Introduction

History is always bound to repeat itself. However, it is the parallels between where we can draw the line. It is an irrevocable fact that we are in a time of a large political shift with the recent inauguration. Yet our focus seems to remain on two of Hollywood’s brightest stars, power couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. The couple are currently faced with a lawsuit from “It Ends With Us” director, Justin Baldoni.

Both circumstances eerily mirror a familiar parallel back in June 2022, especially with Baldoni’s hiring of PR professional, Melissa Nathan, who previously represented Johnny Depp during his legal battle against Amber Heard).

Though these situations are not the same, they are similar. This begs the question, ‘What are the ramifications of high-profile lawsuits on the public’?

Background

During the summer, rumors began to circle about an ongoing feud between Lively and Baldoni. Netizens, or active participants in the online community of the Internet, were quick to notice that two of the film’s largest contributors were separate during the press tour. The trending topic soon drew the attention of major news outlets like TMZ where allegations were raised against Baldoni for being inappropriate with Blake during filming. In one particular article, a source told TMZ that, “Justin lifts Blake into the air…[who] has a history of back problems and…asked how much she weighed…Blake later found out about Justin’s comment and felt he fat-shamed her” (TMZ).

On Dec. 20, 2024, Lively filed an 80-page complaint against Wayferer Studios LLC, which was founded by Baldoni and Jamie Health. The New York Times published the complaint on Dec. 21, 2024 .The complaint included allegations of sexual harassment and allegations regarding how Baldoni’s team orchestrated a smear campaign against Lively. A week later, Entertainment Weekly reports that Lively formally sued Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and his public relations team on Dec. 31, 2024.

In response to the allegations, Baldoni filed a lawsuit against the New York Times in December 2024 and a countersuit against Lively in January 2025.

The court has not set a date at this time. 

Precedent

The internet is no stranger to high-profile court cases. The court of public opinion has always been an important factor. This can especially be seen when Baldoni’s team released footage of a cut dance scene from “It Ends With Us” on Jan. 21, 2025.

From Depp v. Heard to other celebrity court cases, it is undeniable that the public plays a crucial role in defining the public image of these stars. Unfortunately, mainstream media does not help with this addiction to deep-diving into people’s personal lives. To others, people forget that celebrities are human as well, crossing boundaries to satisfy their need for answers.

Cultural Effects

There’s no surprise why people engage with celebrity or high-profile legal issues.. These issues offer a glimpse inside the life of a celebrity, engage in their humanity and see their vulnerabilities. However, what are the effects of engaging with this content? 

Pros

1. These issues shed light on important issues in Hollywood. Specifically, the importance of intimacy coordinators, clearly drawn lines and sexual harassment occurring in the industry. In an article released by Deadline in December 2024, the director of “Babygirl” praised the importance of an intimacy coordinator to prevent misunderstandings and promote safety.
2. Drawing attention to these lawsuits helps educate the public on legal issues that may affect their own lives. Since the shooting of United Healthcare CEO, Brian Thomas, a larger conversation about healthcare has begun, with healthcare executives taking a moment of pause to understand their frustrations.

Cons

1. Important issues get buried by sensational headlines. According to the Independent, The Depp v. Heard trial received more online attention than the fight for abortion rights. In that article, the Independent notes, “According to data from NewsWhip, a social media monitoring company, published by Axios on Tuesday (17 May), news articles about the defamation trial have generated more interactions on social media than articles about the Supreme Court and reproductive rights”.
2. The court of public opinion plays a significant role during trials. During criminal trials, it is important to have an unbiased and impartial group of jurors. However, this process becomes increasingly more difficult when a celebrity becomes involved. Celebrities attract media attention, which makes the juror search difficult. As noted by the McCready Law Group, “In California, where high-profile cases attract widespread media coverage, these challenges are common for attorneys striving to uphold fair trials. The voir dire process, combined with change-of-venue requests, underscores the lengths to which the legal system must go to mitigate the impact of public opinion and facilitate a defendant’s right to an impartial jury”.

Closing

Here’s the point, if we want to engage in drama like this, we need to remember to equally draw our attention to other issues within our world as well. We do not need to focus on a single topic at a time, we must not sweep other important issues under the rug in favor of a more digestible story. Ask yourself, what is the real story, what is the bigger picture and when is it time to put your focus elsewhere.