Blake Lively sued for $7M by crisis publicist: Here's why
What's the story
Hollywood actor Blake Lively (Gossip Girl, The Age of Adaline) is facing a $7 million defamation lawsuit.
The suit was filed by Jed Wallace, a Texas-based crisis publicist from Street Relations, Inc., whom Lively had previously mentioned in a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department.
The legal action comes amid an ongoing dispute between Lively and her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni.
Accusations
Lively accused Wallace of orchestrating a smear campaign
In her civil rights complaint filed in December, Lively's lawyers alleged Wallace was hired by Baldoni's PR team to orchestrate a smear campaign against her.
They claimed he "weaponized a digital army around the country from New York to Los Angeles to create, seed, and promote content that appeared to be authentic on social media platforms and internet chat forums."
This allegation is now the main focus of the defamation lawsuit.
Counterclaim
Wallace's lawsuit claims Lively lacks evidence
Wallace's lawsuit, filed Wednesday, claims Lively has no factual basis to make her allegations against him and Street Relations.
The suit claims her recent petition "conceded that Lively has no facts supporting the allegations she made against Wallace and Street in the Precursor which 'made headlines around the world' as she now, apparently under the threat of sanctions from one of Plaintiffs's attorneys, sought to 'investigate the scope of Mr. Wallace's conduct.'"
Response
'Another day, another nine-figure lawsuit': Response by Lively's team
Responding to Wallace's lawsuit, Lively's legal team released a statement saying, "Another day, another state, another nine-figure lawsuit seeking to sue Ms. Lively 'into oblivion' for speaking out against sexual harassment and retaliation."
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Wallace is seeking at least $7 million in damages and a court order stating he did not engage in harassment or retaliation against Lively.
His lawsuit states the allegations are "false, defamatory, made with either negligence...have caused millions of dollars in reputational harm."
Denial
Wallace's attorney denied any interaction with Lively
Chip Babcock—one of Wallace's attorneys—stated that his client has never met or spoken to Lively.
He said, "Mr. Wallace, who is a very private person, has never met or spoken to Ms. Lively. Ever."
"He has not engaged in a smear campaign against her at any point in time."
The decision to file this lawsuit was made after "Lively not only filed against him first in Texas but indicated she intended to name him in yet another lawsuit."
Ongoing dispute
Lively and Baldoni's legal battle: A quick recap
The ongoing legal battle between Lively and Baldoni dates back to December 2024 when she filed a sexual harassment complaint against him.
She accused him of misconduct during the film's production and a retaliatory smear campaign aimed to "destroy" her reputation, which he has denied.
On January 16, Baldoni countered with a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist Leslie Sloane for extortion, and defamation among other charges.