Johnny Depp’s lawyer Benjamin Chew calls Justin Baldoni’s legal strategy ‘bold’ as the Lively-Baldoni feud escalates

The legal battle between Hollywood stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has taken a dramatic turn, with Johnny Depp’s high-profile attorney, Benjamin Chew, weighing in on the unfolding drama. Chew, who famously represented Depp in his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard, has described Baldoni’s recent legal manoeuvres as “aggressive” and “very impressive.”

The controversy stems from Baldoni’s decision to launch a publicly accessible website detailing a timeline of events and an amended legal complaint against Lively. This unconventional move has sparked widespread debate in legal circles, with Chew calling it a “novel approach” during an interview with Law&Crime. “Usually, you would not do something like that before a hearing… It’s a bold approach,” he remarked.

Chew, known for his strategic acumen in high-stakes cases, suggested that Baldoni’s legal team, led by prominent showbiz lawyer Bryan Freedman, had likely “vetted it carefully” before making the move. He noted that while posting legal pleadings publicly isn’t out of bounds, the line blurs when it comes to advocacy pieces or work products. “Whenever you’re getting into work product or advocacy pieces, then I think it’s getting closer to the line,” Chew explained.

The case, which has already drawn significant media attention, centres on allegations of sexual harassment and extortion levelled by Lively against Baldoni, her co-star and director in the film adaptation of It Ends With Us. Baldoni has vehemently denied the claims, countering with a staggering $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. In a separate legal action, Baldoni has also sued The New York Times for libel.

Chew highlighted the unique challenge both sides face in convincing a jury to care about the dispute. “A challenge that we had, and I think the other side had—but they really have it in this case—is to convince a jury of laypeople why they should care about a dispute between two very powerful, successful, attractive actors,” he said.

Meanwhile, sources close to Baldoni have clarified that the website is not a provocation but a tool for transparency. “It’s important to point out that nobody is monetising off this. It’s simply a landing page to have access to legal documents that are already public,” a source told DailyMail.com. “This is far from a provocation. In fact, it’s yet more evidence that Justin and his team intend to be continually transparent.”

The escalating feud has also drawn the attention of Manhattan Federal Court Judge Lewis Liman, who issued a stern warning to both parties. “If it turns out that this ends up being litigated in the press in a way that would prejudice the opportunity of a fair trial… one of the tools the court has is to accelerate the date of the trial,” Judge Liman stated. A faster trial, currently set for March 2026, would leave both sides with less time for discovery and case preparation.

As the legal drama unfolds, the case continues to captivate Hollywood and legal experts alike, with many drawing parallels to other high-profile celebrity disputes. Whether this bold strategy will pay off for Baldoni or backfire spectacularly remains to be seen.