Blake Lively Doesn't Want Justin Baldoni's Lawyer to Take Her Deposition, His Side Claims

• Kevin Fritz, a lawyer for Justin Baldoni, clamed in a letter to Judge Lewis J. Liman that the actress is objecting to Baldoni's lead attorney Bryan Freedman taking her deposition in court

• The letter comes days before a pre-trial conference in the It Ends with Us costars' legal battle involving claims of sexual harassment, defamation and more

• PEOPLE is out to Lively's legal team for comment on the deposition claims

Blake Lively has allegedly requested for Justin Baldoni's lead attorney, Bryan Freedman, not to take her deposition in court.

In a letter to Judge Lewis J. Liman filed Thursday, Jan. 30, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, another lawyer for Baldoni, Kevin Fritz, claimed that Lively and Ryan Reynolds' legal team "stated their objection to the Wayfarer Parties’ lead counsel conducting the deposition of Blake Lively."

"Specifically, the Lively Parties’ counsel indicated that they object to Bryan J. Freedman, personally, taking Ms. Lively’s deposition, based upon unspecified statements made by Mr. Freedman," Fritz wrote. In addition, he claimed that "counsel for the Lively Parties declined" to "elaborate on the grounds for their objection," when asked to do so by Baldoni's team.

PEOPLE is out to Lively's legal team for comment.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

Related: The Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Lawsuits, Explained: A Complete Breakdown of the Allegations, Key Players and Who's Said What

Fritz's letter additionally stated, "We are unaware of any situation that would warrant the deposed party to have a choice in which attorney takes her deposition."

"Parties to litigation simply do not have the right to dictate which of their opponents’ attorneys may or may not take their deposition or perform any other aspect of the opposing party’s case," he added.

Lively, 37, sued Wayfarer Studios and Baldoni, plus It Ends with Us' lead producer Jamey Heath, Baldoni's publicist Jennifer Abel, crisis publicist Melissa Nathan and more in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment and a smear campaign launched in retaliation for speaking out about alleged misconduct. Baldoni, 41, has denied the sexual-harassment allegations.

In turn, Baldoni countersued Lively, her husband Reynolds, 48, and their publicist Leslie Sloane, as well as Sloane's PR firm Vision PR, Inc., on accusations of defamation and extortion.

Both cases in Lively v. Wayfarer Studios et al. are scheduled for trial on March 9, 2026, Judge Liman outlined in an order filed Monday, Jan. 27.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Fritz also stated in his Thursday letter that Baldoni's team "look forward to further discussing" the deposition "matter" at the upcoming pre-trial conference on Monday, Feb. 3, which has been scheduled to hash out Lively's prospective request for a gag order.

After Freedman leaked a 10-minute video from the It Ends With Us set earlier this month and announced plans for a website to disclose more, lawyers for Lively motioned for a conference before Judge Liman to address "the appropriate conduct of counsel."

They wrote in the letter that "federal litigation must be conducted in court and according to the relevant rules of professional conduct" and claimed Freedman's interviews and statements risked "tainting the jury pool."

Related: Could Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni Trial Be Televised? Legal Expert Answers That Burning Question and More (Exclusive)

Reynolds and Lively's legal team also filed a notice on Thursday in accordance with Judge Liman’s order, which outlined the next steps for their federal case.

In their letter submitted to Judge Liman Thursday, Michael J. Gottlieb, an attorney for Lively, Reynolds and Wayfarer Studios LLC, wrote, "The Lively-Reynolds Parties intend to move to dismiss Plaintiffs’ complaint."

An official motion to request a case dismissal has not yet been filed by Lively and Reynolds, but is presumably forthcoming.

Read the original article on People