Blake Lively plans to reference the sensational 2022 defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in her legal battle against Justin Baldoni, arguing parallels in online backlash campaigns. The 38-year-old actress claims Baldoni, her co-star and director on the 2024 film It Ends With Us, hired the same crisis PR expert Depp used, triggering a surge of negative online attention during the movie’s release.
Parallels to Depp-Heard Defamation Case
Lively’s team highlights Depp’s victory in the Virginia trial, where a jury awarded him $15 million in libel damages against Heard. Heard had contended that Depp’s team orchestrated an online smear that damaged her reputation. Lively asserts a similar pattern occurred after Baldoni retained crisis publicist Melissa Nathan in summer 2024, amid reports of on-set tensions.
“This revelation came at an important turning point in Wayfarer’s retaliation campaign against Lively,” her legal filing states. “Lively will testify about how Wayfarer’s retention of Johnny Depp’s crisis PR team influenced her understanding of Wayfarer’s conduct.” The hiring coincided with a sudden wave of online criticism following the film’s successful premiere.
Upcoming Trial Details
The case heads to a New York federal court trial on May 18, potentially lasting four weeks. It focuses on three remaining counts related to an alleged smear campaign by Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios. The judge has dismissed 10 of Lively’s original 13 claims, including sexual harassment allegations, though Lively seeks to introduce them as context for the retaliation claims.
Baldoni’s Defense and Prior Reputation
Baldoni’s lawyers argue Lively’s reputation suffered no additional harm from their actions, citing preexisting media reports summer 2024 labeling her a “mean girl,” “bully,” or difficult collaborator. “Evidence of Lively’s preexisting reputation is not being offered for the truth… but to establish Lively’s reputation prior to the alleged ‘smear campaign’ to show that defendants’ alleged conduct did not cause further harm,” they state.
Additional Witness Testimony
Lively aims to present testimony from seven women who reportedly experienced or witnessed harassment by Baldoni’s team on set, including actress Jenny Slate, who played Lively’s best friend, and Isabella Ferrer, who portrayed a young version of Lively’s character. Baldoni’s side seeks to exclude this evidence as irrelevant.
Key Differences from Depp-Heard Trial
Unlike the televised Depp-Heard proceedings, which featured graphic testimony—including Depp’s claims that Heard severed his finger with a vodka bottle and his messages about her “rotting corpse”—Lively’s federal trial prohibits cameras, limiting public spectacle.
