Johnny Depp’s Lawyer praises Justin Baldoni’s legal strategy as ‘Bold’
- Baldoni launched a website detailing his defense, a move Chew deems “very aggressive.”
- He released behind-the-scenes footage, which Lively’s legal team argued was “damning.”
- The legal battle between Baldoni and Lively is set to go to trial in March 2026.
Johnny Depp’s attorney, Benjamin Chew, spoke out about Justin Baldoni’s bold legal strategy in response to Blake Lively’s sexual harassment allegations. Chew, who represented Depp in his defamation trial against Amber Heard, described Baldoni’s approach as “very aggressive” after the actor-director launched a website detailing his defense.
Baldoni, who starred in and directed “It Ends With Us”, launched a website last week featuring his amended complaint and a timeline of events related to the lawsuit. Speaking on “Law&Crime Sidebar with Jesse Weber”, Chew acknowledged that this move was unusual.
“I think it is very aggressive,” Chew said. “Usually, you would not do something like that before a hearing, but I’m sure that they vetted it carefully, vetted the material carefully.”
He added that while posting legal pleadings in a public forum is unconventional, it is not necessarily out of bounds. “Posting a pleading doesn’t seem to me to be out of bounds. These are pleadings made in the public record… But it’s a novel approach, a bold approach,” he said.
Baldoni filed a lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, claiming extortion and defamation following her sexual harassment allegations. The actor-director also released behind-the-scenes footage of himself and Lively filming a romantic scene, which he claimed disproved her allegations. However, Lively’s legal team argued that the footage was “damning” rather than exonerating.
When asked which party currently holds the upper hand in the lawsuit, Chew declined to take a side. “I’m going to remain agnostic as to who has the edge right now,” he stated. However, he acknowledged that video and text message evidence could be highly persuasive in court. “Having receipts will be particularly persuasive… because everybody can see it,” he said.
The legal battle between Baldoni and Lively is set to go to trial in March 2026. Meanwhile, Baldoni has drawn comparisons to Johnny Depp’s legal approach by enlisting the same PR firm, The Agency Group, which managed Depp’s public relations during his case against Amber Heard. As both sides prepare for trial, the case continues to spark debate, with Baldoni’s aggressive legal strategy standing out as a significant talking point.
