Blake Lively is turning the page on a turbulent chapter in her Hollywood career. The actress has signed with Kelly Bush Novak, the influential CEO and founder of entertainment PR firm ID.
The move comes just months after Lively settled her high-profile legal dispute with Justin Baldoni. At the same time, she has parted ways with longtime publicist Leslie Sloane.
A New Era for Lively’s Public Image
The timing of the change is notable. Lively and Baldoni reached a settlement in May 2026, following their legal battle over the 2024 film It Ends With Us.
Lively filed a complaint in December 2024 alleging sexual harassment and retaliation. Baldoni denied the allegations and later filed his own claims.
However, the two sides settled the dispute before the case went to trial. Now, Lively is moving ahead with a new publicity team.
As a result, the actress can shift more attention toward her career and upcoming projects. The change also comes after months of intense media coverage surrounding the legal dispute.
Kelly Bush Novak Takes Over
Kelly Bush Novak is an experienced name in Hollywood publicity. She founded ID and currently serves as the firm’s CEO.
Moreover, her client roster includes several major entertainment figures. These include Christopher Nolan, Lady Gaga, Seth Rogen, Ben Stiller and Serena Williams.
Novak has also handled major publicity campaigns. Therefore, her experience with high-profile talent could be valuable as Lively enters this new phase of her career.
For Lively, the partnership marks a fresh start. It also gives her a new communications strategy after more than two decades with Sloane.
Leslie Sloane’s Long Relationship With Lively Ends
Lively worked with Leslie Sloane for more than 20 years. Their professional relationship began during the early stages of Lively’s acting career.
However, that long-running partnership has now ended. Sloane was also drawn into the legal dispute involving Baldoni and was named as a defendant in his legal action.
Consequently, Lively’s decision to work with Novak represents a major change in her publicity setup. Still, it is important to separate the change in representation from the disputed claims in the legal case.
Why the Publicist Switch Matters
A celebrity publicist plays an important role in managing media relations and public communications. Therefore, changing publicists can significantly alter how an actor approaches the next stage of their career.
In Lively’s case, the timing is especially interesting. Her new team arrives after the legal battle attracted extensive attention for more than a year.
Now, the focus can gradually return to her creative work. That includes projects such as Another Simple Favor, which reunited Lively with Anna Kendrick and director Paul Feig.
Rather than remaining defined by the legal controversy, Lively can now put more emphasis on her films, appearances and future projects.
Her Other Representation Remains
Despite the publicity change, Lively’s broader professional team remains in place.
She continues to work with WME and Entertainment 360 for other aspects of her career representation. So, this is not a complete restructuring of her Hollywood team.
Instead, the move specifically affects her public-relations strategy. Novak and ID will now handle an important part of how Lively’s career is presented to the media.
What’s Next for Blake Lively?
For now, Lively is entering a new chapter with a fresh publicity team.
The partnership with Kelly Bush Novak comes at a significant moment. The legal dispute with Baldoni has been settled, while Lively’s career continues to move forward.
Going ahead, her upcoming projects and public appearances will likely receive greater attention. At the same time, her new PR team will have an important role in navigating that renewed spotlight.
Ultimately, the shift marks a clear change in Lively’s publicity strategy. Now, the focus is turning back toward her work, her projects and what comes next.
Stay tuned for more Hollywood updates, celebrity news and entertainment stories.
About the author
Neha Nikharge is Assistant Editor at Awesome TV and a writer for AWSM Times. Neha covers Bollywood, OTT releases, celebrity interviews and pop culture for South Asian audiences in the US and around the world, and has written more than 4,500 stories for Awesome TV. Story tips and corrections: hello@awesometv.com.
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