Judge Unseals 'Smear Campaign' Texts and Emails in Baldoni-Lively Legal Brawl: Embattled Actor Hired a PR Guru for $90,000 After Their Feud Over 'It Ends With Us' Became Public
Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni of hiring a public-relations specialist to smear her online.
Aug. 25 2025, Published 2:22 p.m. ET
Newly released emails and text messages reportedly reveal Justin Baldoni has spent nearly $10million on a "crisis response team" after he was slammed with sexual harassment allegations from It Ends with Us co-star Blake Lively.
Lively's team has accused the actor/director of using fake and "untraceable" social media accounts and services to spread negative stories about her as part of an elaborate smear campaign, RadarOnline.com can report.
'Behind The Scenes' Shenanigans
Lively claims pr pro created false social media account to slander her.
In newly released court documents, Baldoni hired social media expert Jed Wallace for a three-month, $30,000-per-month contract.
An email from Baldoni's publicist, Melissa Nathan, introduced Wallace to his business partner, Jamey Heath, explaining that the consultant specialized in doing work "behind the scenes."
"Jed and team has worked on some of the most monumental BTS projects globally and I'm extremely happy to make this intro between you both," the email stated.
'Untraceable' Social Media Services
Emails submitted by Lively detail the price Baldoni allegedly paid for the help.
According to the Daily Mail, which was the first to obtain the communications, Nathan referred to a two-part quote for "untraceable" social media services for "creation of social fan engagement to go back and forth with any negative accounts, helping to change narrative and stay on track."
A source confided the plan was to use anonymous social media accounts controlled by Wallace's team to push "already-existing pro-Baldoni news stories on social media and argue with Lively fans online."
But the source revealed the plan was never put into action, because Lively did such a great job of earning real "organic" criticism from actual social media users all on her own.
Wallace has denied any use of fake accounts, saying he was only paid to monitor social media for Baldoni's team.
Influencers Fight Back
The two have exchanged lawsuits over their alleged behavior on the movie 'It Ends with Us'
As RadarOnline.com reported, Lively's legal team subpoenaed dozens of influencers and content creators whom she alleged were part of the smear campaign against her.
But many of the social media influencers fought back, with some branding the move an "attack" on their personal privacy and First Amendment rights.
Kjersti Flaa, who has repeatedly been critical of Lively, shared a copy of her subpoena for information and slammed it in the caption.
She wrote: "As a journalist, this is a direct attack on my privacy, my sources, and my First Amendment rights. This kind of legal fishing expedition is not just invasive – it's dangerous."
Defending Freedom of Speech
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Lively has maintained the actor/director sexually harassed her on multiple occasions.
A few days later, The Court of Random Opinion's Lauren Neidigh lashed out: "Blake Lively is seeking information related to my Google account. This is 100% real, and this is war."
She declared, "I am entitled to that opinion, just as everyone is entitled to have the opposite opinion if that is their belief. Sharing my opinions on a public figure in a high-profile celebrity court case is NOT harassment."
In response to Lively's deposition being pushed back, Without a Crystal Ball's Katie Paulson took to Instagram on July 17, declaring, "Blake Lively’s lawsuit isn’t about defamation – it’s about silencing criticism. There’s no evidence of a smear campaign. There is evidence refuting her claims."
The content creator raged, "This is about punishing survivors and the press for reacting to her own behavior."
