The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson Defamation as a Crisis Strategy: What the Blake Lively–Justin Baldoni Case Reveals
A $400 million defamation lawsuit, a full dismissal from a federal judge, and reputations still in question. This week, we’re breaking down the legal loss—and PR fallout—of It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni’s case against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and their team. Spoiler: no one comes out clean.
This episode goes beyond the legal headline to unpack what really happens when public figures weaponize defamation law to manage backlash. We cover:
- Why most defamation suits fail
- What the law protects—and what it doesn’t
- The reputational risks of suing to “fix” a story
- And what Blake Lively’s post-verdict statement didn’t say out loud
If you’ve ever asked, “Should I sue for defamation?”—this episode is your answer. (And I’ve got a resource for you if you’re still not sure.)
Mentioned in the episode:
- Should You Sue for Defamation? (Fillable Decision Tree for paid subscribers): PRBreakdown.Media
- Social Media Hints At Reasons Behind 'It Ends With Us' Cast Rift, Forbes.com (Aug. 12, 2024) Molly McPherson
If you work in strategy or communication, join Molly on December 17 at 12 PM ET for a 60-minute live media training that breaks down a crisis in real time. RFK Jr is being hit from two sides at once. Now Olivia Nuzzi’s memoir is out, weeks after Tatiana Schlossberg’s essay landed a punch. We'll walk through the headlines, the data, the sentiment, press coverage, then map out what a competent response would actually look like. Click here to attend.
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