Justin Baldoni was spotted out for the first time since Blake Lively filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against him. The actor-director appeared visibly subdued as he stepped out with his wife, Emily, a contrast to his usual upbeat public persona. The outing comes amid the ongoing legal battle and mounting pressure surrounding the serious allegations leveled against him.
Justin Baldoni spotted amid Blake Lively lawsuit
In an eight-page complaint filed on Wednesday, Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni’s co-star in It’s Ends with Us, accused the actor-director of sexually harassing her on the film set. She also claimed Baldoni attempted to launch a smear campaign against her once the situation spiraled out of control.
In recent photos obtained by TMZ, Baldoni was seen looking notably serious as he stepped out with his wife. The couple was photographed in Los Angeles just before the holiday season, making a stop to drop off their children at a relative’s home before heading to an office meeting. In one picture he could be seen sitting on his car’s seat with gates open looking down as the camera moved towards him to capture his mood.
Lively previously accused Baldoni of creating a toxic work environment on set, which led to an urgent meeting to address the situation. According to People, one such instance mentioned in the complaint claims, Baldoni “discreetly bit and sucked on Ms. Lively’s lower lip during a scene in which he improvised numerous kisses on each take.” Later he “insisted” on shooting “over and over again.”
Alongside Baldoni, producer Jamey Heath is also accused of “repeatedly entering Lively’s trailer uninvited while she was undressed or breastfeeding her child.”
Justin Baldoni’s podcast co-host quits
On Monday, following the bombshell allegations and an outpouring of support for Lively from Hollywood A-listers, including Amber Heard, who herself was involved in a legal battle against her ex-husband Johnny Depp, Baldoni’s longtime co-host on the Man Enough podcast announced her departure. Liz Plank, expressing that “we deserve better,” vowed to continue advocating for justice and accountability, promising to share more as she processes the recent events.
Justin Baldoni’s lawyer breaks silence
Bladoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman in a statement to Weekly opened up about the alleged ‘leaked text’ exchanges provided by Lively to support her claims. Labeling the move as “dubious PR tactics” Freedman said the exhibits lack ‘critical context.’
“TAG PR operated as any other crisis management firm would when hired by a client experiencing threats by two extremely powerful people with unlimited resources,” Freedman said on Monday. “The standard scenario planning TAG PR drafted proved unnecessary as audiences found Lively’s own actions, interviews, and marketing during the promotional tour distasteful, and responded organically to that which the media themselves picked up on,” he continued.
