Justin Baldoni‘s reputation continues to take a hit amid his sexual harassment complaint from Blake Lively. What started as an alleged power tussle on the set of It Ends with Us has turned into a full-blown legal battle, with Lively accusing her co-star of being sexually inappropriate on set, amongst other damning allegations.
Following the bombshell complaint, SAG-AFTRA has issued a statement condemning Baldoni and showing strong support for Lively. “We applaud Blake Lively’s courage in speaking out on issues of retaliation and harassment and for her request to have an intimacy coordinator for all scenes with nudity or sexual content,” a spokesperson said. Describing Lively’s demand as “important,” the statement heavily criticized the accusations against Baldoni.
“These are startling and troubling allegations. Employees have every right to raise issues of concern or to file complaints. Retaliation for reporting misconduct or inappropriate behavior is illegal and wrong.”
The SAG-AFTRA spokespersons concluded, “We all have a right to be treated with dignity and respect on the job.” Over the weekend, Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni and his production company with California’s Civil Rights Department. The Gossip Girl star also claimed Baldoni’s team launched a targeted smear campaign on social media to ruin her reputation.
The Jane the Virgin actor has since denied the allegations through his lawyer, Bryan Freedman, calling them “serious and categorically false.” Freedman slammed Lively for “yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation.”
Justin Baldoni Loses DV Advocate Recognition For ‘Abhorrent Conduct’
Despite the actor’s claim of innocence, repercussions have begun pouring in. Justin Baldoni was immediately dropped by his talent agency, WME — which also represents Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. Now, Baldoni’s Voices of Solidarity award has been rescinded in a new update.
The recognition was first bestowed on the filmmaker earlier this month amid the promotion of the Colleen Hoover book adaptation. Vital Voices Global Partnership, the non-profit organization behind the award, issued a statement disassociating themselves from Baldoni.
“We learned through news reports about a lawsuit brought by Blake Lively against Mr. Baldoni, his publicists, and others that is disturbing and alleges abhorrent conduct,” it read. The organization described the actor’s alleged actions as “contrary to the values and spirit” of the given award. “We have notified Mr. Baldoni that we have rescinded this award,” the statement ended. The Voices of Solidarity Award is usually given to “remarkable men who have shown courage and compassion in advocating on behalf of women and girls.”
So far, things aren’t looking good for Baldoni. Fans online believe his career has already ended even before an official verdict has been made.
“Oh, it’s over for him and deservedly so,” one comment read.
“Oh, he’s never working in Hollywood again,” a second fan penned.
“Yeah, Justin Baldoni is finished. When studios, actors, actresses, and your talent agency speak up this quickly, that’s when you know your career is over,” a third fan wrote.
