Jameela Jamil is further speaking out after unsealed court documents in Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s ongoing legal battle revealed text messages in which she referred to Lively as a “suicide bomber” and “villain.”
In the unsealed texts, Jamil was messaging Jennifer Abel, a publicist who represented both Jamil and Baldoni. In the private text exchange from August 2024 between Jamil and Abel, the pair were responding to a TikTok video that criticized Lively’s remarks during the It Ends With Us press tour as not being serious enough, given that the film centered on domestic abuse. Jamil texted about Lively, “She’s a suicide bomber at this point.” Jamil also texted, “I’ve never seen such a bizarre villain act before.”
When initially speaking out about her comments, Jamil took to her Instagram Stories on Thursday to share a video in which she clarified her belief that being a feminist does not preclude someone from having personal differences with other women.
But now the actress is addressing the messages further. When discussing it, she never addressed Lively or Baldoni by name throughout her posted video.
“I am ready to say some things, mostly to clarify timing ‘cause timing is key for context,” Jamil said in a video shared on her TikTok. “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 case began when Lively filed a complaint against her It Ends With Us co-star and director in December 2024 for sexual harassment. Lively also alleged that Baldoni and company engaged in a “social manipulation” campaign to “destroy” her reputation. Meanwhile, Baldoni’s legal team slammed the complaint as “shameful” and one that includes “serious and categorically false accusations.” Baldoni responded with his own lawsuit, but that was dismissed in June. A trial for the case is set for May 18.
Jamil reiterated that she wasn’t speaking about the case in the texts and reminded everyone to “check the dates” because they were sent in August 2024 when the lawsuit “wasn’t filed until December 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 fucking terrible movie.”
Jamil went on to explain that she didn’t like the way the film’s promo was being handled given her personal experience with domestic violence: “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. It made lots of people feel some type of way. And the way that the interviews were set up for the success of making a really beautiful bonding interview and was met with callous or sarcastic or cold or diluted answers. It offended me.”
She continued, ”Did I choose to pile on publicly? No. And I could have when everyone else was. But I know personally what it’s like to be in the firing line as a women in media. It’s a very specific violence and betrayal. I was watching this person perpetuate their own controversy and I was like, ‘I don’t need to be a part of that.’”
Jamil said that she “took it to the group chat, talked about it with my friend who happens to be being treated very badly by some very powerful wealthy celebrities, some of whom are involved.” Adding, “I don’t know about you, but when it’s my girlfriend being upset by anyone, I don’t care what’s going on or who did what or who’s to blame, I see red, I am 10 toes down, balls to the fucking wall. I will ride at dawn for my girlfriends and they will do the same for me.”
Jamil then went on to address her calling Lively a “suicide bomber.”
“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.”
Now that her messages have been unsealed which resulted in her receiving backlash (ATMZ story noted that the star’s “feminist, women-first image may be taking a serious hit” in light of the unsealed documents), Jamil said her being “dragged into this feels incredibly sinister.”
“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 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.”
Going forward, Jamil said she’s going to “wait to see how this all shakes out” but doesn’t really know the details about the lawsuit and hasn’t spoken to Abel about it given she’s involved. Jamil then reiterated that there are more important things happening in the world that she is focused on rather than the ongoing legal battle between Lively and Baldoni.
“I care more about what’s happening in Palestine and Sudan and Congo and the United Kingdom and the United States. And the fact that people don’t have money for healthcare or food. I’m less interested with anything that’s happening with wealthy celebrities… They’re the last people i’m worried about. I believe they’re both gonna be fine. No matter what happens they’re both gonna be safe and healthy and happy and fine and loved. My personal concern is elsewhere.”
She doubled down, “I actively don’t give a shit and don’t want to hear about these people ever again. We were already sick of them. We’re all sick of their faces. We’re sick of hearing about this boring movie. It’s got more press coverage than all of the genocides combined, I swear to God. And I don’t think we should be directing energy towards it any longer.”
Despite feeling “annoyed at how this has all been handled in a way to sort of set me up” and “that people don’t actually do due diligence and check the timing … while you’re playing fucking detective” she’s “not annoyed for saying ‘villain’ at the time” because that’s how she “felt at the time based on the information that was right in front” of her.
“If this is the first time you’ve learned that i’m a British gossipy girl, then where have you been?… I pray for all of us that we will be released from this topic and these people soon,” she ended her video with.
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.
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