The legal complaint, which was filed last Friday and subsequently reported by TMZ on Saturday, includes grave allegations of sexual harassment. Lively accuses Baldoni, who is both her co-star and director in the film, along with his team, of orchestrating a smear campaign aimed at tarnishing her reputation in the industry.

Baldoni’s representatives have firmly denied all allegations outlined in the lawsuit, maintaining that these claims are baseless and untrue.

The alleged smear campaign against Lively is purportedly evidenced through emails and text messages that were reportedly uncovered via a subpoena. These communications are said to involve Baldoni, his publicist Jennifer Abel, and crisis management professional Melissa Nathan, and were also detailed in the lawsuit and reported by The New York Times.

Numerous celebrities have expressed their support for Lively, including Colleen Hoover, the author of It Ends With Us, her castmates from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and Amber Heard. Meanwhile, Baldoni’s reputation and professional opportunities have been adversely affected as these serious allegations unfold.

Here’s a comprehensive overview of the developments that have transpired in light of these shocking allegations.

In a swift response to the lawsuit filed by Lively against Baldoni, the talent agency William Morris Endeavor terminated its contract with the actor less than 24 hours after the allegations emerged. Sources confirmed this decision to TMZ on Saturday.

According to Deadline, which was the first outlet to break the news, WME’s leadership made this decision early Saturday morning, citing the lawsuit as a significant factor in their choice to sever ties with Baldoni.

In contrast, Lively continues to be represented by WME, maintaining her position within the agency despite the ongoing legal issues.

In the aftermath of Lively’s allegations, journalist and author Liz Plank, who co-hosted The Man Enough podcast alongside Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath, announced her departure from the mental health-focused podcast.

“I am writing to inform you that I have asked my representatives to notify Wayfarer that I will no longer be co-hosting The Man Enough podcast,” Plank, 37, stated in an announcement shared on her Instagram account. “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 cherish what this community has created together, and that’s due to you.”

“As I close this chapter, I remain committed to the values we built together. Thank you for being here, for trusting me, and for standing by my side over the past four years. We all deserve better, and I know that together, we can create it,” she added in her statement.

Although Plank did not explicitly mention the lawsuit or Lively in her statement, her comments appeared to reflect the recent events surrounding the allegations.

“I will have more to share soon as I continue to process everything that has happened,” she wrote. “I will continue to support everyone who calls out injustice and holds the people standing in their way accountable.”

“I’ll miss you, and I’ll be sharing more soon. I appreciate your compassion and patience. I hope this comment section can be a place of support, respect, and kindness, reflecting the community we’ve built together,” she concluded in her post’s caption.

The Man Enough podcast, which launched in 2021 with Plank, Baldoni, and Heath, focuses on exploring modern masculinity and the impact of rigid gender roles on everyone, as outlined on its website. Baldoni also authored a book titled Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity, released in April 2021.

Heath, who co-founded Wayfarer Studios with Baldoni, is also named in the lawsuit, which Lively filed against both him and Baldoni.

In light of the allegations raised by Lively, Baldoni recently faced the rescinding of an award he had just received.

On Monday, Important Voices, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting female entrepreneurs and leaders worldwide, publicly announced that it had rescinded Baldoni’s Voices of Solidarity Award in the wake of Lively’s allegations. Baldoni had accepted this honor earlier in December during a ceremony in New York City.

“The Voices of Solidarity Award honors exceptional men who have demonstrated courage and compassion in advocating for women and girls,” the organization stated in their announcement shared on their website and social media. “On December 9, 2024, we recognized Justin Baldoni with this award. However, on Saturday, December 21, we learned of a disturbing lawsuit filed by Blake Lively against Mr. Baldoni, his publicists, and others, which alleges abhorrent conduct.”

“The communications between Mr. Baldoni and his publicists referenced in the lawsuit – along with the public relations efforts they describe – are fundamentally contrary to the values of Important Voices and the spirit of the Award,” the organization added. “We have notified Mr. Baldoni that we have rescinded this award.”

Following the award presentation on December 9, Baldoni took to Instagram to reflect on the honor he received.

“My hope is that we can teach our boys, while they are still young, that vulnerability is strength, sensitivity is a superpower, and empathy makes them powerful,” he expressed, according to USA Today. “Being a boy and a man is wonderful and nothing to apologize for. We should cherish all the beautiful and complex parts of them that make them human.”

“I wholeheartedly believe that once our boys learn to be safe spaces for themselves, our world will finally be a safe space for everyone,” Baldoni added, emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence.

Reports indicate that Baldoni removed this reflective post by Tuesday, highlighting the rapid changes in his public relations strategy amid the ongoing controversy.

Just days after Lively’s lawsuit, Baldoni found himself facing another legal challenge, this time from his former publicist, Stephanie Jones. She filed a lawsuit accusing her ex-employee Jennifer Abel and crisis management professionals Melissa Nathan of engaging in a coordinated media smear campaign against Lively, which allegedly aimed to “publicly and privately attack” her and her PR agency, Jonesworks, as outlined in documents obtained by TMZ.

In her lawsuit, Jones claims that Abel and Nathan “secretly conspired” for months, attempting to damage her reputation to benefit themselves and to take her clients, particularly following Abel’s planned departure from Jonesworks.

She alleges that the actions taken by Abel and Nathan were intended to create a rift between Jones and Baldoni, while simultaneously shifting the blame onto Jones.

“To this day, Abel and Nathan continue to falsely accuse Jones now that their own misconduct is being exposed, defaming and attacking Jones within the industry,” the lawsuit alleges.

The legal documents include several alleged text messages between Abel and Nathan, where they discussed Abel’s departure from Jones’ agency along with plans to take Baldoni and Wayfarer with them.

Despite these allegations, one text reveals Abel’s apparent disdain for Baldoni: “I can’t stand him. He’s so pompous,” she allegedly texted Nathan. “You’re not that important and nobody gives a s–t how hard your life is.”

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