Blake Lively’s legal team has asked a US federal judge to intervene in her ongoing legal battle with actor and filmmaker Justin Baldoni, accusing his attorneys of crossing professional boundaries during depositions by questioning the actress about her sexual and romantic history.
According to court documents dated December 19 and reviewed by People, Lively’s lawyers have formally requested sanctions against Baldoni’s legal team, alleging repeated misconduct during the discovery phase of the case.
The filing was submitted to US District Court Judge Lewis J. Liman and outlines what Lively’s attorneys describe as inappropriate, irrelevant and demeaning conduct.
In the letter, Lively’s counsel claims Baldoni’s attorneys asked questions touching on her sexual and romantic past, despite being warned that such inquiries were not relevant to the case.
Her legal team argues that this line of questioning violates established legal protections, including rape shield laws, which are designed to prevent scrutiny of a person’s sexual history in court proceedings.
Attorney Michael J. Gottlieb, representing Lively, wrote that opposing counsel showed a “basic lack of decorum” throughout depositions.
The filing alleges that Baldoni’s lawyers repeatedly made speaking objections, interrupted questioning, and, at times, demeaned witnesses on the record, consuming valuable time and disrupting proceedings.
Lively’s lawyers say they previously objected to this behaviour in a September 29 letter, clearly stating that any examination related to the actress’s sexual or romantic history would not be tolerated. They reiterated that such matters have no bearing on the claims at issue in the lawsuit.