Blake Lively has reportedly ended her professional relationship with publicist Leslie Sloane, after more than two decades of working together. The decision comes in the wake of a legal dispute between Lively and her "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni.
Lively initially filed a defamation and sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, in December 2024. Baldoni has denied these accusations.
Sloane, who heads Vision PR, became involved when Baldoni filed a $400 million defamation lawsuit that named her as a defendant. Baldoni's suit accused Sloane of orchestrating a "smear campaign" and planting negative stories about him. Sloane's attorney denied these allegations, stating that she was "dragged" into the legal battle as a distraction.
A judge dismissed Baldoni's case in October 2025. In May of the current year, following the dismissal of most of Lively's claims, she agreed to settle the case. While Lively received no monetary compensation in the settlement, the judge permitted her to seek legal fees solely related to Baldoni's unsuccessful lawsuit against her. Lively's legal team has submitted claims totaling over $8 million for legal fees and expenses.
The legal controversy coincided with the release of "It Ends With Us," which generated $351 million globally at the box office. In the film, Lively portrayed a florist who enters a relationship with Baldoni's character, a neurosurgeon.
Rumors of on-set conflict between Lively and Baldoni surfaced during the film's release. Lively alleged that Baldoni included unscripted kisses in a scene and that his producer entered her trailer while she was breastfeeding her newborn. Baldoni has refuted these claims.
Representatives for Lively and Sloane did not immediately respond to requests for comment.