Jameela Jamil explains “suicide bomber” comment about Blake Lively after unsealed texts surface

Actress says private messages predated lawsuit and criticized It Ends With Us promotion

Jameela Jamil has spoken publicly after unsealed court documents revealed private text messages in which she referred to Blake Lively as a “suicide bomber” and a “villain” during the It Ends With Us press cycle. The messages surfaced as part of the ongoing legal battle between Lively and her co-star and director, Justin Baldoni.

The texts, dated August 2024, were exchanged between Jamil and Jennifer Abel, a publicist who represented both Jamil and Baldoni at the time. In the conversation, the two were reacting to online criticism of Lively’s comments during the film’s promotional tour, which some viewers felt lacked appropriate gravity given the movie’s focus on domestic abuse.

After the documents were made public, Jamil first responded on Instagram Stories before further explaining her position in a TikTok video. In the post, she emphasized that the messages were sent months before Lively filed her sexual harassment complaint against Baldoni in December 2024. Jamil noted that the lawsuit had not yet been filed at the time and said she had no knowledge of any allegations when the texts were written.

According to Jamil, her comments were not about the legal case but rather her frustration with the film’s promotional approach. She said the press rollout personally upset her due to her own experiences with domestic violence and described the interviews surrounding the film as dismissive and poorly handled. She stressed that she chose not to criticize Lively publicly at the time, instead venting privately to a friend.

Jamil also addressed her use of the phrase “suicide bomber,” explaining that she meant it metaphorically to describe someone damaging their own project through poorly received interview responses. She said the language was intended as private, hyperbolic commentary and not something she would have shared publicly, adding that she did not wish to cause harm.

The actress criticized the decision to leave her name unredacted in the unsealed documents, saying it felt targeted and unnecessary given that the texts were unrelated to the core legal claims. She described being pulled into the dispute as “sinister” and said she was troubled by the backlash she received following the release.

Jamil reiterated that she generally avoids commenting on active lawsuits and plans to wait for the case to conclude. She added that she has not discussed the matter with Abel since the legal proceedings began. Ultimately, Jamil said she considers the dispute between Lively and Baldoni less significant than broader global issues, noting that she believes both celebrities will ultimately be fine regardless of the outcome.

The unsealed filings also included other materials related to the case, such as text messages involving Taylor Swift, emails connected to Ben Affleck, and deposition statements from Jenny Slate and Isabela Ferrer, according to the report.