Amber Heard has backed Blake Lively in her lawsuit against co-star Justin Baldoni.
Heard has released a statement following news of Blake Lively filing a lawsuit against her It Ends With Us co-star, Justin Baldoni.
The controversy intensified after it emerged that Justin had enlisted the same high-profile PR crisis manager previously hired by Amber’s ex-husband, Johnny Depp, during his defamation trial against her.
In an exclusive statement to NBC News, Amber described the situation as both “horrifying” and “destructive.”
Blake Lively, who starred in this year’s film adaptation of It Ends With Us, filed the lawsuit on Friday, December 20. Her allegations against Justin include claims of “sexual harassment” and accusations that he orchestrated a campaign to “destroy” her reputation. Justin has denied the accusations.
Speaking to NBC News, Amber reflected on how social media can exacerbate such situations. She said:
“Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying, ‘A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on.’”
Drawing on her own experience during the highly publicized defamation trial against Johnny Depp, Amber added:
“I saw this firsthand and up close. It’s as horrifying as it is destructive.”
The New York Times reported on messages allegedly exchanged between Justin and his PR team, The Agency Group PR. In one of the messages, a crisis management expert purportedly advised Justin:
“You know we can bury anyone.”
However, a representative from The Agency Group has denied accusations of coordinating a smear campaign against Blake. In a statement, they dismissed the claims, asserting that social media turned against Blake without their involvement:
“What the cherry-picked messages don’t include, although not shockingly as it doesn’t fit the narrative, is that there was no ‘smear’ implemented. No negative press was ever facilitated, no social combat plan. Although we were prepared for it as it’s our job to be ready for any scenario, we didn’t have to implement anything because the internet was doing the work for us.”
Blake’s lawsuit also pointed out Justin’s decision to hire the same crisis manager Depp had used, alleging that the agency had intended to execute a “retaliatory social manipulation campaign” against her during the production of It Ends With Us.
Sony Pictures has since issued a statement supporting Blake. It reads:
“We have previously expressed our support for Blake in connection with her work on and for the film. We fully and firmly reiterate that support today. Further, we strongly condemn any reputational attacks on her. Any such attacks have no place in our business or in a civil society.”
Author Colleen Hoover, who wrote It Ends With Us, also voiced her support for Blake via Instagram. Sharing a statement written by Blake’s friends, Hoover commended Blake’s resilience, writing:
“Her ability to refuse to sit down and ‘be buried’ is nothing short of inspiring.”
