Blake Lively Reportedly Believes 'She Screwed Up' but Does Not Understand Why She Was Exiled Now

Blake Lively has reportedly ended her more-than-two-decade relationship with publicist Leslie Sloane after her legal battle with Justin Baldoni. Page Six later reported that Lively had signed with Kelly Bush Novak, the chief executive of public-relations firm ID.

The split was first reported on 29 September, citing three sources. Neither Lively nor Sloane has publicly explained the decision. The change was reported after Lively and Baldoni settled their legal dispute in May.

Blake Lively's Publicist Change Follows Legal Dispute

The reported change came after Lively's highly publicised dispute with Baldoni, her co-star and director on It Ends With Us.

In December 2024, Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and alleged that he orchestrated a retaliatory smear campaign after she raised concerns about his conduct. Baldoni denied the allegations.

Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, later filed a $400 million (£302.6 million) lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, Sloane and others. The lawsuit alleged defamation, extortion and other wrongdoing.

U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios' lawsuit on 9 June 2025. The claims included allegations against Lively, Reynolds, Sloane and Vision PR, the public-relations company founded by Sloane.

Baldoni's separate defamation lawsuit against The New York Times was also dismissed. Those rulings did not establish the truth or falsity of every disputed allegation in the wider conflict.

Lively's own lawsuit was narrowed in April 2026. On 2 April, Judge Liman dismissed 10 of 13 claims, including her sexual-harassment claims, while allowing retaliation-related claims and other allegations to proceed.

The ruling was not a finding that the alleged conduct did not occur. Lively's lawyers argued that the sexual-harassment claims were dismissed in part because she was treated as an independent contractor rather than an employee.

Lively and Baldoni reached a settlement on 4 May 2026, shortly before the planned trial. The terms were not disclosed, and the parties' joint statement did not disclose a financial payment.

It was later reported that the litigation generated approximately $60 million (£45.4 million) in combined legal fees. That figure is a reported estimate, not an official court finding.

On 26 August, Judge Liman ordered Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios to pay Lively about $407,000 (£307,000) in attorneys' fees and costs connected to Baldoni's dismissed defamation claim. The award included approximately $363,000 (£274,600) in legal fees and $44,000 (£33,300) in costs.

That award was separate from the settlement.

Sloane began working with Lively while she was at Baker Winokur Ryder. She founded Vision PR in 2014, and Lively followed her to the new company. Sloane and Vision PR were later named as defendants in Baldoni's lawsuit.

On 30 September, Lively signed with Kelly Bush Novak, the chief executive and founder of ID. The move indicates that Lively has secured new public-relations representation, although the reason for the change remains unclear.

Taylor Swift Claims Remain Unverified

The reported professional split comes amid separate reports of strain between Lively and Taylor Swift.

Private messages released during the Baldoni litigation indicated that the dispute had created some distance between the longtime friends. However, the messages do not establish the full state of their relationship or explain whether the friendship has ended.

Lively and Reynolds were absent from Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding at Madison Square Garden in New York City on 3 July 2026. The couple did not attend the wedding or the rehearsal dinner held the previous evening.

Their absence prompted renewed speculation because Lively and Swift had previously been regarded as close friends. It does not, by itself, establish a falling-out.

Neither Swift nor Lively has publicly provided a full account of their current relationship.

A 29 September report claimed that Lively still hopes the friendship can eventually be repaired. The report relied on an unnamed source and has not been independently confirmed by either woman.

The source claimed that Lively continues to follow Swift's activities and believes their relationship could eventually be restored. Another claim attributed to the source was that Lively accepts she made mistakes but does not understand why the consequences became so severe.

Those statements concern Lively's alleged private feelings and should be treated as unverified. Swift has not publicly said that she misses Lively, and there is no confirmed explanation for the reported distance between them.

The latest confirmed developments are Lively's reported split from Sloane and her subsequent move to Novak's ID. The claims about her hopes of reconciling with Swift remain based on anonymous-source reporting.