The names Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are perpetually linked at this point, appearing together on our social media feeds and in daily news articles as the legal battle unfolds between the two involving what happened on the set of their movie “It Ends with Us”. Since the New York Times article, ‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine came out at the end of 2024, we have been inundated with information from both sides of the story.
Lively is accusing Baldoni of alleged sexual harassment and retaliation while Baldoni is challenging her allegations by suing Lively for defamation and the New York Times for publishing the article above.
While we don’t do celebrity or entertainment PR at Teak Media, it would be a missed opportunity not to share the PR lessons professionals can learn by watching how the teams Lively and Baldoni hired have navigated the turmoil.
Stick to the facts and one narrative
One of the biggest PR lessons learned is to have a clear message, rooted in fact, before responding or coming out with any news. This seems to have been the biggest mistake in the Lively vs. Baldoni communication plan. Both parties don’t appear to have one carefully crafted communication, and have continued to share, or overshare, as things continue to progress including text messages and raw footage from filming. In our work, it is crucial to have the content positioned exactly as wanted right off the bat. There is no time to correct something once it is out in the world, and adjusting the story weakens the validity of the narrative. This is why when we are doing crisis work with a client, we develop a crisis guidebook in advance, with established protocol, including developing a well-thought-out statement.
Talk about the good work clients are doing without speaking negatively of others
Our work focuses a lot on reputation management and ensuring our clients are seen in a positive light for all the good work they do. One thing we never do is put down our clients’ competitors or use information to negatively impact another party. Obviously, the Lively vs. Baldoni allegations are much more serious, but it is a big takeaway given how each decision has had a direct impact on the public perception of both Lively and Baldoni which at this time can only really be described as conflicted and confused. Working with nonprofits and clients that are doing good in the world puts us in a unique position of sharing positive news daily in an environment filled with the negative. We try to stand out with these “feel good” stories and put our clients in a unique position to fill that space for reporters. There is no need to talk negatively of others, and sticking to the positive and taking the high road ensures our clients good stories get out and they are seen positively.
Our job is never done
We are constantly monitoring news that relates to or mentions our clients, to ensure we are on top of responding if warranted. It is important to stay up to date on the most recent news and be aware of what others, including the public, are saying about the industry or our clients directly. In the Lively vs. Baldoni situation, there is an onslaught of information coming out daily, and much of what is being put out into the world isn’t verified and confuses the public in terms of what is happening. The teams working with Lively and Baldoni must stay appraised and work to eliminate the false narratives. Especially as this case progresses into court hearings, and more news will continue to come out, they must stay vigilant to protect their clients’ reputations and the true facts of the case.
The Lively vs. Baldoni case is a tricky one, but the main PR lessons learned involve the best way to speak about others and maintain / establish a reputation for clients. There is so much that can be done to prepare for an unfortunate situation and be sure to take the time to establish the right message and what the world should know because it is difficult to go back once information is shared widely. For more tips on how to get ahead of and handle a crisis situation, check out our Top Ten Tips for Crisis Communications.
