December 25th 2024.
Blake Lively has recently spoken out against her director and co-star Justin Baldoni, accusing him of launching a smear campaign against her. And it looks like she's not the only one who feels this way. A new lawsuit has been filed by Baldoni's former publicist, Stephanie Jones, in support of Lively's claims.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed in a New York state court in Manhattan on Tuesday, Jones began representing Baldoni in 2017. In 2020, their contract was expanded and Baldoni's production company, Wayfarer, agreed to pay a monthly fee of $25,000. However, things took a turn when the movie "It Ends With Us" was released in August of that year.
The lawsuit alleges that Baldoni and Wayfarer, in collaboration with publicists, attempted to "bury" and "destroy" Lively. This was due to concerns that allegations of misogynistic and toxic behavior on set during the making of the romantic drama would harm Baldoni's reputation and career. Jones is seeking unspecified damages from the defendants, including Jennifer Abel, a former employee who she claims was a key player in the campaign to damage Lively and tarnish Jones' reputation.
According to the lawsuit, Abel was fired after Jones discovered that she had stolen over 70 confidential business documents and client leads from Jonesworks. Abel was allegedly preparing to leave the firm and start her own publicity company, taking Baldoni and Wayfarer as clients with her. The lawsuit also claims that Abel worked with crisis management expert Melissa Nathan, who has previously represented actor Johnny Depp, in an effort to manipulate and control media coverage that was damaging to both Lively and Jones.
The lawsuit includes numerous text messages that were extracted from the company phone that Abel returned to Jonesworks when she was fired. In response to a request for comment, Abel sent an email that included screenshots of text messages between herself and Jones, as well as a July 26 email she sent to Jones two weeks after announcing her departure during a Zoom call.
In the email, Abel wrote that she hoped to maintain a relationship with Jones as a mentor, friend, and confidant. She also assured Jones that there was no ill will towards her and that she had left previous companies with grace and intact relationships. Nathan has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Last week, Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, a step that often precedes a lawsuit. In the complaint, she alleges that Baldoni tried to damage her reputation after she and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, addressed repeated sexual harassment by Baldoni and a producer on the movie.
Bryan Freedman, an attorney representing Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its representatives, has denied Lively's claims, calling them "completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious." He also stated that the studio hired a crisis manager proactively due to Lively's demands and threats during production. A request for comment on the lawsuit filed by Jones has not yet been returned.
"It Ends With Us" is an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel from 2016. It was released in August and exceeded box office expectations with a $50 million debut, eventually reaching sales of $350 million. Baldoni is known for his role in "Jane the Virgin" and has also directed "Five Feet Apart" and written "Man Enough," a book that challenges traditional ideas of masculinity.
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