Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s legal war is intensifying as the clock ticks down to their high-stakes trial, and now Baldoni’s team is making a major move behind the scenes. With less than six weeks until the May 18 federal court date in New York City, the docket in Blake Lively’s multi-million dollar lawsuit is rapidly filling up, with both sides scrambling to shape what the jury will and won’t hear.
Justin Baldoni’s Team Moves To Block PR Client List, Which Includes Johnny Depp
At the center of the latest legal clash is crisis PR executive Melissa Nathan and her firm, The Agency Group PR, which has been named as a defendant in the case.
Baldoni’s legal team, along with attorneys representing Wayfarer Studios, has filed motions seeking to prevent Blake Lively from introducing evidence tied to Nathan’s past high-profile clients. Those clients reportedly include major names like Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, who had a highly publicized defamation trial in 2022.
Drake, Travis Scott, Logan Paul, and Rebel Wilson are also named in the statement.
Baldoni’s Lawyer Slams Lively’s ‘Strategic’ PR Argument
According to Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, Lively’s attempt to bring up those connections is purely strategic.
“Any services that Nathan rendered for actor Johnny Depp in connection with his high-profile defamation litigation against ex-wife Amber Heard, for other celebrities such as rappers Drake and Travis Scott, professional wrestler Logan Paul, and actress Rebel Wilson, for politicians, or for other clients are irrelevant to whether she aided and abetted the purported smear campaign at issue herein,” he wrote.
“The sole reason why Lively improperly seeks to introduce evidence of work that Nathan purportedly performed for her other clients (other than Wayfarer Studios) is to convince the jury that Nathan is immoral and a wrongdoer,” he added.
Johnny Depp And Amber Heard’s Legal Battle Drawn Into Ongoing Court Fight
The mention of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp in the current filings only adds to the already complex case, as Baldoni’s team pushes to keep crisis PR executive Melissa Nathan’s past work out of the courtroom.
Heard, who was at the center of a highly publicized 2022 defamation trial against Depp, previously spoke out about the impact of public narratives shaped online. “Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying ‘A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on,’” Heard said in a December 2024 statement. “I saw this firsthand and up close. It’s as horrifying as it is destructive.”
Her comments have drawn comparisons to Blake Lively’s current claims, as both cases involve allegations of reputational damage tied to public perception and media coverage. At the time, however, Heard’s stance, like Lively’s, was dismissed by Justin Baldoni’s legal team and representatives.
In a quieter show of support, Heard also weighed in shortly after Lively filed her initial sexual harassment and retaliation complaint in late 2024, signaling alignment with the broader conversation surrounding public scrutiny and alleged smear campaigns.
Massive Legal Maneuvers Flood The Court
The motion is just one of many filed in what’s becoming a full-blown legal blitz ahead of trial. Over the weekend alone, both sides reportedly filed a wave of last-minute documents, including motions, legal memorandums, potential witness lists, and proposed verdict forms.
While Taylor Swift is expected to be mentioned during proceedings, she will not testify. Meanwhile, Ryan Reynolds is expected to take the stand.
Meanwhile, the filing also aims to prevent evidence involving Colleen Hoover, who wrote: “It Ends With Us.” “Hoover played no part in Lively’s workplace experience. She had no contractual right to participate in the film and was not present on set,” the filing stated.
Justin Baldoni’s Team Pushes To Limit Testimony
Baldoni’s camp is also attempting to narrow the scope of what jurors will hear when it comes to his personal conduct.
In filings, his attorneys argued against allowing testimony related to “alleged bad experiences of other women,” dismissing such claims as a “grab bag of awkward comments, minor confrontations, and perceived slights.”
With Lively seeking up to $300 million in damages, the upcoming trial is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched legal battles in Hollywood.