Stephanie Jones, a former publicist for actor and director Justin Baldoni, has filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and his PR team in connection with allegations that they orchestrated a smear campaign against actress Blake Lively. The legal action comes in the wake of Lively’s sexual harassment complaint against Baldoni, her co-star in the upcoming film It Ends With Us.
Jones, the founder of the PR firm Jonesworks, claims that her former employee, Jennifer Abel, played a central role in a conspiracy with Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer, and crisis PR expert Melissa Nathan. According to Jones’ lawsuit, Abel secretly collaborated with Baldoni and Nathan to undermine both Jones’ business and Lively’s reputation.
Alleged Smear Campaign
The lawsuit details how Abel and Nathan, without Jones’ knowledge, worked with Baldoni’s team to orchestrate a media attack on Lively. Jones asserts that this campaign was designed to discredit Lively after she accused Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us. Jones also claims that Abel, who was fired in August, started her own PR firm and continued to work with Baldoni and other clients she had taken from Jonesworks.
“Defendants Abel and Nathan secretly conspired for months to publicly and privately attack Jones and Jonesworks, to breach multiple contracts, induce breaches, and steal clients and business prospects,” Jones’ complaint states. She further alleges that Baldoni, through his company Wayfarer, helped orchestrate the smear campaign to separate Jones from her client base and falsely blame her for the negative PR actions.
Backing of Blake Lively
Blake Lively has made serious accusations against Baldoni, claiming that he sexually harassed her while filming It Ends With Us. Lively alleges that Baldoni pressured her into performing unscripted physical intimacy during the film’s production, pushed for more nudity than originally planned, and made unsolicited comments about his personal sex life and porn addiction. Additionally, she asserts that after she raised concerns about his behavior, Baldoni attempted to retaliate by using his PR team to attack her reputation.
In her legal complaint, Lively outlines how Baldoni’s actions involved improper and unwelcome physical gestures that were not part of the agreed-upon choreography for their scenes. She claims these actions were designed to humiliate her and to suppress her concerns about workplace safety.
Public Support for Lively
Since Lively’s allegations came to light, there has been strong public support for the actress. Author Colleen Hoover, whose book It Ends With Us is the basis for the film, has voiced her backing, alongside fellow actresses Amber Heard, America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel. In a joint statement, these women expressed solidarity with Lively, stating, “As Blake’s friends and sisters for over 20 years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation.”
The group also condemned the alleged exploitation of domestic violence survivors’ stories in the film to silence Lively’s complaints, calling it “hypocritical” and “appalling.”
PR Fallout
The controversy surrounding Baldoni has led to further fallout, including the departure of Liz Plank, co-host of Baldoni’s Man Enough podcast, in response to the allegations. Additionally, an award Baldoni recently received for his advocacy work on behalf of women and girls has been rescinded. The Vital Voices Global Partnership, which honored Baldoni with the Voices of Solidarity Award, withdrew the recognition following Lively’s claims.
In a statement, a source close to the situation described Jones’ lawsuit as “retaliatory,” claiming that Baldoni and Wayfarer had chosen to leave Jonesworks, along with Abel, long before the legal action was taken.
Legal Developments
Stephanie Jones’ lawsuit has added another layer to the ongoing legal battle between Lively and Baldoni. Jones claims that after Abel’s firing, she discovered a series of messages that were linked to Baldoni and passed them to Lively’s legal team. These messages were later included in Lively’s 80-page complaint, further intensifying the legal dispute.
A request for comment from Abel has not yet been answered.
It Ends With Us is based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel about an abusive romance between the characters played by Lively and Baldoni. While the film’s release is highly anticipated, the legal battles surrounding the production have cast a shadow over its promotion.
For more updates on this legal case, stay tuned to Vviptimes.
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