Blake Lively in London on April 15, 2025; Justin Baldoni in New York City on Aug. 6, 2024. Credit :

Mike Marsland/WireImage; James Devaney/GC Images

• Justin Baldoni’s legal team has issued a response to Blake Lively’s request for a judicial protective order in their ongoing court battle
• Per the letter, addressed to Judge Lewis J. Liman on Sunday, July 13, Baldoni’s team says the Wayfarer Parties are “entitled to choose the location of the deposition”
• Lively’s request on Friday, July 11, stated that the actress and her team asked the judge to block Baldoni and his team from selecting the deposition location

Justin Baldoni has issued a response to Blake Lively’s request for a protective order from the judge presiding over their ongoing legal battle.

On Friday, July 11, Lively’s legal team filed a motion requesting that Judge Lewis J. Liman enter a protective order directing defendants to take her upcoming deposition on Thursday, July 17, at a redacted location, according to legal documents obtained by PEOPLE. They also requested that everyone attending the hearing be identified in advance.

The legal team for Baldoni, 41, addressed Judge Liman in a letter dated Sunday, July 13, writing that they oppose Lively’s motion and arguing she is using her “celebrity status” to dictate and control the deposition, “at a location of her choosing.”

“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.”

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Blake Lively in New York City on April 27, 2025; Justin Baldoni in New York City on Dec. 13, 2023. Taylor Hill/FilmMagic; Dia Dipasupil/Getty 

Lively’s request stated that the Another Simple Favor actress, 37, and her team asked the judge to block Baldoni and his team from selecting the deposition location.

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.

“Since virtually the inception of this litigation, Defendants have used even the prospect of Ms. Lively’s deposition to generate press interest,” her filing alleged.

Lively’s request followed statements from Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman, who said in May that the actress’s deposition should be held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

“Hold the deposition at MSG, sell tickets or stream it, and donate every dollar to organizations helping victims of domestic abuse,” he told PEOPLE at the time.

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Blake Lively in Austin, Texas, on March 7, 2025; Justin Baldoni in Los Angeles on Dec. 4, 2024. SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty; Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty

Representatives for Lively told PEOPLE on Friday that the Gossip Girl alum “is looking forward to her deposition next week, and it should follow the same rules as every other witness in this case.”

“Justin Baldoni’s lawyer has tried to make this matter a public spectacle at every turn, even proposing to sell tickets to a televised deposition at Madison Square Garden,” the statement continued.

It concluded, “This is a serious matter of sexual harassment and retaliation and it deserves to be treated as such.”

Lively and Baldoni’s trial is set for March 2026 in New York City, and attorneys for both actors have indicated that they plan to testify during the proceedings.