SXSW Moment Not Defamatory, Court Says
Wallace’s team also pointed to an incident at the SXSW festival in Austin, where a local confronted Lively about the controversy, shouting “Blake lies.” They argued that Lively’s silence in response implied guilt — but Judge Ezra disagreed.
“Silence alone doesn’t constitute a defamatory statement,” he wrote, finding the claim insufficient to establish jurisdiction or defamation.
Although the judge acknowledged that Wallace hadn’t conducted extensive discovery, he emphasized that the broader dispute has been litigated for nearly a year across multiple courts, and Wallace’s side had still failed to provide any substantial evidence.
Counsel Lineup
Wallace and Street Relations are represented by Carl C. Butzer, Charles L. Babcock, J. Matthew Dow, Minoo Blaesche, Joel R. Glover, and Cody L. Vaughn of Jackson Walker LLP.
Lively’s defense team includes Laura L. Prather, Catherine L. Robb, Michael J. Lambert, and Reid Pillifant of Haynes and Boone LLP.
As the legal dust settles, one thing is certain — Blake Lively’s victory in Texas adds momentum to her upcoming New York showdown, where the actress will finally tell her side of the story in court.
