Jed Wallace, the owner of a crisis mitigation firm, has launched a defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively after being accused of spearheading a “digital army” aimed at tarnishing her reputation.
Wallace, who runs Street Relations, filed a multi-million-dollar suit in a Texas federal court on Tuesday. His involvement was alleged in Lively’s own lawsuit and civil rights complaint, where she claimed he collaborated with Justin Baldoni to orchestrate an online smear campaign against her, reportedly as reprisal for her accusations of sexual harassment during filming of “It Ends With Us.”
In his own lawsuit, Wallace asserts he had “nothing to do with” the alleged retaliatory actions and contends he has suffered significant reputational damage as a result of being named in the complaint.
This lawsuit signifies the fifth legal action tied to the Baldoni-Lively controversy. Other publicists, Jen Abel and Melissa Nathan, previously filed a similar defamation complaint against Lively, claiming their lives had been turned “upside down” due to the allegations.
In response, Lively’s legal team characterized Wallace’s suit as part of an ongoing retaliatory campaign against her. They stated, “This is not mere publicity; it is blatant retaliation linked to her claims of harassment.”
The evidence implicating Wallace includes text messages from Nathan to Abel, indicating Wallace’s participation in shaping the negative narrative against Lively. The lawsuit seeks a declaratory judgment to clear Wallace of any liability, claiming at least $6 million in punitive damages.
Vocabulary List:
- Defamation /ˌdɛf.əˈmeɪ.ʃən/ (noun): The action of damaging the good reputation of someone.
- Retaliatory /rɪˈtæl.i.ə.tɔːr.i/ (adjective): Characterized by revenge or reprisal.
- Smear /smɪr/ (verb): To damage someone’s reputation by making false accusations.
- Allegation /ˌæl.əˈɡeɪ.ʃən/ (noun): A claim or assertion that someone has done something illegal or wrong.
- Punitive /ˈpjʊn.ɪ.tɪv/ (adjective): Intended as punishment.
- Implication /ˌɪm.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ (noun): The conclusion that can be drawn from something although it is not explicitly stated.
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