Actress Blake Lively is facing a fresh legal battle as her former crisis publicist, Jed Wallace, has filed a lawsuit worth $7 million against her. It is following a complaint filed December 2024 by Lively with the California Civil Rights Department, in which she states that Wallace was part of a media smear campaign orchestrated by a PR team affiliated with director Justin Baldoni.
Lively alleged Wallace was part of the smear campaign, which she claimed was orchestrated by a PR team connected to director Justin Baldoni.
In her civil rights complaint, Lively charged Wallace, a professional employed by crisis management firm Street Relations, Inc., with having “weaponized a digital army” in disseminating injurious content via social media and the internet. The attorneys representing Lively in her case aver that Wallace had been retained by the PR representatives from Baldoni in order to create attacks against the reputation of Lively while broadcasting content apparently written organically and in organically-generated amounts to multiple services which included both social media as well as other web-based platforms.
Denials and Legal Action by Wallace
Wallace’s lawyers are also countering the allegations by Lively by pointing out that she has no strong evidence to prove her claims. According to Wallace’s lawyers, Lively is trying to probe into Wallace’s conduct after she made public the allegations against Wallace, with an intention of threatening Wallace with the possibility of sanctions to force her into legal action. The lawsuit is seeking at least $7 million in damages, as well as a court ruling to clear Wallace of any involvement in harassment or retaliation.
Wallace’s lawyer, Chip Babcock, stated that Wallace had never met or spoken to Lively. Babcock insisted that Wallace’s lawsuit was only filed after Lively filed her Texas complaint against him and indicated that she intended to include him in future lawsuits. Wallace’s complaint also includes counts of defamation, emotional distress, and damage to both his business and that of his firm, which he values at over $1 million.
Lively’s Legal Team Reacts to the Lawsuit
Lively’s lawyers have condemned the lawsuit, terming it a retaliatory move. According to them, the $7 million lawsuit is a “clear act of retaliation” aimed at silencing Lively for speaking out about the alleged sexual harassment she experienced from Baldoni and the subsequent retaliatory smear campaign. In fact, her camp claims that despite the dismissal of the case, they are grateful that Wallace is compelled to reveal himself and that he will now face the full force of justice in federal court.
Background of Allegations Against Baldoni
The case has its beginning back in December 2024, when Lively claimed Baldoni, who is 41 years old, had sexually harassed her while they were working on the production of a movie. Apart from sexual harassment claims, Lively stated that Baldoni planned to smear her reputation because she rejected him, and in revenge, she says, orchestrated this smear campaign.
Baldoni denies everything and there now has a great confrontation legally between the parties.
The entertainment world is closely monitoring the serious allegations against Lively and the resultant legal implications arising out of these charges. The case has been presented before both sides, and the results of the lawsuit are sure to be very significant for Lively’s career, Wallace’s professionalism, and the prevailing balance of power within the film industry.