Blake Lively Faces New Legal Fight Over Defamation

Blake Lively is facing renewed legal challenges following an appeal filed by crisis management consultant Jed Wallace. Wallace is seeking to revive his defamation lawsuit that was previously dismissed.

This development occurred just a week after Lively and Justin Baldoni reportedly reached a settlement in their own multi-million-dollar lawsuit related to the 'It Ends With Us' set. Wallace and his firm were named in Lively's 2024 civil rights complaint, which alleged an online smear campaign orchestrated by Baldoni's team.

Wallace initiated his defamation lawsuit in Texas federal court last year, asserting that Lively falsely implicated him in the alleged campaign. However, the case was dismissed due to a lack of jurisdiction. The recent appeal argues that Lively engaged in 'meaningful Texas-targeted actions.'

Wallace's appeal points to Lively's alleged invocation of a Texas court, hiring of Texas lawyers, and payment of filing fees as evidence of her connection to the state. He is requesting the court reverse the dismissal and reinstate his defamation suit, in which he denies wrongdoing and seeks at least USD 7 million in damages.