Blake Lively $800K fight with Justin Baldoni’s rep escalates

While one legal chapter may have closed, the drama surrounding Blake Lively’s dispute with crisis public relations consultant Jed Wallace is clearly far from over. A fresh court filing has introduced another layer of complexity to the saga, as Wallace seeks to question the actress before any substantial legal fees are awarded.

The conflict continues to center on Lively’s bid to recover approximately $800,000 in attorneys’ fees, along with associated costs and damages stemming from the long-running legal battle. Now, the focus has shifted to a new maneuver: Wallace has asked a Texas court to order Lively to sit for a deposition.

This request comes months after Wallace’s initial defamation lawsuit against Lively was dismissed. The latest filing indicates that Wallace is pushing for this deposition to delve into whether Lively’s sexual harassment allegations against him and his company, Street Relations Inc., were made with malice. He argues that establishing malice could significantly impact her ability to recover the substantial legal costs.

Wallace also claims that Lively skipped a scheduled deposition earlier in the legal proceedings, adding another element of tension to the dispute.

Lively’s legal team immediately pushed back against these assertions. In a statement addressing the new filing, their attorneys dismissed Wallace’s arguments outright. They asserted that since Wallace’s initial case had been dismissed and Lively had won, this latest move was merely “another desperate, meritless attempt.”

The defense maintained that Wallace is attempting to avoid paying legal fees, much like other parties in similar high-profile cases have sought to do. Their position suggests the focus should remain on the initial rulings rather than these further procedural challenges.

This ongoing maneuver highlights the complex and often protracted nature of celebrity litigation. Despite previous victories, the fight for financial recovery remains a dynamic legal contest, demonstrating that even after a verdict is reached, the pursuit of justice can continue to evolve in unexpected directions.