Justin Baldoni's Women's Solidarity Award Revoked Amid Blake Lively Harassment Allegations

'It Ends With Us' actor and director Justin Baldoni has had his prestigious women’s solidarity award withdrawn following accusations of sexual harassment and a campaign to damage the reputation of his co-star Blake Lively.

AFP

The Voices of Solidarity Award, given to Baldoni by Vital Voices earlier this month, honored men who actively support women’s empowerment. However, the non-profit rescinded the award, according to the BBC, after Lively’s legal complaint described “abhorrent conduct” allegedly carried out by Baldoni, his studio, and his crisis management team.

Allegations and Legal Complaints

Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing Baldoni of repeated harassment and orchestrating a scheme to ruin her reputation.

The allegations emerged from a meeting intended to discuss misconduct, during which Lively supposedly presented a list of 30 demands to create a safer working environment. These included avoiding any mention of Baldoni’s past statements about his pornography addiction, removing certain intimate scenes, and altering inappropriate script descriptions.

The complaint also claims that Baldoni and his studio, Wayfarer, employed a crisis management team to create a “sophisticated and well-financed” retaliation campaign. This involved using a “digital army” of social media accounts designed to discredit Lively while boosting Baldoni’s public image.

Baldoni’s legal team has strongly denied the accusations. His attorney, Bryan Freedman, countered by alleging that Lively threatened to sabotage the film’s production unless her demands were met, accusing her of making “salacious” claims to harm his reputation.

Following the lawsuit’s filing, talent and media agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) dropped Baldoni as a client. The Hollywood Reporter noted that Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, are both represented by the agency.

Celebrity Support for Lively

The controversy has sparked widespread support for Lively from high-profile individuals. Brandon Sklenar, Lively’s co-star in It Ends With Us, shared her legal complaint on Instagram, urging his followers to read it and tagging her with a heart emoji.

Author Colleen Hoover, whose novel inspired the film, has also shown her support, as have Amber Heard, director Paul Feig, and Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars.

Instagram/ @colleenhoover

Additionally, leaked messages from Baldoni’s publicist, Jennifer Abel, revealed talks about monitoring social media narratives related to the allegations. While Abel denied orchestrating a smear campaign, she acknowledged that her team had prepared for such actions and celebrated the organic defense of Baldoni by his fans.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) also issued a statement backing Lively. The union called the allegations “startling and troubling,” praising Lively’s courage and advocating for the use of intimacy coordinators to ensure safer sets.

Liz Plank’s Departure

Meanwhile, Liz Plank, Baldoni’s co-host on the Man Enough podcast, announced she was stepping away from the show. In a heartfelt message, Plank expressed her gratitude to the podcast’s community but cited the allegations as her reason for leaving.

“I will miss you, the listeners, so much. I love what this community created together with every fibre of my being,” she wrote.

Lively’s Statement

In her complaint, Lively alleged that Baldoni and Jamey Heath, one of the film’s producers, engaged in unprofessional behavior, including discussing “their past sexual relationships” with her and sharing their “previous pornography addiction.” Lively also claimed that Baldoni told her he could communicate with the dead, even speaking to her late father, who passed away in 2021.

In a statement to The New York Times, Lively said: “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.”