The rumours of a rift have been a hot topic in recent weeks, with Lively’s past coming under scrutiny and many criticising the star’s past behaviour.
But while Lively is now trying to defend her own reputation, Baldoni has done something straight out of the textbook celebrity scandal prevention book: hired a PR crisis management team to navigate the shifting tides of public opinion.
Justin Baldoni posed with the rest of the cast at the New York premiere of “It Ends With Us” earlier this month. Cindy Ord/Getty Images
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor and director, who rose to fame with his starring role in the sitcom “Jane the Virgin,” has enlisted the help of veteran public relations manager Melissa Nathan.
“This was the right choice for him,” Megan Barrick, PR expert and vice president of Jive PR + Digital, told Business Insider. “I always recommend hiring a reputation management firm before you need one.”
“I think this shows that Justin doesn’t trust Blake and thinks she’s going to try to control the narrative. He’s trying to make sure this doesn’t negatively impact his career,” Barrick added.
Eric Schiffer, chairman of Reputation Management Consultants, said one of the first things Baldoni would have done with his new crisis management team would have been to reveal “what really happened behind the scenes.”
Justin Baldoni as Lyle Kincaid and Blake Lively as Lily Bloom in “It Ends With Us.” Nicole Rivelli/Sony Pictures Entertainment
The public still doesn’t have a full grasp of this.
After people noticed the pair not interacting during the film’s promotional tour this month, people began investigating what might have happened and came up with a variety of wild theories.
TMZ and Page Six subsequently reported on tensions on set, while anonymous sources told The Hollywood Reporter that further issues arose in post-production when two different cuts of the film emerged.
Schiffer said Baldoni needed to fill the gaps in the PR team by confirming or denying rumors and giving them the full picture.
“Once we can do that, we can plan our operations,” he continued. “A big part of it is making sure we don’t detonate problems that could potentially explode.”
“But if the situation improves, it may be in the client’s interest to ‘leak’ truths that have not yet been made public,” Schiffer added.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni film a scene for the film “It Ends With Us” in May 2023. Gotham/GC Images/Getty Images
After journalist Kersti Fraer re-uploaded a 2016 interview with Lively to YouTube under the title “The Blake Lively interview that will make you want to quit your job,” online speculation flared that she was involved in a smear campaign against Lively.
The now-viral interview shows Lively becoming hostile after the reporter congratulates her on her pregnancy.
Speaking to MailOnline, Ms Fraa explained her motivation for releasing the footage: “It’s time that people in Hollywood, or anywhere else, who behave badly, are called out. It’s not acceptable to be rich and famous.”
There is no evidence that the sudden public attack on Lively was the result of the work of Baldoni’s crisis management team.
Rather, as Schiffer put it, Baldoni was “given a gift because of the distraction that arose regarding the former Gossip Girl star.”
“The last thing Justin wants is for that attention to be brought back to him,” he said.
“The rule of thumb is not to change the subject when the other side is self-destructing through poor choices. Just leave it there,” he added.
Balik said the actions Baldoni has already taken have given him the impression of being a down-to-earth person who puts the interests of those who relate to the film first.
Recent social media posts show him talking with his family about what inspired him to pursue acting, and surprising fans at a screening in the US.
Meanwhile, in interviews, he spoke generously about Livly, focusing on “all the women we made this movie with.”
While there’s been a lot of coverage about the fact that Baldoni’s new crisis management team represented Johnny Depp in his high-profile legal battle with Amber Heard, Baruik said what’s probably more relevant is the fact that Baldoni needs a powerhouse to fight on his side, given that Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, “probably have an equally powerful PR team waiting in the wings.”
“Melissa Nathan has worked on controversial cases such as the Johnny Depp trial, but her expertise in the entertainment industry is unparalleled, which is necessary given her direct involvement in the film with one of Hollywood’s most influential couples,” she said.
As for what Baldoni should do next, Schiffer said he just needs to “wait and see how things work out.”
“At the end of the day, Justin’s movie is a success. The spotlight right now is not on him, it’s on Blake and the choices she makes. I would suggest he keep the focus there,” he added.
