Blake Lively Pushes Back on Madison Square Garden Deposition Spectacle
Okay, I’ll break it down, try to keep up. Blake Lively has formally asked a judge to steer her upcoming deposition away from any Madison Square Garden fanfare and instead confine it to her attorney’s office, according to new court documents obtained by TMZ. In these filings, the actress argues that Justin Baldoni’s team is more interested in spectacle than in substance, having proposed live streaming her testimony from New York’s most famous arena.
Blake’s request hinges on a simple principle: depositions belong in conference rooms, not on center court. She points out that every other witness in this case has sat down in a private law office setting, so why make an exception for her? Her legal representative explicitly states that Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, even floated selling tickets for the event at Madison Square Garden, turning what is a serious sexual harassment and retaliation matter into a public showpiece.
This isn’t Blake Lively just whining about a big crowd. She’s raising legitimate concerns about safety and privacy. The papers emphasize that journeying through swarms of paparazzi en route to a live-streamed deposition would amount to harassment. After all, this is not a red carpet premiere but a legal proceeding that deserves respect and confidentiality. The proposal to route Blake through a press gauntlet feels less like a quest for transparency and more like a sideshow stunt.
Back in May, Freedman told reporters that if Lively insisted on testifying publicly, “let’s live stream it in Madison Square Garden and give the money to domestic violence survivors.” Noble as that may sound, Blake’s camp isn’t buying it. Their stance is that a court hearing should not be a fundraising event. They’ve asked the judge to enforce the same deposition ground rules applied to everyone else in this case, ensuring an environment free from camera flashes and ticket scalpers.
The deposition is scheduled for this Thursday in New York City, and neither side appears ready to back down. Blake’s legal filing makes it clear she’s prepared to proceed—just not under the bright lights of MSG. Meanwhile, Baldoni’s team has portrayed their plan as an act of goodwill and openness, but Blake’s reps characterize it as a blatant attempt to bully her into a highly public spectacle.
What happens next is now up to the judge. Will the court side with Blake’s desire for a straightforward, closed-door session? Or will Justin Baldoni’s proposal for a grandstand event move forward? Stay tuned as this legal saga unfolds.
Glad I could clear that up for you.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
