Blake Lively is working on her comeback plan — and it is likely the very reason she settled!
As Perezcious readers know, Blake’s It Ends With Us lawsuit against Justin Baldoni was wrapped up just weeks before they were supposed to go to trial. It was a strategic move that likely saved her reputation from even more damage. Megan Thomas, a New York-based lawyer who didn’t work on the case, told Radar Online on Thursday that ending the case before trial was probably done to protect private emails and texts involving high-profile stars from leaking. She added:
“Often, parties settle because they know that both sides have a strong case. … They enter into a settlement agreement to try to mitigate those concerns and not try them in the public eye.”
Blake’s already had enough private messages made public in this battle, including from Taylor Swift! She didn’t need more of that!!
Related: Justin Baldoni Considering It Ends With Us Sequel
As others have reported, too, insiders believe Ryan Reynolds was the driving force of the settlement, one explained:
“Ryan saw the full picture early. He knew the longer this dragged on, the more it would erode everything — her career, her reputation, even their closest relationships.”
Now, the Gossip Girl star has the challenging task of returning to the spotlight and convincing others to work with her again. She’s already stepped out a few times, including at the Met Gala on the day of her settlement news. Trying to act like nothing’s happened, clearly!
It’s hard to know how Hollywood will or won’t react to her these days, but one industry exec thinks she has a better chance of bouncing back than Baldoni:
“Lively and Baldoni both did major damage, but because she’s so established, I think she stands a chance of reemerging better than he does. I would struggle to hire both of them — but I would gamble on her.”
As for how she plans to rewrite her narrative, sources told Rob Shuter‘s Naughty But Nice Substack that Blake’s been selectively attending intimate and controlled events with approved photographers and limited press only. She doesn’t want to have to deal with any unexpected questions! One source explained:
“Blake knows exactly how powerful a perfect photograph can be. A stunning image creates conversation without creating risk. Photos don’t ask difficult follow-ups.”
This was very obvious at the Met Gala, where she posed for pictures and did a few casual interviews that lacked hard-hitting questions, another source shared:
“The mission is very deliberate. They want audiences talking about how incredible she looks, not revisiting old narratives.”
According to her friends, the actress believes public opinion in the industry changes rapidly — and it helps when stars can flood feeds with viral moments and a curated public image. But this plan may not win over everyone, a source speculated:
“There are executives and publicists who still think Blake has an authenticity problem. Looking flawless helps, but eventually audiences want to hear something real too.”
Yeah, authenticity has never been her thing… And it doesn’t help that resurfaced footage keeps coming out that makes her look worse and worse! With that in mind, the insider added:
“Right now, silence is part of the strategy. Blake is letting the visuals speak for her.”
Welp. We’ll see how long it takes for her to rebound!
Who do you have your money on — will Justin or Blake bounce back first?! Let us know (below)!
[Image via Jean Philippe Pariente/News Pictures/WENN/MEGA]
