Blake Lively's deposition date has been postponed by a fortnight following the judge's most recent ruling in her ongoing legal spat with Justin Baldoni. According to court documents examined by PEOPLE, on July 16th, Wednesday, legal representatives from both sides converged and, after deliberation, mutually concurred to reschedule Lively's deposition from its initial date of July 17th to July 31st. A representative for Lively declined to comment on PEOPLE's inquiry, while an outreach to Baldoni's legal counsel for a statement awaits a response.
Prior to this adjustment, the deposition was set to unfold in an undisclosed locale, subsequent to the actress being granted a protective order on July 14th, Monday. This development unfolded amidst the dismissal of Lively's lawsuit against Jed Wallace, a Texas-based publicist and social media specialist, on jurisdictional grounds earlier the same day.
In December 2024, Lively had filed a civil rights complaint against Wallace, who heads the Texas-based crisis-management firm Street Relations, Inc. She alleged that Wallace was retained by Baldoni's PR team, comprising Melissa Nathan and Jen Abel, to orchestrate an alleged smear campaign against her. Lively claimed Wallace had "marshaled a digital legion spanning from New York to Los Angeles to originate, disseminate, and promote seemingly authentic content across social media platforms and online forums." However, Judge Lewis J. Liman granted Wallace's motion to dismiss the case without prejudice, allowing Lively to potentially refile the same claims or charges at a future date. According to court papers accessed by PEOPLE, Lively has until July 31st to file an amended complaint or initiate legal proceedings against Wallace in a different jurisdiction.
An insider privy to the situation revealed to PEOPLE that both parties sought additional time in the wake of the judge's ruling on Wednesday. In response to the dismissal, Lively's representative issued a statement: "Ms. Lively respects the Court's decision, which is unrelated to the substance of her allegations concerning Mr. Wallace's role in the smear campaign and pertains solely to the procedural matter of whether he falls under New York or another jurisdiction's authority." The statement further noted, "We are currently assessing multiple avenues to hold Mr. Wallace accountable for his crucial part in the retaliatory endeavor for which Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties remunerated him at least tens of thousands of dollars per month."
Back in December 2024, Lively accused Baldoni, her co-star and director in "It Ends With Us," of sexual harassment and retaliation, allegations he has steadfastly denied. Baldoni's counterclaims against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, involving extortion and defamation accusations, were dismissed by Judge Liman in June 2025, and his legal team chose not to refile amended versions. Attorneys for both Lively and Baldoni have signaled their intent to testify during the trial slated for March 2026 in New York.
