Justin Baldoni Opts For Diddy's Rep Amid Never-Ending Blake Lively Battle

Justin Baldoni is doing everything within his power to ensure he has a fighting chance against Blake Lively, even if it means hiring a controversial attorney.

The "Jane the Virgin" star recently updated his legal team by enlisting the services of defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro. The legal representative is no stranger to highly publicized cases, as she also represents disgraced record producer Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Thanks to her legal expertise, the rapper was acquitted of sex trafficking but found guilty of prostitution charges. Justin Baldoni appeared to have been impressed by the attorney's work and added her to his team, potentially aiming to defeat Blake Lively in March 2026.

According to court documents filed on Monday, September 15, Baldoni informed the New York federal court that "Alexandra A.E. Shapiro of Shapiro Arato Bach LLP" had become a member of his defense team.

The legal rep would also represent his co-defendants, publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, and Wayfarer Studios CEO Jamey Heath.

The documents obtained by Page Six implied that Shapiro was an addition to the team, not a replacement for Baldoni's lead lawyer, Bryan Freedman. The attorney was still listed as part of the actor's legal team on the case's docket, alongside Diddy's representative.

Baldoni's decision to beef up his defence team followed the new harassment allegations filed against him. The accuser, whose name was redacted in legal documents filed earlier this month, claimed the movie director had repeatedly been a menace to them.

The new harassment allegations against Baldoni saw the accuser claiming they had "repeated, negative interactions with Mr. Baldoni and his associates, including verbal abuse by Mr. Baldoni."

Their claims came nearly a year after Lively filed her sexual harassment allegations against Baldoni. She alleged that he made her and other women on the set of the "It Ends With Us" movie feel uncomfortable.

Lively also accused Baldoni of launching a smear campaign against her in retaliation for calling him out. The movie director fired back with a $400 million defamation lawsuit, vehemently denying the claims. However, a judge dismissed his lawsuit earlier this year.

Lively and Baldoni are set to face off in court come March 2026, with their case's discovery deadline fast approaching. The Blast shared that Lively's legal team focused on the discovery's end date in their response to Baldoni's attempt to depose her former pal, Taylor Swift.

The drama began when Baldoni's legal team claimed Swift had agreed to sit down for a deposition. However, she wouldn't be available until October 20–25. Lively's attorneys refused to accept the proposed dates, imploring the court to reject the deposition.

Lively's corner argued that Baldoni had ample time to schedule Swift for a deposition but waited until the last minute to do so. They stressed that the case's discovery period would be over by the time of the proposed deaths.

They noted that it was unfair for Baldoni's side to receive an extension for their inability to plan appropriately.

Contrary to Baldoni's camp claims, Swift did not agree to be deposed. The "Bad Blood" hitmaker denied the allegations through her attorney, stressing that she did not wish to be involved in the legal drama.

Instead, Swift's attorney claimed that she would agree to the deposition only if compelled to do so by law. The legal rep noted that they were informed about the deposition a few days ago and told Baldoni's camp that the singer's schedule must be prioritized.

"Her schedule would accommodate the time required during the week of October 20 if the parties were able to work out their disputes," Swift's lawyer explained. The Grammy winner could not be deposed at an earlier date because she was focused on promoting her new album, "The Life of a Showgirl."

Swift's deposition drama followed the harassment allegations filed against Baldoni in August. The Blast covered the story, reporting that actress Isabela Ferrer from "It Ends With Us" had slammed the movie's director over his unnecessary subpoenas.

Ferrer claimed he was trying to pressure her with the subpoenas, noting he crossed the line by issuing duplicative requests that served no real legal purpose. The TV personality, per her attorneys, described his actions as "improper" and aimed at harassment.

The actress also accused Baldoni of shrinking from his responsibilities, claiming he was refusing to honor a contract that stated he would be liable for her attorney fees. She noted that his Wayfarer Studios was supposed to cover her legal costs under an indemnification agreement in her acting contract.

Will Justin Baldoni's newest addition to his legal team help him defeat Blake Lively in court?