It Ends With Us? More like the headline that never ends

When the media frenzy surrounding Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni erupted last August, it initially seemed like just another celebrity feud. As I dug deeper, I realised this wasn’t the case. It was a masterclass in reputation management – or mismanagement – and very much in my wheelhouse.

Then in late December, PR itself became part of the story when Lively filed a lawsuit accusing Baldoni of using PR as a weapon to discredit her, as well as “repeated sexual harassment and disturbing behaviour” on set.

While this lawsuit has certainly made headlines, it’s the glimpse behind the curtain at the PR machine that has made this story so salacious. Ironically, with lawsuits flying and public scrutiny mounting, each camp still has that same PR machine and chicanery working overtime to rebuild what is left of their reputations by pulling each other down.

We still haven’t heard directly from Blake Lively or Justin Baldoni. This entire saga has been based on chicanery, PR calculations and miscalculations by Baldoni and his publicist and crisis comms specialists, and Hollywood power couple, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds and their shared PR representative.

Credit: Sony Pictures

These PR strategies in the coming months will be pivotal in determining who wins the battle for public opinion – the court that never adjourns.

Where it all went wrong

From a PR standpoint, many of the damage-control moves that could have mitigated the fallout needed to happen long before this feud hit the headlines. When trouble began brewing last August, Baldoni’s decision to hire a high-profile crisis communications expert – known for handling messy celebrity cases – only amplified the drama.

The public perception of this is simple: If you’ve brought in a fixer, there must be a big mess to fix. Because we knew that he had hired someone (we never should have known), the act itself backfired, especially when social media outcry and negative stories about Lively started surfacing soon after. This is what Lively alleges is a “concerted effort to smear her name.”

For Baldoni, the consequences have been swift and severe. Within weeks, his podcast co-host Liz Plank exited their show, his talent agency WME dropped him, and he lost the Vital Voices Award, an honour recognising his advocacy on women’s issues.

First and foremost, Baldoni’s PR response needs to address these losses head-on rather than making comments through his lawyer, as he has done so far. Filing legal action is a start – even if something is disproved, the fact that it was accused is remembered, and that goes for both sides. But he must also follow through decisively, leaving no room for ambiguity or damaging assumptions. A clear, comprehensive statement laying out his timeline of events and correcting what he claims is misinformation is essential. Once that’s done, he needs to pivot back to the larger issues he’s known for championing.

Credit: Sony Pictures

What he absolutely cannot afford to do is engage in petty back-and-forths. The “it was her, not me” narrative mimics the sounds that come from the back seat of my car when I have over-tired children fighting on a road trip. It doesn’t build likeability and credibility, and it certainly doesn’t promote an image of maturity or trustworthiness.

Lively, meanwhile, faces a different set of challenges. Her legal complaint contains thousands of pages of evidence against Baldoni, including text messages and emails. This carefully curated disclosure is part of a strategic effort to position her as the credible party after months of quietly living in reputational ruin.

Her team have worked with New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor (of She Said and #MeToo fame) to highlight her claims in the publication’s investigative story on Baldoni. This was a smart move, as it aligns herself with the wider movement against sexual misconduct in Hollywood. However, she must tread carefully. So far she appears to prioritise her impacted reputation over the seriousness of her allegations and so she risks alienating audiences.

So far, all of Lively’s PR efforts have been made behind the scenes. She’s had former co-stars come to her defence in the media and strategically timed Ryan Reynolds interviews. She hasn’t come out and addressed the allegations or issues personally, and I doubt she will until all of this is settled and squared away. This is a good thing; overly staged emotional TV interviews are risky and could easily take attention away from the seriousness of her claims. This is especially so when she snubbed many opportunities during the film’s promotion to speak substantively or even seriously about the mistreatment of women (the subject of the film).

Instead, she’s making the smart decision to allow the evidence and credible voices to speak for her. By shifting the narrative from “he said, she said” to the broader issue of workplace harassment, she can elevate the conversation and distance herself from the tabloid drama.

The bigger picture

The real missed opportunity in this mess is for It Ends With Us to spark meaningful conversations about intimate partner violence, the central theme of the film. The irony is almost unbearable.

Both Lively and Baldoni could have used their platforms to spotlight this issue, but their credibility in this arena has taken a hit. During the movie’s promotion, audiences were disappointed by Lively’s obvious reluctance to address domestic violence, a decision reportedly driven by the studio’s PR strategy to focus on the film’s “uplifting” aspects. This wasn’t helped by her decision to promote her new hair care line at the same time.

Baldoni, sensing the backlash, allegedly used this to his advantage, pivoting to highlighting survivors’ stories in his interviews. While this earned him kudos initially, the current allegations against him well and truly cast a shadow over his previous advocacy.

For Lively and Baldoni to regain trust, they must convincingly redirect the conversation to the film’s core message. Whether or not either party can do that given the obstacles in their way is another story.

The road to redemption

At this point, neither Lively nor Baldoni can rely solely on legal outcomes to restore their reputations. The court of public opinion – capricious, emotional, and swayed by narrative over facts – will deliver its verdict long before any judge does.

Baldoni’s path forward hinges on clarity and consistency. He must address the allegations head-on, provide evidence to back his claims, and then shift focus to rebuilding his image as an advocate for meaningful causes. Petty squabbles and vague denials won’t cut it.

Lively, on the other hand, needs to continue her efforts out of the spotlight – at least temporarily. Letting trusted third parties and hard evidence carry the weight of her allegations will lend her claims more credibility. From there, she can quietly but effectively champion the broader issues her case raises, positioning herself as part of the solution rather than the drama.

Ultimately, this saga serves as a cautionary tale for anyone navigating public life. Reputation is a fragile thing, easily tarnished and painstakingly rebuilt. The best PR strategies are proactive, not reactive, and rooted in authenticity. For Lively and Baldoni, the road to redemption is long, but not impossible – if they’re willing to learn from their mistakes and focus on the bigger picture.

Because in Hollywood, as in life, it’s not just about how the story starts – it’s about how it ends.

Phoebe Netto is founder and managing director of Pure Public Relations