Washington DC [US], January 26 : Actor and activist Jameela Jamil has spoken at length after unsealed court documents from the ongoing legal dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni revealed private text messages in which she referred to Lively as a "suicide bomber" and a "villain," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The messages, sent in August 2024, were exchanged between Jamil and Jennifer Abel, a publicist who represented both Jamil and Baldoni at the time. The texts were in response to a TikTok video criticising Lively's remarks during the It Ends With Us press tour, with some viewers alleging the promotional interviews did not reflect the film's focus on domestic abuse. In one message, Jamil wrote, "She's a suicide bomber at this point," and added, "I've never seen such a bizarre villain act before."
Addressing the controversy, Jamil said, "I am ready to say some things, mostly to clarify timing 'cause timing is key for context." She added, "I think it's really weird that my private text messages from 18 months ago have suddenly been released now. My name has deliberately been unredacted to cause as much trouble as possible for me even though these text messages have nothing to do with the case."
The legal battle began in December 2024 when Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni, her It Ends With Us co-star and director, alleging sexual harassment and a "social manipulation" campaign to damage her reputation. Baldoni's legal team has called the claims "shameful" and "categorically false." His countersuit was later dismissed, and the trial is scheduled for May 18.
Jamil stressed that her comments were made months before the lawsuit. "Check the dates," she said, noting the texts were sent in August 2024. "There were four months between when I was saying those things and a lawsuit coming to light. I had no idea about any of this stuff, so I was just purely venting to my friend about how I felt about the press rollout for that terrible movie," as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter.
Explaining why the film's promotion upset her, Jamil said, "I grew up with domestic violence in my home, I was a victim of domestic violence in my 20s. It made me feel some type of way." She added that interviews meant to be "really beautiful bonding" moments were met with "callous or sarcastic or cold or diluted answers," which "offended" her.
"Me calling her a 'suicide bomber' is just a reference to me watching someone use their own terrible answers in interviews to blow up their own career or their own project. I found that both funny and very agitating. And I'm just kidding around in private text messages," Jamil said. "I would never have put that out there for the world not because I'm ashamed but because I don't want to cause harm or trouble for that person. I don't want to make anyone feel bad. I just want to be able to express that to my friend. That's healthy and that's normal."
"The fact that my name was unredacted, all of it, just felt very targeted and very weird and an attempt to throw me under the bus. And I know that's happened to several people now and I find it very gross and upsetting," she said, as qoted by The Hollywood Reporter.
As for her thoughts on "the matter," Jamil said, "The matter is constantly updating. We're constantly getting new information. This is an active suit. I tend to never speak during an active lawsuit or court case because, A, you never know what's going to come out the next day that's gonna blow up in your face. And, B, it's inappropriate to participate when you have a giant platform the way I kind of do."
Jamil concluded by saying she is more concerned about global humanitarian crises than celebrity disputes. "I actively don't give ...don't want to hear about these people ever again," she said, adding, "I pray for all of us that we will be released from this topic and these people soon," as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter.
Along with Jamil, Lively's unsealed text messages with Taylor Swift, email to Ben Affleck, and statements from Jenny Slate and Isabela Ferrer's depositions about Baldoni were also unveiled.