Justin Baldoni sued by his former publicist amid Blake Lively scandal
It’s never-ending.
The Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively scandal continues, with Baldoni, 40, now being sued by his former publicist.
According to Variety, Steph Jones, who owns the public relations firm Jonesworks, has accused Baldoni of breaching their contract, which required him to pay her $25,000 per month.
The Post reached out to Baldoni’s lawyer for comment.
Baldoni parted ways with Jonesworks in August, after his Jonesworks publicist, Jennifer Abel, left the company to form her own firm.
Jones also sued Abel and publicist Melissa Nathan. She has accused them of deploying the alleged “smear campaign” against Lively behind her back and without her knowledge.
“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,” the lawsuit states.
On Saturday, Lively, 37, filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, who not only co-starred in “It Ends With Us” but also directed it.
The movie is about a domestic violence relationship between their characters, and it’s based on a best-selling novel by Colleen Hoover.
Lively’s lawsuit alleged that Baldoni sexually harassed her on the set of their hit film.
According to the legal docs, the “Gossip Girl” also accused Baldoni of “a coordinated effort to destroy her reputation” after the movie was released.
Lively said in the docs that the alleged smear campaign caused harm to her business and led to her family experiencing “severe emotional distress.”
The movie premiered over the summer, and it was a hit, grossing over $300 million on a $25 million budget.
At the time, there were rumors of a feud between Lively and Baldoni, as they seemingly strangely didn’t appear together to promote the film.
Fans of the movie noted that many members of the cast unfollowed Baldoni on social media, adding fuel to the fire of the speculation.
Lively underwent a barrage of negative publicity upon the movie’s release and was dubbed a “mean girl” after a journalist claimed an uncomfortable interview with the star led her to quit her job.
After the suit became public, Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman told The Post: “It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation.”
According to the legal docs, Lively alleges it was Baldoni who made things untenable on set.
Lively alleged in the suit that “things got so bad during filming, there was an all-hands-on-deck meeting to address what she claims was a hostile work environment.”
The “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” actress also claimed that Baldoni and his allies “engaged in a ‘social manipulation’ campaign to ‘destroy’ her reputation.”
As evidence, she included texts from Baldoni’s publicist to a studio publicist saying the actor “wants to feel like [Ms. Lively] can be buried.”
“These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media,” Baldoni’s lawyer told The Post in a statement.
Jenny Slate, who was also in the movie (playing Baldoni’s character’s sister), released a statement on Tuesday.
“As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation,” Slate told Today.
She added, “What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing and wholly threatening. I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side.”
