both of which are far from clear — [Baldoni’s team has] not even attempted to argue that the entire deposition was relevant. Nor could they.”

“The conclusion is inescapable that [Baldoni’s team] filed gratuitous amounts of irrelevant pages so that, if Lively moved for continued sealing of the irrelevant pages, the [Baldoni’s team] could then use Lively’s response for their own public-relations purposes. The Court has not only the power but also the responsibility to step in,” the judge said. The court order said Baldoni’s team had abused the court’s docket.

The judge ordered several filings to be sealed and granted Lively’s motion.

As Us previously reported, Lively was deposed by Baldoni’s team on July 31. Baldoni was in the room during questioning by his legal team.

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On Thursday, August 7, a spokesperson for Lively told Us, “We are very pleased with the outcome of her deposition, and now look forward to deposing Justin Baldoni and each of the codefendants in short order. Deposition testimony is confidential for good reason – it’s evidence in a legal proceeding and is subject to objections and evidentiary rules. Juries aren’t just handed deposition transcripts to read at home, and instead they listen to testimony that is presented at trial under a judge’s supervision.”

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As Us previously reported, Lively sued Baldoni over his alleged behavior on the set of It Ends With Us, which he directed and costarred in. She claimed he hired a PR team to smear her in retaliation for her speaking up. Baldoni denied the allegations and accused Lively of seizing control of the film once production wrapped.

The trial for the case is scheduled to start in March 2026.