As you have already heard, Justin Baldoni is currently facing serious allegations of sexual harassment and professional misconduct. On December 20, 2024, actress Blake Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing Baldoni—her co-star and director in the film It Ends With Us—of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. Lively alleges that Baldoni engaged in inappropriate behavior, including unwanted physical contact and explicit comments during filming.
Following these allegations, his talent agency, WME, dropped him as a client on December 21, 2024.
Now, things seem to be getting worse for Baldoni. Vital Voices rescinded a “Voices of Solidarity” award previously granted to him, citing that the reported actions contradicted the organization’s values.
His podcast co-host, Liz Plank, also resigned from their show Man Enough, expressing support for those who call out injustice. She announced the news in a post on Instagram:
“I’m writing to you today to let you know that I have had my representatives inform Wayfarer that I will no longer be co-hosting The Man Enough podcast,” Plank wrote in her post. “Thank you for trusting me with your hearts and stories, for holding space for mine, and for making this show what it was. I will miss you, the listeners, so much. I love what this community created together with every fiber of my being, and that’s because of you.”
The situation escalated further with a lawsuit filed by Baldoni’s former publicist, Stephanie Jones. Jones alleges that Baldoni and his crisis PR team orchestrated a smear campaign against Lively to discredit her claims. This lawsuit adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing controversy surrounding Baldoni.
Jones is accusing publicists Jennifer Abel and Melissa Nathan of “secretly conspired for months to publicly and privately attack Jones and Jonesworks, to breach multiple contracts and induce contractual breaches, and to steal clients and business prospects.”
“Behind Jones’ back, they secretly coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to implement an aggressive media smear campaign against Baldoni’s film co-star,” Jones, seemingly referencing the alleged campaign against Lively that the actress mentioned in her recent legal complaint, claims, “and then used the crisis as an opportunity to drive a wedge between Jones and Baldoni, and to publicly pin blame for this smear campaign on Jones—when Jones had no knowledge or involvement in it.”
Baldoni has denied all allegations, with his lawyer describing them as “completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious.” Despite these denials, the accusations have garnered significant attention, leading to widespread discussions about workplace conduct and accountability in the entertainment industry.
Baldoni seems to be getting no support from his former It Ends With Us co-stars, as both Brandon Sklenar and Jenny Slate have now posted messages supporting Blake Lively.
In a message posted to his Instagram Story on Dec. 23, the 1923 actor shared a link to a New York Times article that includes the entirety of Blake’s legal complaint alongside a message, saying, “For the love of god, read this.” Brandon tagged Blake’s social media handle and added a heart emoji next to it.
In a statement released Monday to Today.com, Jenny Slate said, “As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation. Blake is a leader, loyal friend and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her.”
She added: “What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing, and wholly threatening. I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side.”
Baldoni and his lawyer, Bryan Freedman, denied the allegations in the suit, calling “Lively’s own actions, interviews and marketing during the promotional tour distasteful.”
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