A Texas-based crisis communications expert has initiated a defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively, stemming from her ongoing legal dispute with her co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, concerning the film “It Ends With Us.”
The lawsuit was lodged by Jed Wallace and his firm, Street Relations, in a federal court in Texas on Tuesday, claiming he is not involved in any efforts to tarnish Lively’s reputation, contrary to her allegations in legal filings.
Wallace is not listed as a defendant in Lively’s existing lawsuit against Baldoni, his production company, and the publicists associated with them. In that case, she accuses them of various forms of harassment during filming, as well as orchestrating a campaign to damage her image post-production. However, Wallace is mentioned in official documents and a report by The New York Times that surfaced when Lively’s legal troubles began in December with her original complaint.
The attorneys representing Lively stated that Wallace’s lawsuit should not merely be viewed as an attempt at publicity.
They argued that “This is clearly a retaliatory measure in response to the allegations in the sexual harassment and retaliation complaint that Ms. Lively submitted to the California Civil Rights Department.” They further asserted that while they anticipate the lawsuit will be dismissed, they are grateful that Wallace has now stepped into the public eye and can also be held responsible in federal court.
In a recent filing from last week in Hays County, Texas, Lively accused Wallace of being utilized by Baldoni’s publicists to orchestrate a coordinated campaign aimed at creating and disseminating negative content on social media and internet discussion boards, which was crafted to appear as though it was genuine.
Conversely, Wallace’s lawsuit contends that neither he nor his firm were responsible for any alleged incidents of sexual harassment, retaliation, or failure to conduct an investigation regarding those claims.
Moreover, it claims that Lively’s own filing in Texas acknowledges her lack of evidence to support her assertions against Wallace and Street Relations, explaining why she is now pursuing an inquiry into Wallace’s activities.
After Lively’s legal action against Baldoni, he retaliated by filing his own federal lawsuit against her and her husband, “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds, which includes accusations of defamation and extortion, seeking damages that exceed $400 million.
Baldoni has also filed a libel suit against The New York Times, and his former publicist has filed a suit supporting Lively’s position.
“It Ends With Us,” which is based on Colleen Hoover’s acclaimed 2016 novel, begins as a romantic story before delving into themes of domestic violence. It debuted in August and surpassed box office predictions with nearly $150 million in domestic earnings. However, this success has been overshadowed by ongoing disputes surrounding its production and marketing strategies.
