Amber Heard calls social media "horrifying" in response to Blake Lively's harassment lawsuit

WASHINGTON: Amber Heard has spoken out following the bombshell allegations made by actress Blake Lively against Justin Baldoni, her co-star and director on 'It Ends With Us'.

Lively's complaint accuses Baldoni of sexual harassment and engaging in a coordinated effort to smear her reputation. Heard, who has long been familiar with the public scrutiny of high-profile legal battles, reacted to the allegations with a personal statement that sheds light on her own experiences with media manipulation.

In her statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, the 37-year-old actress, who now resides in Spain, commented on the challenges of public perception, especially when it comes to the power of social media.

"Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying 'A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on.' I saw this firsthand and up close. It's as horrifying as it is destructive," Heard shared, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

Her comments echo sentiments she expressed during her own defamation trial against ex-husband Johnny Depp, where the media played a pivotal role in shaping public opinion.

In 2023, Justin Baldoni hired crisis PR expert Melissa Nathan, who had previously been employed by Depp's legal team during his defamation case against Heard. Nathan, who worked for Hiltzik Strategies during Depp's trial, left the company in October 2023 to start her own firm, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

Lively's lawsuit, filed in late December, outlines an alleged "social manipulation" campaign orchestrated by Baldoni's team to damage her reputation after she accused him of harassment on the 'It Ends With Us' set. According to the complaint statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Baldoni and his publicist, Melissa Nathan, had discussed strategies to "bury" Lively.

In one of the text exchanges, Nathan allegedly responded, "We can't write we will destroy her," referencing efforts to discredit the actress, as per The Hollywood Reporter. Lively's accusations include disturbing allegations of Baldoni making inappropriate comments and displaying nude videos or images of women during filming. She also claims that Baldoni discussed his alleged pornography addiction, and sexual experiences, and made inappropriate comments about her weight. She demanded these actions stop in a meeting attended by Baldoni, members of the crew, and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds.

In a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Lively expressed hope that her legal action would help expose the "sinister retaliatory tactics" used to target individuals who speak out against misconduct. "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted," she said, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

Justin Baldoni, through his attorney Bryan Freedman, has strongly denied Lively's allegations, calling them "serious and categorically false." Freedman argued that Lively's claims were an attempt to fix her negative reputation, which he believes was formed organically through her actions during press interviews and the promotional campaign for the film.

"TAG PR must be the most powerful group of publicists the world has ever seen for it to be able to completely change the perception of both Amber Heard and Blake Lively," Freedman stated, referring to the crisis PR teams involved, as per The Hollywood Reporter. He further criticized the public nature of the actresses' interviews, claiming that the public had already formed their opinions based on the information available.

The controversy took another turn when WME, a major talent agency, dropped Baldoni as a client following the news of Lively's complaint. WME also represents both Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.