Posts analyzing the potential use of PR tactics in high-profile cases have amassed millions of views online.
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| Amber Heard, Blake Lively, Angelina Jolie and Sophie Turner. |
Jan. 3, 2025, 4:45 AM GMT+6
Blake Lively’s recent allegations of a coordinated smear campaign to damage her reputation have sparked widespread discussion about the power of public relations and its influence on public perception, particularly when it comes to women caught in high-profile controversies.
In a bombshell civil rights complaint, Lively accused her co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, of repeated sexual harassment during the filming of It Ends With Us. She further claimed that Baldoni used a crisis publicity team to portray her as difficult to work with and insensitive to the film’s central theme of domestic violence. Baldoni’s legal team has denied the allegations and filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, which first reported Lively’s accusations. The suit contends that there was no smear campaign and argues that the Times omitted important context in its reporting.
In response, The New York Times has vowed to “vigorously defend” itself, asserting that Baldoni and his representatives have failed to identify any errors in the article. Hours after Baldoni filed his lawsuit, Lively filed her own legal action in New York, reiterating her sexual harassment claims and accusations of a smear campaign.
The case has captured the public’s attention, especially because it has exposed the inner workings of Hollywood’s PR machine. Molly McPherson, a crisis communications expert with over 560,000 TikTok followers, noted that the public is becoming increasingly aware of how PR efforts craft narratives and personas. “What’s changing is that people are starting to see how manufactured these stories and images are,” she said. “I think it’s going to lead to a loss of trust in the PR industry.”
This shift in perception is evident among social media users, many of whom have reevaluated how PR strategies can shape their views of celebrities. Deborah Hollingsworth, a 45-year-old educator from North Carolina, recalled how she was bombarded with social media content criticizing Lively during the It Ends With Us press campaign. “Before I even knew what the movie was about, it was like, ‘Blake Lively is in it, and she sucks,’” she said. But after reading the New York Times piece, Hollingsworth changed her opinion, telling her husband, “The whole thing was a setup.”
The controversy has also led to comparisons between Lively’s experience and those of other women in the public eye, such as Amber Heard, Megan Thee Stallion, and Angelina Jolie. These women have faced intense scrutiny in recent years, often surrounding issues like domestic violence, harassment, and their relationships with powerful men. Many of these attacks, amplified by PR teams, social media influencers, and online users, have included negative viral content and misinformation.
Social media platforms like TikTok, Reddit, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) have become battlegrounds where the role of PR and content creators in shaping celebrity narratives is hotly debated. One viral post on X, which has gained over 800,000 views, links the smear campaigns against both Amber Heard and Blake Lively, highlighting the involvement of the same PR firm. Other women in the entertainment industry, such as Abigail Breslin and Kate Beckinsale, have come forward to support Lively and share their own experiences with on-set harassment and retaliation.
Crisis communications expert Chris Harihar noted that the PR tactics used in the Lively-Baldoni case are not only a symptom of Hollywood’s PR culture but also reflect broader trends on social media, where women in power are often demonized. “The narrative works because it fits into a larger pattern of how women are vilified online,” he explained. However, he also acknowledged that public opinion is often fleeting. “People have short memories. They retreat back to bad behavior.”
As the case progresses, Lively’s reputation remains in flux. Following Baldoni’s lawsuit against the Times, many social media posts shifted in Baldoni’s favor. McPherson noted that “people are still wary of Blake Lively,” partly due to her previous controversies, such as the backlash over her 2020 choice of a wedding venue on a former slave plantation. Some critics also disapprove of Lively promoting her business ventures alongside her film, even if they support her harassment allegations.
For McPherson, the lasting impact of the Lively case may lie in how it exposes the "backroom tactics" of crisis publicists, which could veer into unethical territory. Baldoni’s former publicist, who filed a lawsuit against him and his team, has accused them of manipulation and contract breaches.
TikTok creator KJ Miller, whose video on Lively’s It Ends With Us press tour went viral, expressed regret over her role in spreading potentially orchestrated content. “Was I part of a much bigger chess game?” she wondered in a video with nearly 4 million views. “I thought I was making that video organically, but now I’m not so sure.”
Experts suggest that factors like a celebrity’s prior reputation, the size of their fan base, and biases against marginalized groups can shape how the public perceives these controversies. Adrienne Lawrence, a former litigator and workplace consultant, pointed out that stereotypes about gender, race, and sexuality are often weaponized in smear campaigns. “Women are often labeled as manipulative or overly ambitious when they assert boundaries or seek accountability,” she said. “It plays into a long-standing trope that punishes women for asserting power in professional settings.”
The broader public’s reactions to celebrity controversies have evolved in recent years. In 2023, Sophie Turner appeared to win the PR battle during her divorce from Joe Jonas by staying silent in the face of negative media stories. Meanwhile, women like Angelina Jolie and Evan Rachel Wood have faced similar smear campaigns to Amber Heard, further highlighting the ongoing challenges women face in the public eye.
Reflecting on the Lively case, Hollingsworth said, “Reading about this, I now question how much I’ve been influenced by PR in the past. I hope I’ve learned something from this.”
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