For the second time in less than six months, Blake Lively‘s legal action against a self-declared social media “hired gun” allegedly hired by Justin Baldoni‘s team to assist an online smear campaign against the It Ends With Us star has been tossed out over geography.
Specifically, as he did in July, Judge Lewis Liman once again sees no significant New York connection to Texas-based Jed Wallace and his Street Relations business to justify a pursuit of Lively’s second amended complaint in an Empire State court. “The Wallace Defendants’ motion to dismiss the Second Amended Complaint for lack of personal jurisdiction is GRANTED,” ruled Judge Liman Wednesday in the seemingly never ending battle between Livley and Baldoni over sexual harassment and retaliation claims from IEWU.
However, NYC-based Lively’s defamation and other claims against Wallace could live to fight another day — in the Lone Star state. “The Second Amended Complaint is DISMISSED as to the Wallace Defendants without prejudice to refiling in a court that has personal jurisdiction,” Judge Liman added, pointing pretty directly at Texas.
In her initial filing and SAC, Lively claimed that Wallace was brought on board by Baldoni flacks Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel because he engages in “untraceable” campaigns across social media platforms. Such campaigns, according to Lively and her lawyers, were used to “weaponize a digital army” to “create, seed, manipulate and advance disparaging content” slagging Lively in a preemptive move against teh actress going public with her allegations against Baldoni. Wallace himself filed a defamation lawsuit against Lively earlier this year.
Still, today, as Lively and Baldoni head toward trial starting in March 2026, the potential legal ramifications of the role of Wallace in any apparent digital attacks on the Another Simple Favor actress in the summer of 2024, is a win by any other name in Team Blake’s POV.
“The Court’s decision today was only about where Jed Wallace can be sued,” a Lively spokesperson told Deadline Wednesday after the order was posted in the federal docket. “The Court ruled that Ms. Lively’s claims against him can and should be brought in a different court. Ms. Lively is evaluating her many options for doing so.” They added of the larger case against Baldoni his Wayfarer Studios executives and PR team: “This has no impact on her case against Baldoni, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, Abel, Wayfarer, and The Agency Group, who she will see in court in New York at the March trial.”
As has proven the case so many times in this often bitter and brittle matter, the other side see things very differently.
“We are grateful for the Court’s order today, making clear that the claims against Mr. Wallace never belonged in this court, said lead Baldoni lawyer and Jed Wallace attorney Bryan Freedman today. “Allegations that he participated in any smear campaign are unsupported, and all claims against him have been dismissed by this court. The other defendants look forward to their day in court when they will show there is no merit to Ms. Lively’s claims against them.”
Coming nearly a year and a half after Lively first filed claims against Wayfarer Studios co-founder Baldoni with the California Civil Rights department last December, that day in court will be coming on March 9, 2026 to be specific. And, if the past several months are any indication, that star-studded trial will be happening as there seems no appetite or inclination on either side to settle – even with Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit dismissed back in June.
