Movies

Blake Lively Hires Top CIA Officer to Handle Legal Crisis with Justin Baldoni

BBG News

Blake Lively has enlisted Nick Shapiro, a previous deputy chief of staff at the CIA, to take on the role of her crisis management for public relations in light of her intensifying legal dispute with Justin Baldoni.

As a die-hard fan, I can’t help but share this heart-wrenching news: My beloved actress, now 37 years old, has bravely decided to take legal action against her ex-costar from “It Ends with Us”, who is now 41. The reason for her suit? She alleges sexual harassment and retaliation – a truly disheartening turn of events in our shared fandom world.

In her legal complaint, the former Gossip Girl actress alleged that Baldoni had subjected her to sexual harassment through various means such as inappropriate and unwanted physical contact, along with disparaging comments about her body. Additionally, she claimed that he orchestrated a malicious campaign to tarnish her reputation.

Since then, Baldoni has filed a lawsuit against the Gossip Girl star and her husband Ryan Reynolds, worth $400 million, accusing them of attempting to harm his reputation. Additionally, he has also sued the New York Times for $250 million due to alleged defamation.

Last Friday, a representative from Willkie Farr & Gallagher announced to Variety that they had hired Mr. Shapiro to provide counsel on the strategic communication of the legal proceedings related to the sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Lively, which is currently being heard in the Southern District of New York.

Shapiro boasts over twenty years of experience in managing crises, serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Director at the CIA.

He has also worked in the White House as a Senior Counterterrorism and Homeland Security Aide on the National Security Council and was a National Security Spokesperson for President Obama.

As a committed collaborator within the federal administration during President Obama’s tenure, I played a significant role in orchestrating our collective responses to crises such as the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, the Boston Marathon explosions, multiple cyber threats, and an array of natural calamities.

Shapiro launched his crisis PR firm 10th Avenue Consulting in 2015. 

Last year in 2020, I found myself under scrutiny following my participation in a joint statement with 51 other seasoned intelligence veterans. This statement suggested that the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop bore strong resemblance to a typical Russian disinformation tactic.

Four months prior to Lively’s lawsuit, Baldoni had already retained a crisis PR firm for himself in August.

He brought on board Melissa Nathan, a well-recognized PR crisis manager (who notably represented Johnny Depp in the defamation case against his former spouse, Amber Heard), to seek assistance.

In June, Nathan established his company known as The Agency Group, with an impressive roster of first-time clients such as Johnny Depp, Drake, The Chainsmokers, Logan Paul, among others.

The Agency Group is based in Los Angeles and New York, with a satellite office in Washington, DC.

Previously, Nathan was employed with the crisis management expert, Matthew Hiltzik, at his Hiltzik Strategies firm.

In that location, she stood for Johnny Depp during his defamation case against Amber Heard. However, when news broke about her joining a new law firm, the contentious actor decided to switch representation and join her team instead.

Read More

2025-02-28 21:33

Previous post Michelle Trachtenberg’s cause of death undetermined, family objects to autopsy
Next post Clash Royale Deck Archetypes: Introduction, Types, Strategies, and more