Who is Nick Shapiro? Blake Lively hires ex CIA deputy chief of staff as PR crisis manager amid Justin Baldoni lawsuit
Blake Lively has recruited Nick Shapiro, a former deputy chief of staff at the CIA, to manage the media communications in her legal dispute with Justin Baldoni. The legal representatives at Willkie Farr & Gallagher stated that Shapiro would support Lively by managing public narratives from the Southern District of New York's s*xual harassment lawsuit, as reported by Variety.
Lively initiated legal action against Baldoni through a California Civil Rights Department complaint in December 2024 by alleging s*xual harassment on It Ends With Us set in 2023. The complaint stated that Baldoni spearheaded a smear campaign against her in 2024. A New York Times article covered the allegations, resulting in heightened media attention towards this case.
The newly hired Nick Shapiro has worked in national security for 15 years and has experience in crisis management and public relations. He held two positions: deputy chief of staff at the CIA and senior advisor to John Brennan when he was director of the agency from 2013 to 2015.
Nick Shapiro actively participated in leading national responses as the deputy chief of staff. He was part of the CIA to address key crises such as the H1N1 pandemic, the Boston Marathon bombing, the Fukushima nuclear disaster, and the Sandy Hook school shooting.
Nick Shapiro's career after government service
After leaving government service, Nick Shapiro moved into the corporate world. He worked briefly as Visa's vice president of global security and communications before heading crisis management efforts at Airbnb for three years. In 2015, he launched 10th Avenue Consulting, a PR firm specializing in high-profile crisis management for celebrities and corporations.
Nick Shapiro's track record in crisis PR has drawn both praise and criticism. A major controversy of his career occurred in 2020 when he joined 50 former intelligence officials to release an open letter stating that Hunter Biden's laptop contained evidence of a "Russian information operation."
The statement became a major point of dispute in political discussions, but as Politico reported, it later received criticism due to its insufficient evidence.
Justin Baldoni vs Blake Lively
At the end of 2024, Justin Baldoni, alongside nine others—including his crisis publicist Melissa Nathan—filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times. Baldoni also filed a separate $400 million lawsuit against Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of civil extortion, defamation, and other legal violations.
The case has grown beyond just Blake Lively and Baldoni. Baldoni's former publicist, Stephanie Jones, has also taken legal action against him and Nathan, citing a breach of contract.
Meanwhile, Texas entrepreneur Jed Wallace has sued Lively for defamation, alleging that she wrongly implicated him in an online smear campaign against her in August 2024.
It Ends With Us became a major box office success despite the controversies. According to Forbes, the film generated a worldwide box office total of $351 million against its initial budget of $25 million.
