Becoming Elizabeth creator Anya Reiss is penning a BBC drama that shows what happens when a celebrity legal battle spirals out of control.

In Reputation , a formidable lawyer who has built her career defending free expression gets pulled into the case of the decade representing global pop star Davina Knight.

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 show 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.

Reiss is the creator of hit Starz period drama Becoming Elizazbeth and on Reputation she is re-teaming with that show’s producer The Forge .

Reiss said: “When I found out London was the global capital of high stakes libel cases –…