What Blake Lively Said About Alleged Justin Baldoni Smear Campaign in Deposition Transcript

Amid her legal battle against “It Ends with Us” co-star Justin Baldoni, a portion of Blake Lively’s deposition has been made public!

Earlier this week, Lively’s legal team submitted a redacted transcript of a part of her deposition about an alleged smear campaign against her. 

At one point in the deposition, Freedman asked Lively in the transcript obtained by People magazine, “When did the smear campaign end?”

Lively responded, “It doesn’t feel like it’s ended.”

Freedman then asked, “It’s still ongoing?”

She replied, “It feels that way, ya.”

Fredman then followed up, asking, “Who do you believe is involved in the ongoing smear campaign?”

Lively said, “I believe — outside of what I know through attorneys — I believe that the defendants are involved.”

When Freedman asked who specifically, Lively answered, “All of them. And I believe you are.”

Freedman responded, “And what is the basis for your belief that all of the defendants and myself are involved in an ongoing smear campaign?”

Lively explained, “Outside of what I know through my attorneys, I believe the act of a retaliatory lawsuit and the press that you have done and the statements that you have made about me and my character have felt incredibly retaliatory.”

Freedman then asked, “What about the defendants, what did they do that’s part of the ongoing smear campaign?”

Lively responded, “Like I said, outside of conversations with my attorney, I’m unable to answer that.”

Last week, Blake’s legal team filed a motion to keep the deposition transcript sealed after his team wanted the transcript to be in the public docket.

Judge Lewis J. Liman sided with Lively, writing in an order, “The Wayfarer Parties’ 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.”

Liman went on, “...The conclusion is inescapable that the Wayfarer Parties filed gratuitous amounts of irrelevant pages so that, if Lively moved for continued sealing of the irrelevant pages, the Wayfarer Parties 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."

Lively’s motion came after they accused Baldoni’s team of leaking information about the deposition to outlets like TMZ.

In response to the allegations, Baldoni’s lawyers said, “She does not cite any evidence. This is not surprising as there is none."

They added, “Ms. Lively also fails to explain why any such ‘leak’ could not have originated from Ms. Lively, her husband [Ryan Reynolds], her multiple attorneys, legal or administrative staff from the law firm representing her (whose office she demanded host the deposition), or the catering staff employed thereby who served lunch.”

TMZ reported that Baldoni was present for Lively’s deposition.

According to Justin’s team, they wondered why Lively wants to seal her testimony “in an action in which she is the plaintiff.”

Following the deposition, Lively’s spokesperson said in a statement to People magazine, “We are very pleased with the outcome of her deposition and now look forward to deposing Justin Baldoni and each of the co-defendants 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," the spokesperson explained. "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."

Blake and Justin are scheduled for a March 2026 trial.

In December, Lively filed a legal complaint with the California Civil Rights Department claiming Baldoni sexually harassed her on set.

Two months later, she also accused him of defamation.

He filed a $400-million lawsuit against Blake and her husband Ryan Reynolds, but it was dismissed.