Justin Baldoni’s It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively has accused him of sexual misconduct in the workplace in her lawsuit, The actress alleged that Baldoni frequently made inappropriate comments about pornography, added sexually explicit scenes, pressured her to lose weight, and entered her trailer unannounced while she was undressed. She also claimed that Baldoni orchestrated a smear campaign to undermine her if the on-set issues became public.
Blake Lively’s claims include text messages and emails allegedly revealing Baldoni working with PR professionals Jennifer Abel and Melissa Nathan on a campaign to tarnish her reputation with one text from Nathan to Abel reading, “You know we can bury anyone.”
Lively’s legal team argues that this was part of a broader strategy to shield Justin Baldoni from scrutiny while promoting their film. In response, Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s attorney, called Lively’s allegations “completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious.” He also accused Lively’s legal team of cherry-picking messages to paint a misleading picture.
The situation has become even more complicated now after Stephanie Jones, a prominent Hollywood publicist, filed her own lawsuit against Baldoni.
View this post on Instagram
Jones has alleged that her former employee, Jennifer Abel, and PR manager Melissa Nathan secretly conspired against Lively and aimed to damage Jones’ reputation as well. According to Jones, Abel stole over 70 sensitive documents from her PR firm, Jonesworks, to launch a competing company, RWA Communications. The lawsuit also claims Abel tried to poach clients and employees from Jonesworks.
Justin Baldoni allegedly launched a “smear” campaign against Blake Lively by putting a spotlight on HER OWN INTERVIEWS…. He didn’t edit them, change them, use AI…. How EXACTLY is THAT a “smear” campaign? Someone please explain to me how Blake Livelys OWN INTERVIEWS ruined her…
— Mystifeyed👁 (@Mystifeye) December 27, 2024
At the heart of these accusations is Abel’s company-issued phone. Jones alleged that this device, examined after a legal subpoena, revealed extensive communications between Abel and Nathan about their alleged campaigns. Jones accused Abel and Nathan of working covertly to harm both Lively and Jonesworks.
However, Justin Baldoni’s lawyer has suggested another theory. He claims that Jones retaliated against Baldoni after learning that her firm was being fired. Freedman alleged that Jones handed over Abel’s phone records to Lively’s team as part of this retaliation. Jones has denied these claims, calling them an attempt to distract from Baldoni’s alleged misconduct.
𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐢 𝐒𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐑 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦
A lawsuit has been filed against Justin Baldoni by his former publicist, Stephanie Jones. The suit alleges that Baldoni’s team, including Jennifer Abel, who allegedly coordinated a smear campaign against Blake Lively,… pic.twitter.com/ZfN4b3OtL9— PopBuzzRecap (@PopBuzzRecap) December 27, 2024
Following Lively’s accusations, Baldoni was dropped by his talent agency WME. The legal disputes have also drawn attention to the intense behind-the-scenes dynamics in Hollywood, where public image and reputation often hang in a delicate balance. Jones, who has represented high-profile clients like Jeff Bezos and Tom Brady, filed her lawsuit to defend her company’s reputation, claiming that the smear campaigns and theft of documents were designed to harm her business while boosting Abel’s and Nathan’s new ventures.
As of now, both cases remain ongoing, with no resolution in sight. Lively’s complaint is likely a precursor to a full lawsuit, while Jones seeks to recover damages and restore her standing in the industry. Baldoni, as of this moment, hasn’t made any rebuttal or issued a public statement to these allegations.
