"A bold approach" — Johnny Depp's lawyer Benjamin Chew weighs in on Justin Baldoni's legal battle with Blake Lively

One of Johnny Depp's lawyers, Benjamin Chew, recently shared his thoughts on Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's ongoing legal battle. Chew represented Depp in court against the actor's ex-wife Amber Heard in 2022.

On Tuesday, February 4, 2025, Benjamin Chew appeared on an episode of Law & Crime Sidebar with Jesse Weber. During the appearance, Depp's lawyer claimed Justin Baldoni's decision to launch a website to explain the timeline of his legal battle with Blake Lively was "aggressive." The lawyer elaborated on his views and said:

"I think it is very aggressive. Usually you would not do something like that before a hearing, but I’m sure that they vetted it carefully, vetted the material carefully. Certainly 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."

Chew was also asked to comment on who he believes has the upper hand in the Lively vs Baldoni case. Depp's former lawyer remained neutral on the matter and added:

"I’m going to remain agnostic as to who has the edge right now."

However, Chew mentioned that having "receipts" may be "particularly persuasive" as everyone can see them. He also believed the alleged text message and video evidence to be "more impactful" than "assertions of counsel."

Benjamin Chew served as the co-lead counsel for Johnny Depp in his trial against Amber Heard. Depp notably won against his ex-wife in Virginia, United States, after Heard was found liable in all three defamation cases raised by the actor. Depp sued Heard on defamation charges worth $100 million in his lawsuit.

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Candace Owens compares Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's legal battle to Amber Heard vs. Johnny Depp case

"Candace" Hosted By Candace Owens (Image via Getty)

In an X post dated February 4, 2025, political commentator Candace Owens compared Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's legal drama to the Amber Heard vs. Johnny Depp case. She wrote:

"For any person who thinks the Ryan Reynolds/Blake Lively v Justin Baldoni case is about Hollywood gossip, you are doing yourself a tremendous disservice by not reading through the lawsuits. This is infinitely worse than the Amber Heard case which was about two lovers scorned and revenge.

"This is a story about a truly evil couple who used their access to wealth and power and the #metoo movement to destroy a man who had never once offended them and never once defended himself."

While there may be similarities between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp's legal battle and that of the Baldoni-Lively case, they do not involve the same charges. Heard alleged that Depp physically and s*xually abused her during their relationship. She also wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post in 2018, seemingly indicating that she was a victim of domestic violence while being married to Depp.

Depp filed a defamation lawsuit against Heard over her op-ed, although it did not mention him by name. Meanwhile, Amber Heard countersued her ex-husband, and both parties demanded monetary damages. Johnny Depp won against Amber Heard in the US trial, but he lost the legal battle in the UK. The UK trial involved Depp suing News Group Newspapers Ltd. over an article published in The Sun that alleged the actor assaulted his ex-wife.

Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's battle is different from Depp and Heard's case in quite a few aspects. For starters, Lively's December 2024 complaint sued Justin Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios, over charges of alleged s*xual harassment, inappropriate workplace conduct, and running a campaign to damage her reputation.

Vital Voices 12th Annual Voices of Solidarity Awards (Image via Getty)

In retaliation, Justin Baldoni sued The New York Times over an article published on the platform based on Blake Lively's allegations, which are yet to be proven. He seeks $250 million in damages.

Justin Baldoni filed another $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, Leslie Sloane. The charges included invasion of privacy, defamation, and extortion. Lively and Reynolds have denied all allegations.

Justin Baldoni's legal team also published a website featuring a timeline of events allegedly associated with his legal battle with Blake Lively. The website includes alleged text messages, videos, screenshots, emails, and other media related to the case.

Meanwhile, Lively's team sent a letter to the court requesting a gag order against Baldoni's chief lawyer, Bryan Freedman.

Baldoni and Lively are set to face each other in court on March 9, 2026.

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