Amber Heard has entered the fray amid Blake Lively's explosive allegations against her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni. In a statement to NBC News,Heard shared her perspective on the perils of social media manipulation, comparing Lively's claims to her own experiences during her highly publicized defamation trial with Johnny Depp.
"Social media is the absolute personification of the saying, 'A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on,'" Heard stated. "I saw this firsthand and up close. It's as horrifying as it is destructive."
Blake Lively filed a legal complaint accusing Baldoni of orchestrating a smear campaign to undermine her reputation, allegedly using crisis PR tactics to shift public perception. Among the shocking accusations, Lively claimed Baldoni displayed explicit content and made inappropriate remarks about her weight during the film's production. Baldoni has firmly denied the allegations, labeling them "categorically false."
Echoes of Amber Heard's own legal struggles
For Heard, the unfolding feud strikes a familiar chord. During her defamation trial with Johnny Depp in 2022, she faced relentless online backlash. The verdict awarded Depp $15 million in damages, while Heard received $2 million in her counterclaim.
Heard has since relocated to Spain with her 3-year-old daughter, Oonagh, and is reportedly expecting her second child. Reflecting on the ordeal, she remarked in 2022 that the outcome of her trial "sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up could be publicly shamed and humiliated."
Hollywood's latest PR battle intensifies
The controversy between Lively and Baldoni has rocked Hollywood, with both stars drawing intense public scrutiny. Lively accused Baldoni's crisis PR team of engaging in "social manipulation" to downplay their on-set tensions. Meanwhile, Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, fired back, claiming Lively's own PR strategy relied on distasteful tactics and lacked critical context.
Freedman described the allegations as "shameful" and accused Lively of orchestrating her own media manipulation to gain public sympathy. Following the accusations, Baldoni was dropped by his talent agency, further fueling the narrative of a spiraling Hollywood scandal.
As the feud escalates, Amber Heard's input highlights the dangerous intersection of social media, reputation management, and public perception in today's celebrity landscape. All eyes remain on Lively and Baldoni as the drama continues to unfold.