Additional Coverage:
- Judge tosses Blake Lively’s claims against social media guru after Justin Baldoni lawsuit ends (the-independent.com)
Judge Dismisses Claims Against Social Media Guru in Lively-Baldoni Legal Saga
New York, NY – In a fresh twist to the ongoing legal battle between actress Blake Lively and her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, a judge has dismissed Lively’s claims against social media strategist Jed Wallace. The ruling, handed down by Judge Lewis Liman on November 5, found that Wallace, who is based in Austin, Texas, lacks sufficient connection to New York for the court to exert jurisdiction over him.
Lively’s lawsuit, filed in December 2024, alleges that Baldoni sexually harassed her and engaged in behavior that caused “severe emotional distress.” Furthermore, she claims Baldoni orchestrated a smear campaign to “bury” her, which involved weaponizing fan backlash through his PR team. Wallace was named in the suit as the social media operative allegedly hired by Baldoni to deploy a “digital army” against Lively’s reputation.
Despite this dismissal, Lively still has the option to pursue legal action against Wallace in Texas. A representative for Lively stated, “The Court ruled that Ms Lively’s claims can and should be brought in a different court. Ms Lively is evaluating her many options for doing so, and looks forward to trial on all of her claims against Baldoni, Heath, Nathan and the rest of the Wayfarer defendants in March in New York.”
Adding another layer to the complex legal landscape, Wallace himself filed a defamation suit against Lively in Texas in February.
This development follows the formal conclusion of Baldoni’s own $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, earlier this week. In June, Judge Liman dismissed Baldoni’s suit, ruling that Lively’s accusations of sexual harassment were legally protected.
Baldoni was given until the end of October to file an amended complaint but did not respond. Court documents indicate that Judge Liman contacted all parties on October 17, signaling his intent to issue a final judgment.
Lively was reportedly the only party to respond, requesting the final judgment and that her claim for legal fees remain active, a request the judge granted.
When Baldoni’s suit was initially dismissed, Lively’s lawyers issued a statement: “Today’s opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively, along with those that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and The New York Times.” They added, “As we have said from day one, this ‘$400m’ lawsuit was a sham, and the court saw right through it. We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys’ fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, [businessman] Steve Sarowitz, [PR Melissa] Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.”
Lively’s lawsuit against Baldoni is slated to go to trial on March 9, 2026. Representatives for Baldoni and Lively have been approached for further comment.