Justin Baldoni hit with second lawsuit amid Blake Lively accusations

Justin Baldoni has been hit by another lawsuit after his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively accused him of sexual harassment in a legal complaint.

Since Lively’s complaint, texts have reportedly emerged between Baldoni, 40, and his PR crisis management team, discussing a social media smear campaign against her.

Baldoni, who also directed the film, and the studio behind the romantic drama are accused of embarking on a ‘multi-tiered plan’ to damage Lively’s reputation following a meeting to address accusations against Baldoni and a producer of the film of ‘repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behaviour’, according to the legal document shared by The New York Times.

Baldoni, his company Wayfarer Studios, and his current publicity team are now reportedly being sued by his former publicity team, Stephanie Jones from Jonesworks.

Variety reported that Baldoni is being sued for breach of contract after he dropped the firm in August, a few months into a year-long deal.

He allegedly left at the same time as his Jonesworks publicist, Jessica Abel, left the company to start her own publicity firm, RWA Communications.

It has been reported that Jones has also sued Abel and publicist Melissa Nathan, with accusations that they implemented a smear campaign against Lively without her knowledge.

The lawsuit alleges: ‘To this day, Abel and Nathan continue to point the finger falsely at Jones now that their own misconduct is coming to light, and to defame and attack Jones in the industry.’

Baldoni’s lawyers have denied all allegations and Abel has denied waging a ‘smear campaign’.

Amber Heard 38, has told NBC that she ‘saw this firsthand’ as Baldoni retained prominent PR crisis manager Melissa Nathan.

Nathan is the same person Johnny Depp hired during his high profile trial defamation trial against his former wife, Heard.

‘Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying “A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on.”

‘I saw this firsthand and up close. It’s as horrifying as it is destructive,’ Heard said.

The jury at the trial unanimously found that Heard had defamed Depp and he was awarded $5 million (£3.99 million) in punitive damages and $10 million (£ 7.98 million) in compensatory damages.

In her counterclaim, Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages but received nothing in punitive damages. 

At the time, Heard said the trial decision ‘sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated.’

Lively has also been defended by her loved ones, including her sister Robyn who praised ‘justice’.

Lively’s younger sister shared screenshots from the New York Times piece that alleged messages sent in the lawsuit, and wrote: ‘FINALLY justice for my sister @BlakeLive.’

One of the screenshots read: ‘Ms. Lively had expressed concerns about Mr Baldoni from the beginning, according to her legal complaint.’

Others claimed to reveal conversations between Baldoni, PR executive Jessica Abel and crisis management expert Melissa Nathan, with one claiming Abel relayed Baldoni’s frustration to Nathan and saying: ‘He wants to feel like she can be buried.’

Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman said in a statement provided to Just Jared: ‘TAG PR operated as any other crisis management firm would when hired by a client experiencing threats by two extremely powerful people with unlimited resources.

‘The standard scenario planning TAG PR drafted proved unnecessary as audiences found Lively’s own actions, interviews and marketing during the promotional tour distasteful, and responded organically to that which the media themselves picked up on.

‘It’s ironic that the New York Times, through their effort to ‘uncover’ an insidious PR effort, played directly into the hands of Lively’s own dubious PR tactics by publishing leaked personal text exchanges that lack critical context — the very same tactics she’s accusing the firm of implementing.’

Meanwhile, sharing their support for her publicly, Lively’s co-stars America Ferrera, Amber Rose Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel have written a letter titled: ‘In support of our sister, Blake.’

It reads: ‘As Blake’s friends and sisters for over twenty years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation.

‘Throughout the filming of It Ends With Us, we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensured to discredit her voice.

‘Most upsetting is the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivors’ stories to silence a woman who asked for safety.

‘The hypocrisy is astounding.

‘We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe working environment.

‘We are inspired by our sister’s courage to stand up for herself and others.

‘For anyone seeking more information or engaging in this important conversation online, please read the full legal complaint in the investigative reporting by Megan Twohey, Mike McIntire and Julie Tate for the New York Times.

‘America Gerrera, Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel.’

In the complaint for damages, which precedes a lawsuit, Baldoni, his publicists and Wayfarer Studios, are listed among the defendants.

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It Ends With Us, based on the Colleen Hoover book of the same name and directed by Baldoni, was released in August and quickly became surrounded by controversy, after claims the two leading stars were embroiled in a bitter feud.

While doing press for the film, the pair stayed largely silent with Baldoni saying in a ‘movie like this’ there is ‘always friction’.

Since the lawsuit, Hoover has also shared her defence for Lively, saying: ‘@blakelively you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met.

‘Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.’

She then linked to a New York Times article titled We Can Bury Anyone: Inside A Hollywood Smear Machine.

The article details the complaint including accusations that Baldoni retained a crisis communications specialist who, with the director and ‘approval’ of the studio, launched a ‘sophisticated, coordinated, and well-financed retaliation plan’ creating ‘manufactured content’ that would ‘influence public opinion’.

‘I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted,’ Lively said in a statement to the newspaper.

Bryan Freedman, a lawyer representing Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, said the claims were ‘completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious’, adding that the studio ‘made the decision to proactively hire a crisis manager prior to the marketing campaign of the film’.

He added: ‘There were no proactive measures taken with media or otherwise; just internal scenario-planning and private correspondence to strategise, which is standard operating procedure with public relations professionals.’

Days ago, TMZ reported that Lively filed a complaint — which is a precursor to a lawsuit — against him, claiming he coordinated an effort to destroy her reputation as well as sexually harass her on set.

The complaint claimed Baldoni’s team conducted their own marketing campaign that was more like ‘social manipulation’ to ‘destroy’ the actress’s reputation.

It also unearthed texts reportedly from Baldoni’s publicist to the studio,
Columbia Pictures Wayfarer Studios’ publicist, claiming he ‘wants to feel like [Ms. Lively] can be buried’.

One exchange between public relationships executives said to be involved in the campaign depicts them gleefully discussing how ‘easy’ it was to turn people online against Lively.

After feedback from Baldoni’s team, Nathan — who worked with Johnny Depp during the Amber Heard trial — allegedly said: ‘We can’t write we will destroy her.’

Baldoni’s lawyer in a statement to the New York Times, said the actor did nothing ‘proactive nor retaliated’ against Lively and accused the actress of ‘another desperate attempt to “fix” her negative reputation.’

‘These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media,’ the lawyer, Bryan Freedman, wrote.

He then alleged that The Gossip Girl actress planted ‘negative and completely fabricated and false stories with media’ about her co-star, which he claimed ‘was another reason why Wayfarer Studios made the decision to hire a crisis professional.’

The lawyer did not address the allegations of misconduct during the filming by Baldoni and Jamey Heath, the lead producer who is also named in Lively’s lawsuit.

Lively’s complaint claims that during filming, the atmosphere on set became so uncomfortable that an all-staff meeting was called to try and work through the problems creating a hostile set.

In the meeting, the filing claims the resolution was that Baldoni obliges by alleged cast and crew demands that he stop showing Lively nude videos and images of women and no longer talk about sexual interactions in front of the actress.

This was in addition to stopping all discussions of her weight, her deceased father, as well as no discussions of the cast and crew’s genitalia.

The actress’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, who co-wrote some scenes, was in attendance at the meeting, the lawsuit claims.

It was also noted that there were to be ‘no more adding of sex scenes, oral sex or on camera climaxing by BL (Blake Lively) outside the scope of the script BL approved when signing onto the project.’

The film did have intimacy coordinators on set, whose job is to choreograph intimate scenes so those involved feel safe and comfortable.

Another demand listed in the complaint was that the cast and crew were not to mention Baldoni’s alleged ‘pornography addiction’ that he had suffered from in the past.

According to Lively’s lawsuit, the demands listed in the meeting were approved by the studio. However, another conflict came when it was time to market the film.

Lively claims the film was a failure because of the disagreements regarding its marketing. She reportedly wanted it to be focused on her character’s resilience and Baldoni wanted it to be focused on domestic violence.

Lively said in the suit that her conflict with Baldoni caused ‘severe emotional distress’ to her family and her business.

During the promotion of the film earlier this year, Lively became the centre of huge backlash as people complained about her seemingly light-hearted approach to promoting a film that includes heavy themes such as domestic violence.

At premieres and media interviews, she was seen promoting her new hair care range, speaking in depth about her character, Lily Bloom’s clothes, and, on the official It Ends With Us movie TikTok page, even encouraging viewers to ‘Grab your friends, wear your florals, and head out to see it.’

However, the discussion rapidly turned from the film promotion to unearthing old interviews with Lively or generally criticising her style, personality, and life.

In It Ends With Us, Lily (Lively) falls in love with Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni) before reconnecting with her first love (Brandon Sklenar) – amid a backdrop of domestic violence.

Baldoni is also known for his role as Rafael Solano in the telenovela Jane The Virgin and wrote a book called Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity about pushing back against traditional notions of masculinity.

Lively has four children with husband Ryan Reynolds, the Deadpool actor who is a co-owner of Wrexham AFC football team, who also co-wrote some scenes in It Ends With Us.

She has starred in films including The Age Of Adaline, and A Simple Favour, and played Serena van der Woodsen in the hit teen drama series Gossip Girl.

Metro has contacted Lively and Baldoni’s representatives for comment.

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