PR expert claims Blake Lively’s lawsuit against Justin Baldoni could backfire: ‘Worst move in a crisis’
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A crisis manager has claimed that Blake Lively’s lawsuit against Justin Baldoni could end up hurting her more than her her 'It Ends With Us' director and co-star.
Citing tapes released by Baldoni’s legal team and the actress' own old interviews, where she appeared rude and made uncomfortable jokes during the premiere of the movie, Ulyses Osuna, the owner of Influencer Press, said, “She filed because she believed legal action would signal strength and control over the narrative,” as per NewsNation.
“The problem? It did the exact opposite. In today’s media landscape, legal threats in the PR crisis almost always backfire,” Osuna explained.
Ulyses Osuna slams Blake Lively’s claim of negative stories planted against her
Ulyses Osuna further shared that it is impossible to fool today’s public since “in an age where everything is documented, trying to shift blame when video evidence exists is not a smart move".
"Even if the story was ‘planted,’ the actions were still Blake’s," he added.
“She was still rude in those interviews, she was still promoting her companies when the movie was about domestic violence. Justin Baldoni didn’t do these things,” he asserted.
The entrepreneur mentioned how the ‘Gossip Girl’ star alleged in her complaint that Baldoni “planted" stories to negatively impact her image.
But he argued, “This is the worst possible move in a crisis because it insults the audience. People saw the interviews. They reacted naturally. Suggesting they were manipulated only made them more invested in proving her wrong.”
“Instead of course-correcting, she doubled down with the ‘planted story’ defense, which was essentially a slap in the face to the audience, implying they were too gullible to form their own opinions,” he stated.
Ulyses Osuna believes Blake Lively could end up having ‘career crisis’
Ulyses Osuna now believes that Blake Lively’s action against the ‘Jane the Virgin’ actor could even lead to “credibility and career crisis” for her.
“From the beginning, she should’ve owned up to her mistakes. I don’t know if she’s listening to her PR team but if this is the route her PR team wants her to go then I’m afraid they’re only making it worse for her,” he added.
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In his argument, Osuna did not fully dismiss Lively’s harassment allegation against Baldoni.
But he noted, “They are making so many crucial mistakes. Two things can co-exist. There could’ve been sexual harassment and she could also own up to her mistakes,” before stating, “If she continues to deny pretty much any wrongdoing, it’s going to be hard for people to have her back.”
Ulyses Osuna thinks Blake Lively should not go for trial against Justin Baldoni
Ulyses Osuna also shared a word of advice for the 37-year-old actress.
He told the outlet, “If this goes to trial this will likely cement into something irreversible. The smartest move is to publicly acknowledge the situation, not with a defensive or overly polished PR statement, but with a direct and human response that shows self-awareness.”
“What we’ve seen so far, is a lack of accountability and lack of awareness. Ownership over deflection. Some battles can’t be fought by her team,” he added.
