A new lawsuit has emerged in the ongoing legal dispute between actress Blake Lively and her co-star Justin Baldoni. Crisis communications expert Jed Wallace has filed a $7 million (£5.6 million) defamation lawsuit against Lively after being mentioned in court documents related to her legal battle against an alleged smear campaign aimed at damaging her reputation. This development follows a series of lawsuits exchanged between the two actors after Lively initially filed a complaint following their collaboration on the film “It Ends With Us.” The conflict has been ongoing since December of last year and is quite complex.
The release of “It Ends With Us” in August 2024 has been somewhat overshadowed by speculation regarding tensions between its lead actors. The film, based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel, depicts Lively’s character, Lily Bloom, as she navigates an abusive relationship with Baldoni’s character, Ryle Kincaid. Baldoni took a less prominent role in promoting the film, despite directing and producing it, while Lively was more visible alongside her husband, Ryan Reynolds, who was also busy with press for “Deadpool & Wolverine.” Notably, Baldoni did not take photos with other cast members at the premiere, and fans observed that he was not followed by Lively or co-star Jenny Slate on social media.
Lively seemed to bear the brunt of negative media attention around the film’s release, with some critics targeting her for promoting her own businesses—Betty Buzz and Blake Brown—simultaneously. In an interview with NBC News’ “Today” program, Baldoni addressed the online speculation, stating that making a movie involves “navigating complex personalities” to achieve a shared vision, acknowledging that “mistakes are always made” and that they must find ways to move forward.
On December 21, The New York Times published an article titled “We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,” which revealed that Lively had filed a legal complaint against Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department. In her complaint, Lively, 37, accused Baldoni, 41, of sexual harassment and alleged that he, along with the studio behind “It Ends With Us,” devised a “multi-tiered plan” to tarnish her reputation.
