Justin Baldoni PR Adviser Accused of Lying Under Oath About Secret ‘Smear’ Sites

Hollywood crisis publicist Melissa Nathan is facing accusations that she lied under oath about her role in anonymous websites used to attack rival publicist Stephanie Jones, after newly produced texts and payment records allegedly tied her directly to the content.

Jones says the records show Nathan personally directed an employee to strengthen material for a website targeting her, including an instruction to make the copy “a lot more meaty” and strong enough that a journalist could be steered toward it. A payment record cited in the filing allegedly shows Nathan later sent the employee $4,000.

Nathan, who worked as part of Justin Baldoni’s crisis communications team during the fallout surrounding “It Ends With Us,” previously denied during sworn testimony that she was behind the website targeting Jones.

Jones now contends those denials were false and says additional records show Nathan helped direct a broader network of anonymous sites designed to damage the reputations of people viewed as adversaries of her clients.

The allegations are part of Jones’ continuing lawsuit against Nathan, publicist Jennifer Abel, Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and others. The case grew out of the public relations battle surrounding Blake Lively and Baldoni and has continued even after the actors resolved their separate legal dispute.

According to Jones’ latest filing, the new evidence came from Katherine Case, a former employee of Jones’ firm who later worked for Nathan’s crisis management company, The Agency Group PR, known as TAG.

Case allegedly received direct instructions from Nathan while drafting material for an anonymous site targeting Jones. The filing says Nathan wanted the copy to describe Jones as someone who held clients “hostage” and left people afraid of her.

Notes Case allegedly took during a May 2024 call with Nathan also contain language resembling material that appeared on the website two days later. Jones argues the records contradict Nathan’s sworn testimony about her role in the site.

Jones is asking U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman to impose sanctions over what she describes as false testimony and failures to produce relevant evidence during discovery.

Federal judges can impose financial penalties, restrict evidence or order other remedies when parties violate discovery obligations. Jones’ motion asks Liman to decide whether Nathan’s testimony and handling of the records warrant sanctions in the civil case.

Jones also alleges Nathan worked with crisis consultant Jed Wallace to make the source of the websites difficult to trace. Wallace has denied wrongdoing.

The newly disclosed records point to similar crisis work involving other high-profile disputes.

An October 2024 email from Case to Nathan listed projects involving website drafting and crisis planning connected to several names and companies. Among them were the Alexander brothers, former luxury real estate agents later convicted in a federal sex trafficking case, and a project labeled “Amanda Ghost.”

Ghost was involved in a separate legal dispute with Rebel Wilson over the actress’ directorial debut, “The Deb.” Earlier records from that conflict showed Nathan discussing a proposed $110,000 anonymous website during communications involving Wilson. Wilson has denied paying for such a site.

The same project list referenced Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio and actress Jessica Serfaty in connection with crisis planning and website work.

Another entry named children’s vitamin company Hiya Health in connection with a “crisis scenario plan.” Consumer advocate Tamara Rubin has said an anonymous site attacking her appeared after she published laboratory results concerning lead and other heavy metals in Hiya products. The filing identifies Hiya only in connection with the crisis-planning entry.

The internal project list broadens the scope of the work Jones says Nathan’s firm was conducting, while her sanctions motion focuses on the alleged conflict between Nathan’s sworn testimony and records produced later in the case.

Liman has not yet ruled on the sanctions request. Jones’ lawsuit continues in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.