Justin Baldoni’s ex-publicist sues over alleged smear campaign amid Blake Lively controversy

The ongoing feud between actress Blake Lively and actor-director Justin Baldoni has a new layer: Baldoni’s former publicist is filing a lawsuit over an alleged smear campaign involving Lively.

Stephanie Jones, a publicist, claims she was forced to stop representing Baldoni and his studio out of fear that Lively would publish allegations of misconduct against the actor. New York Times reported

Details of the publicist’s lawsuit

Stephanie Jones filed claim in New York, alleging breach of contract, and it follows a separate legal complaint filed by Blake Lively in California on Dec. 21. Lively’s legal complaint includes excerpts from text messages and emails the actress received through a subpoena.

Jones’ lawsuit shows the messages came from a corporate phone used by Jennifer Abel, one of her former employees, who is one of the people Lively accuses of helping coordinate the smear campaign against her.

RELATED: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni latest: Texts reveal plan to ‘bury’ Lively

The lawsuit said the phone was voluntarily returned to Jones’ company, Jonesworks, and that messages and emails were deleted from the company’s phone and kept in its “original condition.”

The lawsuit says Ms. Jones saw the phone messages after she fired Abel in 2023, and Wayfarer stopped working with Jonesworks.

In the lawsuit, Jones said that after reviewing the messages, she learned that Abel was stealing documents from her firm and that Abel was engaged in a revenge campaign against Lively, and that Abel had opened his own firm and continued to work for Wayfarer.

According to the lawsuit, Justin Baldoni feared that allegations of his bad behavior on the set of “It All Ends With Us” would surface. The lawsuit also alleges that Abel and Melissa Nathan, a crisis communications manager, were encouraged by a Wayfarer executive to create a plan to cover up any admissions about Baldoni’s behavior on set. The lawsuit alleged that Abel and Nathan launched a “smear campaign against Lively.

In the lawsuit, Jones alleges that Abel and Nathan planned to undermine her reputation, steal clients from her firm and accuse her of a smear campaign against Lively. John also accuses Baldoni, Wayfarer and Abel of breaching contracts with her company.

What is the “It Ends With Us” Controversy About?

It Ends With Us,” based on Colin Hoover’s best-selling 2016 novel about domestic violence, was a box office success but mired in controversy over rumors of a feud between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Film critics were also concerned that the film romanticized family life. violence.

RELATED: Blake Lively Sues ‘It Ends With Us’ Co-Star Justin Baldoni Alleging Sexual Harassment

Prior to the film’s debut, Lively and other cast members told Sony and Wayfarer that they would not be doing promotional events with Baldoni. Hoover, the author who inspired the film, said as much, according to The New York Times.

Baldoni took a backseat to the film’s promotion, while Lively took center stage alongside husband Ryan Reynolds, who was doing press for Deadpool and Wolverine at the same time.

What does Blake Lively accuse Justin Baldoni of?

Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni of impromptu, unwanted kisses during filming and also discussed his sex life, “including encounters in which he said he may not have consented.” This is reported by New Timeswhich reviewed thousands of pages of text messages and emails related to the case.

Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of sexually harassing her on set and later of trying to “destroy” her reputation.

The actress also claims that Baldoni and the studio launched a plan to smear her after a meeting in which Lively and Ryan Reynolds discussed “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior” by Baldoni and one of the film’s producers.

The complaint names Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and Baldoni’s publicists as defendants.

What is Baldini’s response to the complaint?

An attorney for Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios denied the allegations.

“These statements are completely false, outrageous and intentionally obscene to publicly offend and reframe the media narrative,” attorney Brian Friedman said in a statement to The Associated Press.

Friedman said the studio was proactive and hired a crisis manager “due to the numerous demands and threats Ms. Lively made during production.”

According to the Associated Press, the lawyer claims that Lively threatened not to appear on the set and not to promote the film “if her demands are not met.” He did not specify what these requirements were.

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