In a dramatic courtroom twist that could rival one of her film scripts, Blake Lively scored a major legal victory this week. A Texas federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by PR consultant Jed Wallace and his firm, Street Relations Inc., accusing the actress of wrongfully implicating him in her sexual harassment claims against It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni.
The ruling effectively clears all active suits brought against Lively by Baldoni’s circle — at least for now.
U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra dismissed the case without prejudice, citing a lack of personal jurisdiction. The court, he ruled, had no authority to hear the matter because Wallace failed to provide any evidence establishing jurisdiction.
“It is plaintiffs’ burden to establish personal jurisdiction … and they have failed to present any recognized method of discovery,” Ezra wrote, declining to evaluate the merits of the case.
Lively’s Legal Streak Continues
A spokesperson for Lively called the decision a clean sweep.
“All retaliatory lawsuits filed against Blake Lively by Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their PR and digital teams have now been dismissed,” they said, adding that Lively “will have her day in court on her own claims this March in New York.”
But Wallace’s attorney, Chip Babcock of Jackson Walker LLP, expressed disappointment, insisting that Lively was the first to bring her claims in Texas and vowing to explore appellate options.
