Reports of Blake Lively's Demise Post-Defamation Judgment: Conclusive or 'It Depends'

For 17 months, the Blake Lively — Justin Baldoni defamation case was regularly in the news. The coverage, one could argue, was excessive. It put both parties and some people around them, under searing heat of scrutiny.

The case didn’t end as Lively would have liked, as the justice she felt like the merits of the case deserved, didn’t result in legal victory and a sense of vindication. Now, in addition, many quoted experts in major media are saying that her entertainment career is over. The question is, how accurate is that determination?

Absolutes are rare, despite what our thinking often leads us to believe. Yet, sometimes, people certainly do “forever” damage to their professional relationships, careers and what-could-have-been, future opportunities.

Lively was no stranger to criticism before this case and there was a segment of people who saw her legal aggression versus Baldoni as yet another example of poor character, even if the actions were not connected.

What happens now to her and Baldoni and what could they choose to do to give themselves the best odds at restoring or rebuilding trust with critics and doubters?“

The idea that Blake Lively’s career is permanently ruined is an absolutist view that rarely holds true in modern entertainment PR,” says Cyndee Harrison, the principal at Synaptic, a public relations, marketing and crisis communications company.

“But her personal brand has undoubtedly suffered a severe, structural shift that won’t be forgotten.”

She focuses on what’s next for Lively.

“Her long-term recovery dependsentirely on her willingnessto pivot away from the sorts of behaviors and situations that were at the center of this case and focus on avoiding defensive legal maneuvers in the future, leaning into radical accountability and transparency,” Harrison argues.

While Lively reported tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue in her business ventures as a result of her experience with Baldoni and his team, Harrison doesn’t forecast lasting suffering for Lively.

“I think the financial impact, as in many situations like this, is likely to be felt heavily in the short to mid-term,” she says. “Lucky for her, she was operating from a fortified brand position.”

Read the full article at https://reputation.substack.com/p/reports-of-blake-livelys-demise-post