Recently, private text messages between two ultra-famous friends, Blake Lively and Taylor Swift, were made public – sparking analysis, hot takes and plenty of internet commentary. The messages were released as part of an ongoing legal matter involving Blake Lively and “It Ends With Us” co-star Justin Baldoni. 

Even if your organization doesn’t live under the same public microscope as Taylor and Blake, the main lesson still applies. Internal communications (texts, emails, Google Chats, Facebook messages, etc.) should always be handled with the assumption that they could one day be seen by a broader audience. And why does this matter? Because once private communication becomes public, your control of the narrative disappears – due to loss of context and rise of speculation.

Everything is “on the record”

In today’s digital workplace, communicate with the assumption that the public will see it someday. An internal email sent to staff can be forwarded to a reporter and quoted in a news story. A Slack message meant for one coworker can be shared with leadership – or pulled during an internal investigation. A Facebook or Instagram message responding to a frustrated customer can be screenshotted and posted publicly within minutes. Even AI notes from a virtual meeting can be recorded or summarized out of context. The takeaway here isn’t to be afraid of communicating! It’s to communicate intentionally and respectfully.

Losing control of the narrative

Once communication leaves a private channel, context is gone and narrative control shifts instantly. The public is left to interpret the message on their own – and to make assumptions if information gaps exist. That’s why your initial communication matters so much. Messages that are unclear, in the wrong tone or incomplete create space for misinterpretation. As PR professionals, we always keep this in mind when writing communication for clients.

How do you respond? Who responds? How fast?

The short answer – it depends! In some cases, you need to issue an immediate statement to provide clarity and regain control of the narrative. In others, responding can unintentionally extend the story, drawing more attention to an issue that might otherwise fade as the “news cycle” moves on. That’s why having a strong PR firm in place is important! We can help strategize those decisions. 

All in all, I predict that Blake Lively and Taylor Swift will weather this just fine; celebrities often do. Most companies don’t have the luxury to bounce back from a reputation hit, though. For brands, leaked internal communication can lead to reputational damage and a loss of trust that’s hard to repair.