To be a fly on those walls!
Blake Lively has begun her deposition — and Justin Baldoni is in the room!
The Gossip Girl star’s long-awaited deposition kicked off on Thursday in New York City at her lawyer’s office, and she had to come face-to-face with her It Ends With Us co-star/director. According to TMZ sources, Justin was in the room during the deposition alongside attorneys for both sides, a court reporter, and a videographer. Whoa.
Related: Justin Baldoni Could Be On The Hook For It Ends With Us Legal Bill!
This must be the first time these two have seen each other in person since she made her allegations, right?? That’s gotta be tense AF!!!
Justin’s attendance is also big considering Blake was granted a protective order that not only allowed her to choose where the meeting would take place but to be notified of who was attending in advance. She claimed she wanted some control over the deposition to ensure the meeting wouldn’t become a paparazzi frenzy after accusing Justin’s lawyer Bryan Freedman of trying to make a “public spectacle” out of it. He previously tossed out the idea of streaming or selling tickets for fans to watch the testimony. He told People:
“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.”
It’s unclear if Justin gave her a heads-up about his participation in the meeting, but his attendance certainly comes as a shock to most fans — and created more of that “public spectacle” Blake was trying to avoid! If it was unexpected, that’s some way to get revenge!
The duo’s legal war has been bitter since the very start, with both sides seeing wins and losses. As Perezcious readers know, the deposition is part of Blake’s suit against Justin over alleged sexual harassment and retaliation. He has denied the allegations — but his countersuit against the actress and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, was dismissed by a judge last month. The Jane the Virgin alum has chosen not to refile the case and is instead pouring all his attention into battling the A Simple Favor lead’s allegations.
No word yet on how it all went. We’re sure they’ll both have plenty to say soon!
Reactions?! What do U think the vibe was like during the deposition? Leave your predictions in the comments (below).
[Image via Cosmopolitan UK/YouTube & MEGA/WENN]
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