New reports reveal that some companies linked to Blake Lively’s booze brand were “spooked” about collaborating with her amid her legal feud with Justin Baldoni.
The two had been locked in a long-running dispute that began with the actress accusing her “It Ends With Us” co-star of sexual harassment.
The case was settled earlier this week, ahead of Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s now-canceled trial that had been scheduled for May 18.
Blake Lively’s legal feud with Justin Baldoni is now over, but some insider details about how the back-and-forth may have affected the actress’s brand have emerged.
As reported by TMZ, an internal email between Lively’s Betty Booze staff members and a representative from Kroger appears to show that brands were uneasy about collaborating with her amid the legal feud.
“I just got off the phone with the SGWS Kroger VP, and the first thing he mentioned to me was that Betty Booze was just discussed … there is a negative taste in Kroger’s mouth based on the [Blake Lively] interview from the movie, and they said they will be closely monitoring sales on the brand,” read the email which dates back to September 10, 2024, per US Weekly.
Elsewhere in the emails, it was noted that the company’s concerns about the situation were so significant that the representative anticipated “a negative sales impact” and asked whether Blake Lively had any plans to turn things around.
More Companies Were ‘Spooked’ By Blake Lively And Justin Baldoni’s Feud
The same concerns from Kroger were shared by Princess Cruises, another brand that stocks the Betty Booze line. The company signed a deal with Blake Lively in 2024, with the products rolled out fleetwide that same year.
An email from the VP of Food & Beverage conveyed these concerns, noting how much Blake Lively’s feud with Justin Baldoni had worried the company’s legal team about potential implications.
“By the way, our legal ethics and compliance committee board [is] spooked with Blake !!! I am working things out, hopefully will not have any [e]ffect,” read the alleged email.
It is unclear how Lively might have helped salvage the situation, but for now, the company remains in a collaboration with her brand.
Also, for now, there are no details about whether it negatively impacted sales for the company.
Blake Lively Intended To Use The Emails In Her Trial Against Justin Baldoni
The inclusion of the emails in the court documents was reportedly intended to give Lively an upper hand had she gone to trial against Baldoni.
One claim raised was that it would have shown the jury that Lively’s Betty Booze brand was “forced to go dark” after she was negatively portrayed in headlines, which was also followed by a downturn in sales.
Other documents were also included to support the claims, with one narrative suggesting that Lively had previously received “overwhelmingly positive” social media engagement for Betty Booze, before it later shifted to “negative comments” across those platforms.
It was also intended to show that the brand’s Instagram growth was hindered by negative PR affecting its founder.
The Former Co-Stars Settled Their Long-Running Legal Dispute Ahead Of Trial
Whether or not the strategy would have worked in Lively’s favor remains unknown, due to her decision to settle her suit with Baldoni on May 4.
The sudden turnaround came as a surprise, as the two had previously not reached an agreement to settle weeks earlier.
However, presiding judge Lewis J. Liman urged both parties to revisit settlement discussions, which ultimately led to a resolution in the long-running dispute.
Blake Lively And Justin Baldoni Addressed The Settlement In A Statement
Following the settlement, the pair released a statement suggesting that their joint creative work played a role in reaching the agreement, along with other contributing factors.
“The end product – the movie It Ends With Us – is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life,” read the statement.
It continued, “Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors – and all survivors – is a goal that we stand behind. We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard.”
