Amber Heard has stepped into the ring to address Blake Lively’s explosive claims about her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, accusing him of launching a smear campaign against her—something Heard says she witnessed “firsthand.”
The drama kicked off after it was revealed that Baldoni enlisted the same crisis management team that represented Heard’s ex-husband, Johnny Depp, during their infamous defamation trial.
Lively has filed a legal complaint against him, alleging sexual harassment, a toxic work environment, and attempts to ruin her reputation.
The filings highlight that he hired Melissa Nathan, the PR powerhouse who also represented Depp during his legal battle, which culminated in a $15 million win for him.
Heard, who countersued and received $2 million in the high-profile case, isn’t backing down.
Speaking to NBC News, she said, “Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying, A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on.”
The filings reveal a juicy web of behind-the-scenes messages between Lively’s ex-director, Nathan, and his publicist, Jennifer Abel.
They were secretly enjoying the negative press that was being thrown under her way.
Blake’s failure to mention domestic abuse during interviews for her latest film, which led to accusations of being “tone-deaf” on the subject.
She reportedly wanted to market the movie as an uplifting, feel-good tale, found herself at odds with director Baldoni, who thought domestic abuse should take center stage in promotions.
As if that wasn’t enough, old interviews of Lively resurfaced, painting her as a “mean girl” after some awkward, uncomfortable encounters – including one with journalist Kjersti Flaa, who tried to ask about the Gossip Girls baby bump.
