The BBC has landed some star power for its drama series about what happens when a celebrity legal battle spirals out of control.

Naomie Harris and Christina Hendricks are onboard Reputation. Harris is Lena, a formidable lawyer who gets pulled into the celebrity case of the decade representing global pop star Davina Knight (Hendricks). Knight has released a provocative new song accusing her ex-husband, Billy, of abusive behaviour and he retaliates in kind, with their private breakdown erupting into a very public libel battle. PR machines are deployed, laws are bent and social media platforms become judge, jury and battleground.

The pair are joined in Reputation by an ensemble cast including Alex Jennings (The Crown, The Lady In The Van), David Gyasi (The Diplomat, Interstellar), Emily Atack (Rivals, Inbetweeners), Kyle Soller (Andor, Bodies), Marli Siu (Twenty Twenty Six, Everything I Know About Love), Alex Heath (Serpent Queen, Prime Target), Tilly Keeper (You, Queenie), Corey Johnson (Digger, The Day of the Jackal), Aidan McArdle (Sherlock & Daughter, Showtrial), Ernest Kingsley Jnr (Washington Black, The Sandman), Jodie Campbell (Boarders, Bitch Boxer), Kayla Meikle (Transaction, Time 2), Mike Noble (This City is Ours, Dirty Business), Enzo Cilenti (Black Mirror, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell) and Kat Ronney (Dinosaur, Finding Emily).

The series from Becoming Elizabeth creator Anya Reiss brings to mind some headline-grabbing news stories of recent months including the very public Lively-Baldoni spat and Lily Allen’s album trashing ex-husband David Harbour.

Reputation (6×60) was commissioned by Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama. Alex Kazamia (Generation Z) will produce and BAFTA and RTS award winner Mahalia Belo (The End We Start From, The Long Song) will direct. Executive producers are George Ormond, Jade Taylor (Just Act Normal), Reiss and Belo. Alongside Reiss, other writers on the series are Shyam Popat and Karla Crome. Reputation will be distributed internationally by Banijay Rights.