Amber Heard has expressed her views on the current allegations that Blake Lively has brought forward against her “It Ends With Us” co-star, Justin Baldoni. Amber Heard spoke exclusively to NBC News about social media and the power it has in creating misinformation, especially regarding the complaint Lively brought against Baldoni.
Actress Blake Lively, who starred in the film It Ends With Us, filed a formal complaint with the California Civil Rights Department accusing Justin Baldoni, who directed the film, of sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment, and launching a targeted social media campaign to damage her reputation.
Lively revealed that Baldoni had hired Melissa Nathan, who is a renowned crisis manager in PR. The manager had earlier handled media strategy during the defamation case Johnny Depp had against Amber Heard.
The complaint alleges that Baldoni’s camp orchestrated a “retaliatory social manipulation campaign” against Lively during the promotional phase of the film. This campaign, according to the complaint, included “proactive fan posting” and “social manipulations” to change the perception of the public against Lively and destroy her image.
The allegations have caused shockwaves in Hollywood, considering that the promotion of the film had already raised questions over the tension between the cast members.
He said, in this regard, that he realized how social media was potent in spreading false narratives while speaking to NBC News through her statement. “Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying ‘A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on.’ I saw this firsthand and up close,” she said. It’s as terrifying as it is destructive.” Heard’s words resonate with her personal experience in her legal battle with Johnny Depp. The actress has been vocal about how social media played a role in shaping the public’s perception of the defamation case she faced.
Heard’s comments come after a jury delivered a unanimous verdict in favor of Depp in their defamation trial, handing him $15 million in damages, a ruling that Heard has publicly condemned. “The jury gave me my life back,” Depp said at the time, but Heard felt that the verdict set a dangerous precedent for women speaking out. She contended, “It turns back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated.”
Fallout From The It Ends With Us Promotion
Lively’s complaint provides further details on how the alleged social media campaign against her unfolded. The promotion of It Ends With Us was marked by noticeable tensions between the film’s stars, particularly between Lively and Baldoni. Social media fans took note of the awkwardness during press events, with rumors swirling that the two co-stars didn’t get along on set. Fans also pointed out that Baldoni appeared to be promoting the film separately from Lively and other cast members, and that several stars, including Lively and Jenny Slate, had unfollowed Baldoni on Instagram.
The PR Crisis
As a reaction to the allegations against Lively, Bryan Freedman of the law firm representing Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios said the accusations are “categorically false.” According to him, Wayfarer Studios was compelled to hire a crisis communications team due to Lively’s behavior during filming, including threatening not to appear on set or promote the film. Freedman also reacted to Amber Heard’s statement, saying, “TAG PR must be the most powerful group of publicists the world has ever seen for it to be able to change totally the perception of both Amber Heard and Blake Lively.
Freedman continued his statement by mentioning the ongoing media attention with regard to both Lively and Heard. He claimed that every move made by the involved individuals has been highly publicized and well-documented, which enables the public to make their own decisions regarding the issue. According to Freedman, the situation involving both actresses is in no way comparable because of the vastly different facts and context.
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