The ongoing legal dispute surrounding the film ‘It Ends With Us’ has intensified with actress Blake Lively facing a new lawsuit. This time, she is being sued by a Texas crisis communications specialist, Jed Wallace, who owns the PR firm Street Relations. On February 4, 2025, Wallace filed a $7 million defamation lawsuit against Lively in a Texas federal court, claiming that she falsely accused him and his company of engaging in a smear campaign against her, causing significant reputational harm.
Lively’s legal team has dismissed the lawsuit as a retaliatory act, expressing their readiness to hold Wallace accountable in federal court. They are seeking to depose Wallace, alleging his involvement in efforts by Justin Baldoni’s publicists to manipulate disparaging content on social media and internet forums.
Wallace’s lawsuit comes after Lively’s own legal actions against Baldoni and his associates, where she accused them of sexual harassment, workplace safety violations, and a public relations attack following the production of ‘It Ends With Us’. Lively’s lawsuit in New York federal court was preceded by a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department, alleging Baldoni’s invasion of privacy and pressuring her to lose weight postpartum.
In response, Baldoni countersued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, her publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane’s PR firm, accusing them of defamation and orchestrating a smear campaign against him. Baldoni’s legal team argues that Lively fabricated allegations to control the film’s production and damage his career.
As the legal battles continue, both parties have been accused of attempting to influence public opinion. Baldoni’s team launched a website on February 1, 2025, presenting his version of events, including communications with Lively, which they claim disproves her allegations. Lively’s team has criticized this strategy as a stream of defamatory media statements outside the court. Judge Lewis J. Liman warned both parties that continued press litigation could result in an earlier trial date, currently set for March 2026.
Additional Reading:
– Blake Lively is sued by Texas crisis specialist in latest ‘It Ends With Us’ lawsuit, AP News (February 5, 2025)
– Justin Baldoni Vs. Blake Lively Feud Explained: Lively Sued By PR Firm For Alleged Defamation, Forbes (February 5, 2025)
– Defamation Law, Justia
Image Credit: bella1105 / *
