Judge Dismisses Social Media Guru From Blake Lively’s Justin Baldoni Suit

A federal judge has dismissed Blake Lively‘s claims against social media PR expert Jed Wallace as her legal battle with Justin Baldoni continues.

According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Judge Lewis Liman granted Wallace’s motion to dismiss himself as a defendant in the case without prejudice.

The judge cited lack of jurisdiction in his decision to toss Wallace and his company Street Relations from the case, noting that he is located in Texas and not New York, where Lively’s lawsuit was filed.

In his opinion obtained by Us, the judge wrote that the “alleged negative publicity campaign against Lively largely took place outside of New York. The few alleged actions targeting New York were taken by others, and there are no allegations suggesting [Wallace was] aware of them. Therefore, [Wallace] cannot be forced to defend this lawsuit in New York.”

Blake Lively Breaks Silence After Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Is Dismissed

In response to the ruling, Lively’s team said the actress “respects” the latest ruling.

“Ms. Lively respects the Court’s decision, which has nothing to do with the merits of her allegations about Mr. Wallace’s role in the smear campaign and relates solely to the procedural question of whether he is subject to jurisdiction in New York or elsewhere,” a spokesperson for Lively shared with Us Weekly on Wednesday, July 16. “We currently are evaluating our numerous options for holding Mr. Wallace accountable for the pivotal role he served in the retaliatory effort that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties paid him at least tens of thousands of dollars a month to perform.”

Us Weekly has reached out to Baldoni’s team for comment. A rep for Wallace could not be reached for comment.

Blake Lively Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

Lively has until Thursday, July 31, to file an amended complaint or sue Wallace in a different jurisdiction.

Lively and Baldoni’s legal drama began in December 2024, when the actress accused her It Ends With Us costar and director of sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment and purposefully creating a smear campaign against her.

Lively then sued Baldoni, his publicity team and a series of other defendants and alleged that she was retaliated against for the sexual harassment allegations.

Justin Baldoni Vows to Continue Blake Lively Legal Fight After Dismissal

Baldoni strongly denied the allegations and countersued Lively. In June, however, a judge dismissed his lawsuit against the actress.

Lively alleged that Wallace was hired because he engages in “untraceable” campaigns across social media platforms. She also claimed he was hired to “weaponize a digital army” to “create, seed, manipulate and advance disparaging content.”

In February 2025, Wallace sued Lively for defamation after she named his company in her California Civil Rights complaint, filed in December 2024. He is seeking at least $7 million and a court order stating that he didn’t engage in harassment or retaliation against the actress.