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Blake Lively has filed a lawsuit against her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, where she has accused him not only of sexual harassment but also of planning a smear campaign to ruin the actor's reputation. As per The New York Times, Baldoni allegedly hired Melissa Nathan, who previously worked as Johnny Depp's crisis PR manager, to carry out the campaign.
Blake Lively filed a 10-claim complaint against Baldoni concerning the allegations on December 20, 2024.
The case has sparked comparisons to the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp trial, as netizens point out that Baldoni hired the same PR manager Depp used during his lawsuit. A heated debate is going on in X regarding whether Amber Heard was actually the victim in the case where her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, emerged victorious. One of the reactions to this debate reads:
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"Heard is not a fucking victim, you absolute moron."
While some netizens have noted how similarly the smear campaigns against Heard and Blake Lively have been organized, others stand by the court ruling that Depp was the true victim.
"There was no smear campaign against Amber Heard. She had the exact same press her exhusband had. Some of us just listen with our ears and look with our eyes and that's why some of us can't stand her. No idea about Blake. I'd be hard pressed to believe the slander against her," one person commented.
"The way Hollywood men keep hiring the same PR firm to paint successful women as 'difficult'sis starting to look less like coincidence and more like a playbook," said another user.
Some have opined that it is a culture in Hollywood to try and smear the names of successful women.
"We stand with Blake lively! We stand with Amber Heard!" read one comment.
"Amber Heard got caught multiple times lying in court no?" pointed out another user.
The case has also sparked widespread discussion about the role of social media and PR in shaping public opinion.
What does Amber Heard have to say about Blake Lively's lawsuit?
In the wake of this debate, Heard herself responded to Blake Lively's lawsuit against Baldoni. In an exclusive statement shared with NBC, which NBC News reported on December 23, 2024, she said:
"Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying 'A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on.' I saw this firsthand and up close. It’s as horrifying as it is destructive."
NBC has also reported that Baldoni's PR, Melissa Nathan, helped Depp through the trial, but her representatives have denied this.
In 2022, Johnny Depp sued his ex-wife for defamation over an opinion article she wrote for the Washington Post where she alleged that she was being abused. Although she did not mention any name, Depp sued her. Heard counter-sued, but the court ruled in favor of Depp, who denied abusing Heard.
Details about Blake Lively's accusations against co-star Justin Baldoni
In the complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department, Gossip Girl star Blake Lively has accused Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment, and attempting to ruin her reputation with a targeted social media campaign that would paint her in a negative light.
In her complaint, she has accused Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath of repeated sexual harassment. One of her claims is that Baldoni "improvised" kissing scenes to take advantage of her by sucking and biting on her lip. She also reports that she was forced to do nude scenes on set while Heath's friends were present.
The lawsuit filed also accused Baldoni of hiring a crisis PR firm to wage a "multi-tiered plan" that Mr. Baldoni and his team described as 'social manipulation' designed to 'destroy' Ms. Lively's reputation." This would include plans to destroy Blake Lively's reputation on social media and portray the actress as a bully.
Various news outlets have reported that Baldoni hired veteran crisis PR manager Melissa Nathan for damage control. Additionally, screenshots of Nathan's conversation with Baldoni's PR strategist, Jennifer Abel, were also circulating. In these screenshots, Abel was seen stating that Justin wanted to feel as though she could be "buried." As reported by Daily Mail, Melissa Nathan responded to it by saying:
"You know we can bury anyone but I can't write that to him. I will be very tough."
In a statement to the Associated Press, dated December 22, 2024, Baldoni's attorney responded to the lawsuit and allegations, saying that it is "completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious.”
Nathan's representatives have not responded to the allegations.
As per IMDb, It Ends With Us debuted in August 2024, earning $50 million at the box office during its opening weekend. Following Blake Lively's lawsuit, the movie quickly rose to the top of Netflix's Top 10.
