Blake Lively sued for defamation by PR group in ‘It Ends With Us’ feud

The It Ends With Us ineligible conflict continues — but this clip it’s betwixt prima Blake Lively and a Texas situation communications specializer and his company, Street Relations.

Jed Wallace and Street Relations are suing the histrion for defamation aft Lively allegedly pulled them into her ineligible combat with co-star and manager Justin Baldoni implicit the film.

Wallace filed a $7-million suit successful national tribunal successful Texas connected Tuesday, stating that helium had thing to bash with immoderate run to harm Lively’s estimation arsenic she alleged successful a tribunal filing from December 2024. He is besides seeking a tribunal bid stating that helium didn’t prosecute successful harassment oregon retaliation against Lively.

This came aft the Gossip Girl actor filed a petition connected Jan. 21 seeking a deposition from Wallace, who Lively alleges was utilized by publicists moving with Baldoni to weaponize “a integer service astir the country, including successful New York and Los Angeles, to create, seed, manipulate, and beforehand disparaging contented that appeared to beryllium authentic connected societal media platforms and net chat forums.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lively’s petition seeking a tribunal bid to depose Wallace was dropped connected Tuesday.

Wallace is not among the defendants successful Lively’s federal suit against Baldoni, his accumulation institution and publicists, successful which she alleges intersexual and different harassment during the accumulation and a run to smear her aft it. The situation specializer is named successful the tribunal papers and the New York Times communicative published connected the time the bid of ineligible battles began successful December, erstwhile Lively filed a complaint.

Wallace’s 10-page suit says neither helium nor Street Relations “had thing to bash with the alleged intersexual harassment, retaliation, nonaccomplishment to analyse oregon aiding and abetting the alleged harassment oregon alleged retaliation,” according to tribunal documents. (Global News has not independently viewed the documents.)

“The statements of fact, existent oregon implied, of and concerning Plaintiffs successful the Precursor and CRD Complaint are false, defamatory, made with either negligence oregon ‘actual malice’ and person caused millions of dollars successful reputational harm including some wide and peculiar damages done affectional harm (Wallace), existent damages and existent and projected nonaccomplishment of concern (Wallace and Street) successful an magnitude that exceeds $1,000,000,” Wallace’s filing read.

“As Lively aboriginal admitted she knew of nary facts to enactment the allegations,” Charles Babcock, a lawyer for Wallace, wrote successful the complaint. “Neither Wallace nor Street had thing to bash with the alleged intersexual harassment, retaliation, nonaccomplishment to analyse oregon aiding and abetting the alleged harassment oregon alleged retaliation. Neither could they person breached a declaration with Lively due to the fact that nary specified declaration exists.”

In effect to the lawsuit, Lively’s ineligible squad said, “Another day, different state, different nine-figure suit seeking to writer Ms. Lively ‘into oblivion’ for speaking retired against intersexual harassment and retaliation.”

“This is not conscionable a publicity stunt — it is transparent retaliation successful effect to allegations contained wrong a intersexual harassment and retaliation ailment that Ms. Lively filed with the California Civil Rights Department,” her lawyers added successful their connection to media. “While this suit volition beryllium dismissed, we are pleased that Mr. Wallace has yet emerged from the shadows, and that helium excessively volition beryllium held accountable successful national court.”

Wallace’s lawyer Babcock released a connection successful effect to Lively’s ineligible team. He referred to Wallace arsenic “a precise backstage person, who has ne'er met oregon spoken to Ms. Lively. Ever.”

“He has not engaged successful a smear run against her astatine immoderate constituent successful time. The determination to record this suit to rightfully support himself and his household was made aft Ms. Lively not lone filed against him archetypal successful Texas but, indicated she intended to sanction him successful yet different lawsuit,” Babcock said.

The ongoing ineligible conflict betwixt the It Ends With Us co-stars began aft Lively sued Baldoni and helium filed his ain federal lawsuit against her and her husband, Deadpool prima Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of defamation and extortion and seeking astatine slightest $400 cardinal successful damages.

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Baldoni had already sued the New York Times for libel, and his erstwhile publicist filed a suit taking Lively’s side.

Lively and Baldoni’s lawsuit headed to tribunal connected Feb. 3 arsenic Lively’s legal squad began to sermon a imaginable gag order.

On Feb. 3, a U.S. justice admonished lawyers for Baldoni and Lively not to publically sermon the actors’ competing civilian lawsuits. Lively’s lawyer Michael Gottlieb complained to U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman astatine a proceeding successful Manhattan national tribunal that Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman violated nonrecreational morals rules for lawyers by accusing Lively of “bullying.”

“It’s precise hard to un-ring the bell,” Gottlieb said, arguing that specified statements could taint the assemblage excavation for the scheduled March 9, 2026 trial.

Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman suggested that his comments to People and successful a podcast quality were a effect to the Dec. 21 New York Times nonfiction that “completely devastated” Baldoni.

“This has not been a one-way street,” helium said.

Liman adopted a New York authorities regularisation barring astir out-of-court statements that could impact a case’s outcome, with an objection for protecting a lawsuit from prejudicial adverse publicity.

The justice could authorisation lawyers for violations. Neither Gottlieb nor Freedman objected. Baldoni and Lively were not successful attendance astatine the hearing.

Lively’s lawyers Gottlieb and Esra Hudson said successful a statement, “We are pleased with the effect of today’s proceeding and anxious to determination guardant instantly with find successful this case.”

“The tribunal granted our petition that each attorneys successful the substance really travel the regularisation of instrumentality and not marque immoderate statements that could prejudice a jury,” they continued. “This lawsuit deals with superior allegations of intersexual harassment and retaliation. We volition clasp the defendants accountable, and we are assured that erstwhile each the grounds is submitted successful this matter, Ms. Lively volition prevail.”

Freedman said, “I couldn’t beryllium much pleased with however the lawsuit was handled today. We’re going to determination arsenic rapidly arsenic imaginable and beryllium our innocence.”

It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 caller that begins arsenic a romance but takes a acheronian crook into home violence, was released successful August 2024, exceeding container bureau expectations with a home full of astir $150 million. The occurrence was followed by near-constant turmoil implicit its accumulation and promotion.

—With files from The Associated Press

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