How right-wing influencers are exploiting the Justin Baldoni-Blake Lively feud
After actress Blake Lively sued director Justin Baldoni in December, saying he had retaliated against her for reporting sexual harassment on a film set, an unusual group of online talkers dove into this Hollywood dispute.
Right-wing personality Candace Owens — who split from The Daily Wire last year amid conflicts over her antisemitic rhetoric — was not previously known for covering celebrity litigation. But she has become one of Baldoni’s loudest defenders online, helping propel the feud and gaining new audiences for herself along the way.
Related Knowledge Center: Information integrity
In an increasingly fractured media landscape, truth has been a casualty in the public discussion. Coverage has been warped by the business needs of struggling news organizations, and a significant segment of the public relies on bad-faith outlets that are little more than propagandists. While fact-checking has become routine, some organizations are exploring other ways to combat the trends. And misinformation spewed by AI-driven chatbots has become more of a feature than simply a bug.
Fact-checking and its detractors