As the legal battle between Hollywood actress Blake Lively and actor-director Justin Baldoni escalates, it has been reported that Blake Lively has hired a public relations crisis manager who is a former CIA officer.
On the 28th (local time), Variety reported that Blake Lively has been collaborating with Nick Shapiro, a former chief of staff of the CIA and senior advisor to former CIA Director General John Brennan, who has deep ties to the government.
Blake Lively's legal team noted, "Lively's litigation team has hired Nick Shapiro to advise on legal communication strategies regarding the ongoing sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit in the Southern District Court of New York."
Earlier, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni entered into a legal battle due to discord that occurred during the filming of the movie 'It Ends With Us.'
In December of last year, Lively filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni, who subsequently filed a $250 million lawsuit for defamation and invasion of privacy against The New York Times, which reported on Lively's claims.
Subsequently, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni for violating federal and California state laws as retaliation for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety issues, and last January, Baldoni filed a $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist.
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[OSEN = Reporter Ji Min-kyung]