Justin Baldoni Exposed As New Text Message Unmasks 'Smear Campaign' On Blake Lively

Justin Baldoni is accused of orchestrating a covert, high-stakes reputation war against Blake Lively, and fresh text messages now make the allegations harder to dismiss.

In court filings, Lively claims that her It Ends With Us co-star and director mounted a 'carefully crafted, coordinated ... retaliatory scheme' to damage her reputation.

She says Baldoni, along with his public relations operatives, planned social-media strategies, online theory threads, and press stories to 'bury' her if she ever spoke out.

Texts Reveal Smear Machinery In Action

At the core of Lively's lawsuit are alleged messages between Baldoni and his crisis-management team, in particular from Melissa Nathan, a seasoned publicist who has handled reputational damage for high-profile clients.

In one exchange cited in legal documents, Nathan advises: 'start threads of theories ... this is the way to be fully ... 100% protected.' In another, she is allegedly quoted as saying: 'You know we can bury anyone.'

According to Lively's attorneys, these aren't throwaway remarks. They reflect a 'sophisticated, coordinated, and well-financed retaliation plan' orchestrated by Baldoni's camp.

The crisis-management strategy purportedly involved hiring contractors to take down social accounts, managing a full Reddit presence, and planting narratives to manipulate public opinion.

Intimate, Troubling Exchanges On Set

Beyond PR scheming, Lively's complaint includes deeply personal text messages between her and Baldoni. In one June 2023 message, Lively writes: 'I'm just pumping in my trailer if you want to work out our lines.'

According to her side, the texts support her claim that despite her discomfort, Baldoni crossed professional and personal boundaries; he allegedly entered her trailer unannounced and pressured her on sexual matters.

Other communications suggest Baldoni was deeply insecure: in an earlier group chat, he allegedly wrote, 'How can we say somehow that we are not doing any of this — it looks like we are trying to take her down.'

He also appears to have expressed anxiety to his PR team about planting stories, saying he needed to 'monitor' media coverage.

Fallout, Legal Escalation, and Public Pressure

The legal battle has spiralled into a full-blown PR war. Lively filed her complaint with the California Civil Rights Department first. Baldoni responded with a defamation lawsuit of his own, including an amended complaint, a 168-page document, and a public timeline of events.

He also launched a dedicated website to share court exhibits, texts, and his version of events. In a particularly dramatic twist, Baldoni sued his former publicist, Stephanie Jones, accusing her of leaking private messages that became central to Lively's case. Jones, however, has countered with her own lawsuit.

The wider entertainment industry is watching closely. Lively has earned public support, notably from It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover. Meanwhile, independent voices—including a well-known journalist named in the suit—deny any involvement in a coordinated campaign and claim they acted independently.

If Lively's version holds up in court, these newly exposed texts could be seismic. They suggest that Baldoni's team did more than defend his reputation; that they actively planned to destroy hers using social-media manipulation, media planting, and online narratives.

Moreover, the court of public opinion may bear as much consequence as any legal outcome. With private texts now public, Baldoni's carefully crafted image as a thoughtful director and actor is under intense scrutiny.