Tom had a basement ceiling that was affected by an upstairs water leak. The drywall cracked along most of the length of the wall and soffit.
Instead of trying to fill the cracks, we replaced the entire section of drywall. (we also found the drywall was not installed correctly the first time, thus worsening the cracking).
The new drywall, texture, and paint blended very well. It is very hard to see in this picture, but, well, isn’t that the point?