The controversy surrounding Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s feud gets messier as new allegations come to light. After the actress accused her former co-star of s*xual harassment, the actor’s former publicist is now suing him and two other employees for allegedly working against Lively with the intention to destroy her and protect the director.
The issue started after Lively and Baldoni collaborated on the set of It Ends With Us, a drama film based on Colleen Hoover’s novel of the same title. Apart from harassment, the actress also sued Baldoni for allegedly orchestrating a smear campaign against her.
Publicist Learns a Former Employee and a Cohort Had Been Working Against Blake Lively
The heat of the feud between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni gets more intense as days roll by, and now a new allegation has been made by the actor’s former publicist, Steph Jones. The owner of Jonesworks is suing him for breach of contract in a new lawsuit, which also claimed that her former employee Jennifer Abel and crisis communications manager Melissa Nathan were involved in the alleged smear campaign against Lively.
The lawsuit stated that Abel and Nathan “sprang into action, scheming to ‘bury’ and ‘destroy’ co-star Blake Lively to protect Baldoni.” Their plan was covert and unbeknownst to Jones.
It was reported by Independent that the latter fired Abel last summer after she was discovered stealing company papers. When she returned her company phone, Jones discovered text messages and emails about Abel’s work with the director, which was reportedly a smear campaign against Lively. The messages also involved Nathan who was suspected of working closely with Abel.
Jones claimed she was unaware of Abel and Nathan’s actions, as well as stealing her clients and blaming her for the alleged retaliation campaign against the famed actress. The suit also stated that Baldoni reportedly feared that Lively would break her silence on the s*xual harassment case during the release of their controversial movie.
Several Celebrities Support Blake Lively Amid Her Dispute Against Justin Baldoni
Lively and Baldoni’s feud started swirling on the Internet during the height of their film’s popularity. As people started criticizing the actress, she kept a low profile until the issue subsided. Now, she reignited the flame after filing a legal case, with a complaint spanning around 80 pages accusing the director and his studio Wayfarer of a “hostile work environment that nearly derailed production of the film.”
The actress received sympathy from numerous personalities, including author Colleen Hoover. She was also supported by Amber Heard, who went through the same trials and tribulations during her court battle against her ex-husband Johnny Depp. Other high-profile celebrities who side with Lively include Gwyneth Paltrow, Amy Schumer, Shawn Levy, and her former co-stars in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie.
Baldoni slammed the allegations and labeled them shameful and categorically false accusations. At this point, only time will tell what happens between the two parties, so stay tuned for more updates.
