The Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni War: A Who’s-Who Guide to a Messy Scandal – Hollywood Reporter
Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood ReporterSubscribe for full access to The Hollywood ReporterUntangling the messy web of alliances, connections and defections behind the ‘It Ends With Us’ feud.
By
James Hibberd
Writer-at-Large
Read below for network blurbs.
STUDIOSONY It Ends With Us studio — reveling in the film’s $350 million box office haul — announced that it was “fully and firmly” supporting Lively; it’s also making Baldoni’s Eleanor the Great.
Related Stories
General News
The Norwegian Journalist Caught in the Crossfire of the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni Battle Takes on Her Critics
TV
Nikki Glaser Won’t Make Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni Jokes as Golden Globes Host
BRANDON SKLENARAfter signing with WME, Lively’s It Ends With Us co-star urged his followers (in ALL CAPS) to read her complaint in a gesture of support.
RYAN REYNOLDSThe actor and marketing maestro attended the “hostile work environment” summit between Lively and Baldoni while remaining quiet during the controversy.
PUBLIC RELATIONSVISION PR Home to Lively’s publicist, Leslie Sloane, and Reynolds’, Jami Kandel; Baldoni’s attorney has suggested Sloane planted stories against him (she denies this).
TALENT AGENCYWILLIAM MORRIS ENDEAVOR The agency — which represents Lively and Reynolds — dropped Baldoni within hours of reports of Lively’s sexual misconduct complaint.
TAYLOR SWIFT Lively’s bestie, name-dropped by Baldoni’s team as somebody who “weaponizes feminism.”
SCARLETT JOHANSSONSet to make her directorial debut in the Baldoni-produced Eleanor the Great (and formerly married to Reynolds).
MEDIATHE NEW YORK TIMESBroke Team Lively’s complaint about Baldoni, who has sued NYT for $250M for libel, alleging it relied on cherry-picked facts that portrayed the filmmaker in a false light.
PRODUCTION COMPANYWAYFARER The independent production company founded by Baldoni and Steve Sarowitz with the mission of “championing inspirational stories towards social change.”
PRINCE HARRY & MEGHAN MARKLESenior Wayfarer executive Tracy Ryerson left for Archewell.
LEGALBRYAN FREEDMAN Baldoni’s lawyer threatening to “sue into oblivion” Lively’s PR team while defending TAG PR as operating within bounds.
MANAGEMENTJACK WHIGHAM The talent manager whose Range Media Partners reps Baldoni and Depp.
JOHNNY DEPP Reportedly worked with Nathan and Matthew Hiltzik amid his high-profile defamation battle against ex-wife Amber Heard.
AMBER HEARD Issued a statement supporting Lively, suggesting similar tactics were used against her: “I saw this firsthand and up close. It’s as horrifying as it is destructive.”
SOCIAL MEDIAJED WALLACEOwner of Street Relations, a firm Lively accused of releasing “a digital army … to create, seed, and promote” content against her.
PUBLIC RELATIONSSTEPHANIE JONESOwner of Jonesworks PR firm initially enlisted by Baldoni; turned against her former employee, Jen Abel. Now suing Baldoni, accusing him of smearing her.
PUBLIC RELATIONSJEN ABELBaldoni’s publicist and ex-Jones works staffer whose confiscated phone was the source of sensational text messages about Lively. She’s insisted “there was no ‘smear’ implemented.”
PUBLIC RELATIONSMELISSA NATHAN Crisis expert whose The Agency Group was hired by Baldoni. She allegedly texted “we can bury anyone” in regard to Lively.
SCOOTER BRAUNSwift’s sworn enemy is a client of TAG PR, the agency Baldoni allegedly hired to smear Lively.
TALENT AGENTJASON HODESThe WME partner represents Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and also is married to Jones.
DWAYNE JOHNSONA former Jonesworks client (and Reynolds’ Red Notice co-star) who also has received his share of negative press (e.g., pees in bottles on set).
MEDIASARA NATHAN Melissa’s sister, who covered rumors of on-set strife between Lively and Baldoni for the New York Post while keeping in touch with her sibling and Abel.
CRISIS PRMATTHEW HILTZIKA crisis guru whose company was employed by Johnny Depp and trained previous employee Melissa Nathan (she exited in October 2023).
This story appeared in the Jan. 3 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every daySign up for THR news straight to your inbox every daySubscribe for full access to The Hollywood ReporterSend us a tip using our anonymous form.
