Blake Lively Sued For Defamation by Crisis PR Firm in ‘It Ends With Us’ Feud

by

In my gaming world, I’ve found myself in a pickle – a crisis management team is taking me to court, claiming they were instrumental in the legal tussle I had with director-actor Justin Baldoni, who worked on “It Ends With Us.

Jed Wallace, an employee at Street Relations, has filed a lawsuit in a Texas federal court, claiming that Lively falsely accused him of defamation by involving him in the ongoing lawsuits. One of these lawsuits alleged that Wallace created fake content on social media to attack the actress and defend Baldoni. He is demanding a minimum of $7 million and a court ruling that he did not engage in harassment or retaliation against the actress.

The action is taken following Lively’s submission of a petition in Texas state court last month, which was filed on Tuesday. This petition aimed to secure a court order for deposing Wallace, potentially indicating that the actress might expand her current lawsuit against Baldoni and his company Wayfarer by adding him as a defendant.

In the document, Lively claims Wallace used a digital army to generate and disseminate social media posts and online forum discussions that seemed genuine. It’s alleged that Baldoni’s PR team masterminded this campaign aimed at discrediting the actress. They would then share parts of the fabricated content with journalists, hoping it would spread rapidly to sway public opinion and trigger a natural backlash, as stated in the petition.

In another location, another high-value lawsuit against Ms. Lively for her vocal stance against sexual harassment and retaliation has been filed, according to her legal team, headed by Michael Gottlieb. They assert this isn’t a publicity move, but rather a clear act of retribution in response to the sexual harassment and retaliation complaint Ms. Lively made with the California Civil Rights Department. Although we anticipate this lawsuit to be dismissed, it’s reassuring that Mr. Wallace has come forward, and he too will face accountability in a federal court.

Wallace’s ten-page legal action alleges that Lively incorrectly included him in the paperwork – a petition and complaint submitted to the California Civil Rights Department – where she accused him of unlawful harassment and reprisal. This accusation, made without proof, is said to have ignited their disagreement.

According to Charles Babcock, a legal representative for Wallace, the statement in the complaint is that Lively herself acknowledged having no evidence to back up the accusations. It’s important to note that neither Wallace nor Street were involved in the alleged incidents of sexual harassment, retaliation, or failing to investigate. Furthermore, since there is no existing contract between Lively and either Wallace or Street, they could not have broken any such agreement.

Wallace, self-proclaimed as a “contractor” and claiming to possess a unique method for identifying artists and trends (as mentioned in Lively’s petition), was hired by Baldoni and his firm Wayfarer. Additionally, Melissa Nathan from The Agency Group, a seasoned crisis PR specialist (also named in Lively’s lawsuit), was also brought on board by Baldoni. A message from Nathan to another PR representative for Baldoni, Jennifer Abel, mentioned in the court documents suggested starting a private conversation with a third person, Jed, which could imply his involvement in the alleged smear campaign orchestrated by the director of It Ends With Us.

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve been putting in some serious work, stirring up discussions and taking sides on various Reddit forums. On one hand, I’m defending Baldoni, and on the other, I’m subtly criticizing Wallace. When reached out to for a comment, Nathan didn’t respond promptly.

Read More

2025-02-05 21:25