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Political commentator Candace Owens compared Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's recent legal battle with Amber Heard's case against Johnny Depp in a recent post on X. Lively and Baldoni have been involved in a legal drama since the actress filed a lawsuit against him in December 2024.
On February 4, 2025, Candace Owens, who shared several of her theories on the Lively-Baldoni case on her YouTube channel, took to X to share her two cents about the legal proceedings. 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."
In the Amber Heard vs Johnny Depp case, the formerly married couple accused each other of domestic violence. Their trial in the United States was held in Virginia between April and June 2022.
Depp had accused Heard of defamation after the actress wrote an op-ed about facing domestic violence from her ex-husband. Meanwhile, Amber Heard countersued Depp, demanding $100 million in damages. While there may be similarities between the Depp vs Heard case and Lively's battle with Justin Baldoni, they do not involve the same charges.
Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni of s*xual harassment, inappropriate workplace conduct, and indulging in a PR campaign to defame her. Meanwhile, Baldoni's counter-lawsuit accuses Lively and Reynolds of invasion of privacy and extortion.
Blake Lively's team responded to Justin Baldoni's lawsuit using terms often associated with the Amber Heard vs. Johnny Depp case
On January 16, Justin Baldoni filed a $400 million counter-lawsuit against Blake Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, Leslie Sloane. This came in response to Lively's complaints against Baldoni, accusing him of s*xual harassment and inappropriate workplace behavior.
After Justin Baldoni filed his lawsuit, Blake Lively's lawyers denied his allegations. In their statement, given to The Hollywood Reporter dated January 16, they alluded to the term DARVO — a term often associated with the Depp vs Heard trial.
"This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim. This is what experts call DARVO. Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim Offender," the statement read.
According to Keystone Law, DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim, and Offender) is a form of "manipulative control" used to avoid taking responsibility for inappropriate or harmful conduct toward others. It occurs when a perpetrator is held accountable by their victim or those supporting the victims.
The term is often used by perpetrators of domestic violence to "escape culpability" and "manipulate partners into submission." The term was first coined by American psychologist Jennifer Freyd.
The DARVO tactic was often associated with Amber Heard and Johnny Depp's legal battle involving allegations of domestic violence and abuse. Many journalists, fans, and others commenting on the lawsuit referred to the term allegedly in support of Amber Heard and how public opinion on the case shifted.
Eventually, Johnny Depp lost the case against News Group Newspapers Ltd in the UK. The actor had accused the group over an article published in The Sun, which alleged that he assaulted Amber Heard. In the UK trial, it was also claimed that the "great majority of alleged assaults" inflicted upon Heard by Depp were proven to the "civil standard."
However, Johnny Depp won against Amber Heard in their Virginia, US trial between April and June 2022. The actor's allegations against his ex-wife related to a 2018 op-ed by Amber Heard in The Washington Post, where she supposedly accused Depp of domestic violence. Depp claimed damages of $100 million. The verdict was ruled in favor of Depp as Heard was found liable in all three matters of defamation raised.
In comparison, Justin Baldoni has also filed two lawsuits in retaliation to Blake Lively's original complaint filed on December 20. In his first $250 million lawsuit, Baldoni sued The New York Times of promissory fraud based on one of their articles based on Lively's allegations against him. His second lawsuit, filed on January 16, accused Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, and their publicist of defamation and extortion, among other accusations.
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively face each other on trial on March 9, 2026.
