Fresh details have surfaced in the ongoing legal dispute between Blake Lively and actor-director Justin Baldoni, adding another layer of intrigue to one of Hollywood’s most closely watched courtroom battles. In a recent deposition, Baldoni claimed that Lively once referred to her New York home office as “Buckingham Palace,” citing the number of high-profile visitors who regularly passed through the space.
According to deposition transcripts obtained by PEOPLE, Baldoni made the statement while testifying on October 6, 2025, in Los Angeles. The deposition forms part of the highly publicised legal conflict tied to the production of It Ends With Us, the film in which Lively starred and Baldoni served as both director and co-star.
During his testimony, Baldoni stated that Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, used the nickname “Buckingham Palace” for their at-home office. “She used to call it Buckingham Palace, as she said, because so many celebrities walked through there,” Baldoni testified. He added that the office was located in Lively’s penthouse apartment in Manhattan and claimed that Lively requested most production meetings for the film to be held at that location.
The New York penthouse has repeatedly appeared in court filings, with several key discussions regarding the film alleged to have taken place there. Baldoni has also claimed that during one meeting at the residence, Reynolds confronted him over accusations that he had “fat-shamed” Lively during the film’s production.
The deposition is part of a lawsuit that began in December 2024, when Lively filed legal action against Baldoni and others at Wayfarer Studios, accusing them of sexual harassment and retaliation. Baldoni has denied the allegations. He later countersued Lively and Reynolds for defamation and extortion, though that countersuit was dismissed by a judge.
The case was initially expected to go to trial in March 2026 but has since been rescheduled for May 2026. Baldoni reportedly attended Lively’s deposition in July in person, while Reynolds was not deposed.
Another moment from the deposition drew attention when Baldoni was questioned about a personal conversation with Lively that allegedly took place while she was pregnant. When asked whether he had shared personal information about himself with Lively, Baldoni confirmed that he had, though he stated that multiple people were present in the room at the time, including Reynolds, assistants, and household staff.
Lively and Reynolds share four children, while Baldoni shares two children with his wife, Emily. As the legal battle continues, both sides remain locked in a case that has blurred the line between Hollywood production drama and courtroom confrontation.
