The Rest Is PR

Happy New Year from The Rest Is PR! In the first episode of 2025, Jacki and Lyle pick up where they left off in 2024, as Justin Baldoni fights back in his ongoing showdown with Blake Lively. The pair have now essentially exchanged lawsuits, albeit Baldoni's initial target is a somewhat surprising one. Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and his publicity team earlier this week, alleging sexual harassment on the set of the film and a scheme to 'destroy' her reputation. A legal complaint outlining the same allegations was filed last month. Baldoni, meanwhile, has fought back by filing a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times, the publication which first reported Lively's legal complaint, accusing their journalists of working with the actress to damage his reputation and ignoring evidence which contradicted her claims. For their part, the New York Times has denied these allegations and said their original story was 'meticulously and responsibly reported'. Baldoni's lawsuit was filed alongside nine other plaintiffs, including his publicists Jennifer Abel and Melissa Nathan, whose text messages were obtained by Lively and allegedly contained a message from Nathan claiming 'we can bury anyone' in relation to Lively. In this episode, Jacki and Lyle read some of your comments from the previous episode, which rightly take the podcast to task over Lively's initial move being a legal complaint and not a lawsuit. Many of the comments continue to perceive Lively as a manipulator, with at least one making the excellent point that these suits have conveniently been filed at a time when the film that originated this feud, It Ends With Us, having recently been released on Netflix in the US and due for streaming release in the UK this month. There has even been speculation that the suit and prospective counter-suit by Lively and Baldoni respectively could lead to a battle over the film's rights, with Lyle arguing that the closest example he has ever seen to this situation is the continuing uncertainty surrounding the relationship between Harry Potter megastars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, and the character's creator J.K. Rowling due to the latter's incendiary views on trans rights. Jacki and Lyle analyse everything surrounding this latest development, such as Baldoni's bold move to take the New York Times to court, the public backing or otherwise of Lively by mainstream celebrities, with Jacki citing a lack of public support from the likes of Taylor Swift, and ultimately the skewed public perception of PR professionals as a result of this ongoing saga. We're back with a bang in 2025, and we're delighted to have you with us!Artwork & music by Lyle FultonGet in touch via [email protected] information at www.therestispr.comFollow us on Twitter - @TheRestIsPR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Jacki and Lyle discuss the latest instalment of a story that dominated the news agenda in the United States earlier this year - the saga that has evolved between movie stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Earlier this year, after the release of their film It Ends With Us based on the best-selling book by Colleen Hoover, reports emerged of a feud between the film's lead actors, Lively and Baldoni, with the controversy centring on their vastly different PR and press strategies and their relationship on set. Lively was heavily criticised in the aftermath of the film's release for appearing to make light of the film's sensitive subject during her press tour as she chose to promote her own businesses, those of her husband Ryan Reynolds, and Reynolds' own film Deadpool & Wolverine instead of discussing the topic of domestic violence that the film addresses. Baldoni, meanwhile, received praise for his sensitive approach to his press responsibilities, with Jacki, Lyle and Alis also applauding him on a previous episode of the podcast for his response to the speculation around his and Lively's working relationship. Fast-forward to this last week, and the saga has come full circle! Lively has now filed a legal complaint against Baldoni, in which she has accused him of sexual harassment. The complaint listed Wayfarer Studios, Mr Baldoni's production company which produced It Ends With Us, as a defendant, with the filing accusing Baldoni and Wayfarer CEO Jamey Heath of 'repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behaviour'. The filing also alleges that Lively, Baldoni and other people involved in the development of the film attended a meeting in January to address 'the hostile work environment' on set. with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, attending the meeting alongside her. At this meeting, attendees agreed to a list of demands, including Baldoni and Heath making 'no more descriptions of their own genitalia', requiring an intimacy coordinator on set at all times when Lively was in scenes with Baldoni and no 'friends' of the producers and directors being on set during scenes when Lively was in a state of nudity. The list of demands also implied that Baldoni had asked Lively's trainer how much she weighed and alleged that Baldoni and Heath had spoken about their 'pornography addiction' to Lively. Jacki and Lyle discuss how this latest development has completely reframed the saga to those observing it, with Jacki in particular now analysing Lively's behaviour in the aftermath of the film's release in an entirely different light. Jacki also asks why this filing wasn't issued sooner, with Lyle's counter-argument being that Lively was perhaps gathering all the information she needed to compose the complaint before delivering it to Baldoni and his team. Jacki and Lyle both still agree that her behaviour on her press tour immediately after the film's release was unusual, with Lyle questioning why the creatives on the production were contractually obligated to deliver a 'hopeful' message about the film considering its sensitive subject matter. There is time for Jacki to urge anyone and everyone to 'be less Gregg', before both Jacki and Lyle wish you, the fantastic listeners, a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful festive period whatever you and yours celebrate at this time of year!Artwork & music by Lyle FultonGet in touch via [email protected] information at www.therestispr.comFollow us on Twitter - @TheRestIsPR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Jacki and Lyle discuss the excellent Sir Lewis Hamilton, and how he has conducted himself over the last few months as his time with Mercedes comes to a close and he embarks on a new chapter with arguably the most iconic Formula 1 team - Ferrari. The pair discuss how Hamilton himself, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff, and the entire Mercedes team have got their messaging and communications absolutely spot on since Hamilton's departure was announced earlier this year. Jacki outlines that this announcement could actually have had a negative effect on both the team and Hamilton had this messaging not been handled as well as it has, with accusations that Hamilton may not have given his all as the season unfolded always possible had he not conducted himself the way he has. Lyle and Jacki discuss how the likes of Netflix's 'Drive To Survive' alongside the increased media scrutiny drivers and teams find themselves under from the media, have led to Formula 1 professionals placing extra emphasis on how they handle their messaging and, ultimately, how they behave both on and off the track. Whilst Lyle believes this represents what he refers to as a 'good news story' given the scandals that F1 has faced this year, including feuds between champion Max Verstappen and pretty much everyone, and the allegations levelled at Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner, Jacki goes further by looking back at Hamilton's career so far. She analyses that, while this move from Mercedes to Ferrari represents a good news story for Hamilton and for the sport as a whole, Hamilton has actually adopted a very positive PR stance for a number of years now, always having time for fans and conducting himself immaculately in the face of some intense situations inside the car and out. One thing's for sure - Sir Lewis Hamilton remains one of the most famous drivers in the paddock, and his move to Ferrari represents a seismic move within Formula 1 ahead of next season, which promises to be one of the most competitive yet!Artwork & music by Lyle FultonGet in touch via [email protected] information at www.therestispr.comFollow us on Twitter - @TheRestIsPR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Jacki and Lyle are discussing a story that has dominated the news in the U.S. and all over the world - allegations levelled at Jay-Z that, along with Sean 'Diddy' Combs, he drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl at a VMA afterparty in 2000. In an incendiary and impassioned statement released earlier this week, Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, dismissed the legal action taking by U.S. lawyer Tony Buzbee as a 'blackmail attempt'. Combs, who rose to fame as P Diddy and is currently in jail awaiting trial after being charged in September with sex-trafficking and other offences, has also denied the latest allegations. Jacki and Lyle analyse Jay-Z's statement in depth, with Jacki outlining that parallels can indeed be drawn between Carter's assertive response to these allegations and the statement released by Gregg Wallace over Instagram in the wake of allegations against him. In both cases, Jacki says, the accused should have kept their council and remained silent while taking advice on how to proceed. Jacki and Lyle are both keen to emphasise that they don't consider anyone guilty or innocent in these case at this stage as investigations need to take place, and Carter himself has a right of reply on the lawsuit filed against him. However, they also agree that someone's response in the face of these allegations does draw increased scrutiny and, by extension, suspicion surrounding their involvement. Lyle points to Jay-Z including his background - particularly referencing his rise from the project in Brooklyn to worldwide success - as an unusual step to have taken from a PR perspective considering this is a point he has used throughout his career as part of a positive PR campaign. Jacki also analyses whether the statement does, in fact, at any point deny Jay-Z's involvement in the alleged crimes, before both Lyle and Jacki also speculate as to whether Carter even wrote the statement himself! Finally, Jacki speculates that someone may well have now spoken to Jay-Z about his strategy moving forward given his silence over the last 72 hours, while she also points to speculation surrounding Jennifer Lopez being the unnamed female celebrity was in the room at the time of the alleged assault, and how Lopez herself has employed a measured response to these speculations by not responding to them in any way.TW: this episode contains references to details that some listeners may find distressing, and listener discretion is advised.Artwork & music by Lyle FultonGet in touch via [email protected] information at www.therestispr.comFollow us on Twitter - @TheRestIsPR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.