The backlash against Justin Baldoni continues to grow following sexual harassment allegations filed by Blake Lively, with journalist and author Liz Plank announcing her departure as co-host of The Man Enough Podcast. Plank, who had co-hosted the podcast alongside Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios president Jamey Heath since 2021, shared the news on Monday via social media, citing the ongoing controversy.
Plank expressed gratitude to the podcast’s listeners, writing, “Thank you for trusting me with your hearts and stories... I will miss you, the listeners, so much.” Her departure comes amid escalating fallout from Lively’s legal complaint, filed last week, which accuses Baldoni of persistent sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign during the filming of It Ends With Us in 2023.
Baldoni’s legal team has denied the allegations, calling them “shameful” and “categorically false.” However, the controversy has had significant consequences. On December 9, Baldoni received the Voices of Solidarity Award from Vital Voices Global Partnership, which honors men advocating for women and girls. The organization rescinded the award on December 23, citing communications detailed in Lively’s complaint as contrary to its values. Mentions of Baldoni’s award have since been removed from the Vital Voices website.
Professionally, Baldoni has been dropped by his agency, WME, and faced public criticism from prominent figures. Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars, director Paul Feig, and actress Amber Heard have publicly expressed their support for her.
The Man Enough Podcast, known for exploring themes of masculinity, now faces an uncertain future without Plank. This development highlights not only the escalating fallout from Lively’s allegations but also the broader issue of workplace misconduct and accountability in Hollywood, as the industry continues to confront these challenges.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ