The ongoing controversy involving Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni took a new turn after a recent procedural shake-up in court. The anticipated deposition of Blake Lively, originally scheduled for Thursday, July 17, in New York City, has now been rescheduled.
Wondering why Blake Lively’s legal team delayed her deposition in the case against Justin Baldoni? Here’s everything we know so far.
Why was Blake Lively’s deposition postponed?
The dismissal of Jed Wallace, a key figure in the case, delayed the deposition of Blake Lively in a surprising twist.
Legal documents obtained on Wednesday, July 16, by US Weekly confirmed that Lively’s deposition will now take place on July 31. The court adjusted the original schedule due to recent developments in the case. Both legal teams agreed to the postponement. Specifically, the delay followed the dismissal of Wallace, an alleged digital strategist involved in the case, due to jurisdictional issues.
The court dismissed Jed Wallace without prejudice. This means Lively has until July 30 to refile claims if her team decides to pursue action against him again. As a result of his removal, the legal narrative could potentially shift. Both Lively and Baldoni’s attorneys requested more time to review the complaint and prepare accordingly.
In a statement to the press, a spokesperson for Lively clarified that the court’s decision had “nothing to do with the merits” of her allegations. “Ms. Lively respects the Court’s decision… We currently are evaluating our numerous options for holding Mr. Wallace accountable for the pivotal role he served in the retaliatory effort that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties paid him at least tens of thousands of dollars a month to perform,” the spokesperson stated.
If Wallace is brought back into the case, his legal team confirmed they would demand a second deposition for Blake Lively. However, Michael Gottlieb, Lively’s legal counsel, opposes this move. He maintains that the actress should only sit for one seven-hour deposition to avoid redundancy and harassment. (via Daily Mail)
The legal dispute stems from Blake Lively’s allegations of sexual harassment against Justin Baldoni during the filming of It Ends With Us. Lively also accuses Jed Wallace of orchestrating negative press and social media attacks intended to damage her credibility.
Originally reported by Harshika Bhatia on ComingSoon.
