Justin Baldoni's attorney suggests tickets be sold for Blake Lively's deposition and the money donated to organizations for domestic abuse survivors

Justin Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, recently suggested Blake Lively's deposition be held at Madison Square Garden while streaming to a pay-per-view audience. Talking to People magazine on Thursday, May 8, 2025, Freedman commented on the news that the actress will testify in court during the pair's upcoming trial.

Baldoni and Lively have been involved in a legal battle since working together on the film It Ends with Us. The latter accused Baldoni of s*xual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign. Meanwhile, Baldoni, in a countersuit against Lively and Ryan Reynolds, alleged defamation and civil extortion.

"Since Ms. Lively is open to testifying, let’s make it count. Hold the deposition at MSG, sell tickets or stream it, and donate every dollar to organizations helping victims of domestic abuse," Freedman told People.

The attorney also confirmed Justin Baldoni would take the witness stand during the trial, which is scheduled to begin next March. Notably, no cameras would be allowed during the proceedings.

"Truth is not a distraction"—Justin Baldoni's lawyer on opposing counsel's claims of them deflecting attention from the "retaliation campaign" against Lively

Bryan Freedman's comments come as Blake Lively's lawyer, Mike Gottlieb, confirmed the Gossip Girl star would be testifying during the trial. In his statement made to People, he also noted that in addition to his client, individuals who were "witnesses" or who had "experienced misconduct" relevant to her claims would also be taking the stand.

Noting that both counsels are in the discovery process, Gottlieb added:

"We expect their testimony, particularly about what took place on set, will come out through live witness testimony."

The attorney asserted that the case has been ridden with "distractions" to "deflect attention" from the core issue—Justin Baldoni's alleged retaliation campaign against Lively in response to her raising concerns about s*xual harassment on set. He noted that their case would rely on "evidence."

Mike Gottlieb also addressed Blake Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds, being named as a defendant in Baldoni’s countersuit. Calling it "frivolous," he explained that this team was working to dismiss the claims.

Referencing news that Justin Baldoni's team might subpoena celebrities (and Lively's friends) Taylor Swift and Hugh Jackman, he added:

"It’s completely unclear what claims or defenses in the case any of these celebrities... have any relevance to at all."

Questioning the validity of the move, Gottlieb wondered if it was even "relevan(t)" or just a ruse to generate "headlines." Reiterating the fundamentals of their case, he added:

"It’s not a case about how songs were chosen for the movie. It’s not a case about fictional Marvel characters in Deadpool movies."

Notably, Gottlieb was referencing claims made in Justin Baldoni's lawsuit that Lively used the influence of Reynolds and her "megacelebrity friend" to pressure him into accepting her rewrite of the film's script. While Swift is not explicitly named as the friend or listed as a defendant, one screenshot of Baldoni and Lively's text exchange shows "Taylor." (Lively called herself "Khaleesi," and Taylor and Ryan were her "dragons.")

Further, the latest Deadpool film (Deadpool & Wolverine, which starred Reynolds and Jackman) featured a character named Nicepool. Justin Baldoni's suit claimed that Reynolds created the character to mock him.

Pushing back on Gottlieb's comments, Bryan Freedman told People magazine:

"Although obviously uncomfortable for the Lively parties, the truth is not a distraction. The truth has been clearly shown through unedited receipts, documents and real life footage."

He added:

"Blake was the one who brought her high-profile friends into this situation without concern for their own personal or public backlash. As the truth shows, she used her Dragons to manipulate Justin at every turn."

Justin Baldoni's lawyer also brought up Ryan Reynolds, stating that his involvement had been "well documented," noting that evidence pointed to "intentional misconduct."

According to Independent, in January, Justin Baldoni's legal counsel requested Marvel and Disney to retain "any and all documents relating to the development of the ‘Nicepool’ character." This included all communications relating to its development, writing, and filming.

It is worth noting that last month, Marvel filed a legal request to remove itself from the lawsuit. They argued it would end in "disclosure of Marvel’s confidential documents," reported Independent. Baldoni's lawyers have opposed the move.

Referencing the character, Freedman questioned (in his statement made to People magazine):

"Was Disney actually complicit in Ryan using shareholder revenues to further a personal grudge?"

In March, Reynolds filed a motion to dismiss Justin Baldoni's lawsuit against him, arguing the latter can't sue over "hurt feelings." According to The Independent, the motion did not argue that Nicepool was based on the director but rather stated that Baldoni showed "thin-skinned outrage" by complaining.

Mike Gottlieb, for his part, was clear he didn't want the case to turn into a "circus of parading in every celebrity" that had contact with Lively, Reynolds, Baldoni, and Steve Sorowitz, reported People. Sorowitz, a co-defendant in Lively's lawsuit, is also co-founder of Baldoni's Wayfarer Studio that produced It Ends with Us.

Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's trial is set to begin on March 9, 2026.