Celebrity crisis publicist Jed Wallace launched a $7 million defamation complaint against Blake Lively on 4 February. Lively had accused him of orchestrating a digital smear campaign against her on behalf of the PR team of It Ends With Us filmmaker Justin Baldoni.

The actress filed a request for the deposition of Texas-based independent contractor Jed Wallace, whose company Street Relations specializes in "public relations and crisis management services." Lively's legal team claims Wallace played a critical role in " (weaponizing) a digital army around the country" against her.