Blake Lively is bringing in heavy PR reinforcements as her legal battle with It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni escalates. The actress, who is simultaneously suing and being sued in multiple lawsuits, has now enlisted Nick Shapiro, a former CIA deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to ex-director John Brennan, to handle her crisis communications strategy.
Blake Lively in a Wedding Dress in Another Simple Favor – YouTube, Amazon Prime Video
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A member of Lively’s legal team at Willkie Farr & Gallagher confirmed the hiring, stating, “The litigation team for Ms. Lively retained Mr. Shapiro to advise on the legal communications strategy for the ongoing [lawsuit] occurring in the Southern District of New York.”
An Unusual PR Choice Raises Questions
While it’s standard for high-profile figures to seek crisis PR specialists during legal disputes, Lively’s decision to hire a former intelligence official with extensive government experience stands out. Shapiro, who launched 10th Avenue Consulting in 2015 after leaving government service, has handled crises with political and national security implications. His bio lists experience with situations such as the Boston Marathon incident, the Gulf oil spill, the Japan earthquake and Fukushima disaster, and even cybersecurity threats and data breaches.
That background raises a critical question: Why does Blake Lively need a crisis manager with deep government ties for a Hollywood legal battle?
Blake Lively as Lady Deadpool in Deadpool & Wolverine – Disney+
Unlike Shapiro’s previous clients—typically public figures in national security, politics, and large-scale corporate crises—Lively’s case does not appear to involve government affairs. However, her team’s strategy has increasingly focused on controlling the public narrative—a battle they seem to be losing.
Public Sentiment Turns Against Lively as Dislikes on YouTube Skyrocket
Lively’s decision to bring in a crisis PR specialist comes as public sentiment continues to shift against her. The trailer for her latest film, Another Simple Favor, has seen a massive surge in negative reactions since its release.
As of today, the trailer has received 6.8K likes and 11K dislikes. This marks a significant jump from the 6.5K dislikes reported just days ago, suggesting that Lively’s declining public image is directly impacting her latest project.
The dislike ratio for Blake Lively’s film Another Simple Favor as of March 4, 2025 – YouTube, Amazon Prime Video
Making matters worse, Amazon Prime Video has now disabled comments altogether, a move commonly seen when companies try to mitigate public backlash. This signals that the company is in full damage-control mode as negative reactions pile up.
This reaction is especially noteworthy considering that Amazon allowed open discussion for controversial projects like The Rings of Power, which faced substantial criticism but did not see such drastic restrictions. The decision to shield Lively’s project from further scrutiny raises questions about whether studios are stepping in to protect her amid her ongoing legal troubles.
A Web of Lawsuits and Allegations
Lively’s legal battle with Justin Baldoni is already one of the most convoluted Hollywood disputes in recent memory, involving multiple lawsuits, allegations, and counterclaims.
In December 2023 Lively filed a letter with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing Baldoni of misconduct and alleging he orchestrated a media campaign to ruin her reputation.
On New Year’s Eve 2023 Baldoni and nine other plaintiffs, including his crisis PR strategist Melissa Nathan, sued The New York Times for $250 million over what they claim was a coordinated attempt to smear Baldoni.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in the film It Ends With Us – YouTube, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Shortly after that, Lively sued Baldoni and others, claiming they retaliated against her for speaking out. Baldoni then fired back, suing Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, for $400 million, accusing them of civil extortion and defamation.
Lively is also facing a multi-million dollar lawsuit from Texas-based digital entrepreneur Jed Wallace, who alleges that she falsely accused him of running an online campaign against her.
Additionally, Baldoni’s former publicist Stephanie Jones has sued both Baldoni and his crisis PR firm for breach of contract. Jones was the source of text messages that Lively’s legal team is using in their case, raising further questions about who is leaking what and why these messages surfaced before any lawsuit was even filed.
Lively’s Attempts to Control the Narrative
The hiring of Shapiro is only the latest move in what appears to be a broader effort by team Lively to control the PR public perception.
Just last week, her legal team pushed for a protective order to limit what information could be made public in the case. They specifically called out independent content creators, claiming that YouTube and TikTok commentators were unfairly amplifying Baldoni’s side of the story.
Blake Lively in the film It Ends With Us – YouTube, Sony Pictures Entertainment
This move was strikingly similar to Baldoni’s own argument against The New York Times, where he claimed the publication helped Lively control the media narrative against him.
The irony of Lively’s team now complaining about online media coverage has not gone unnoticed. If Baldoni was wrong for alleging that a mainstream outlet unfairly shaped public perception, then why is Lively’s team now making the same argument against independent voices? This is one of the many reasons why Blake Lively needs a PR consultant.
The Bigger Picture: Hollywood and Crisis Management
The hiring of a former intelligence official for a Hollywood PR crisis highlights how high the stakes are in this legal battle. Lively’s reputation is taking a serious hit, and studios are already showing signs of distancing themselves.
Amazon’s unusual decision to block engagement on her movie’s trailer suggests that her image problem is affecting her career beyond just the courtroom.
With multiple lawsuits still unfolding, the damage to Lively’s public standing may only continue to grow—especially if her crisis management efforts continue to backfire.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in the film It Ends With Us – YouTube, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Blake Lively has gone from a beloved Hollywood actress to one of the most controversial PR figures in entertainment in a matter of months.
With her legal team working overtime to control the public narrative, and Amazon making unprecedented moves to shield her latest project from criticism, one thing is clear—this isn’t going away anytime soon.
But can a CIA-connected crisis PR specialist actually repair the damage to Blake Lively and her career? Or has the public already made up its mind? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
