Legal troubles surrounding actor and filmmaker Justin Baldoni are intensifying as he faces a breach of contract lawsuit filed by his former publicist, Steph Jones. A lawsuit, lodged in New York State court this week, follows allegations of sexual misconduct made by Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' co-star, Blake Lively, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Baldoni, who both directed and starred in the adaptation of Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel 'It Ends With Us', had entered into a one-year contract with Jones' PR firm, Jonesworks, at a rate of USD 25,000 per month, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
However, in August, just as the film was released theatrically, Baldoni reportedly severed ties with Jonesworks and moved his business to a new PR firm founded by his former publicist, Jennifer Abel.
The lawsuit filed by Jones accuses Baldoni of breach of contract, but it also names Abel and fellow publicist Melissa Nathan as conspirators in a broader effort to damage Jones' professional reputation, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Jones claims that after Baldoni's departure, the publicists, along with Baldoni, engaged in a smear campaign against Lively.
According to the lawsuit obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, the campaign was orchestrated as retaliation after Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of 'It Ends With Us'.
In Lively's complaint, filed with the California Civil Rights Department on December 23, she described how Baldoni and his team allegedly engaged in a "social manipulation" effort to ruin her reputation.
This was supposedly done in response to her claims of sexual harassment by Baldoni, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Lively's legal team obtained evidence, including text messages, which were allegedly exchanged between Abel, Nathan, and Baldoni.
The communications, presented in Lively's suit, suggest a coordinated effort to "bury" Lively's allegations to prevent a public scandal.
Baldoni has strongly denied the accusations made by Lively, calling them "shameful" and "categorically false." In a statement, Baldoni labelled the claims as "serious and defamatory" and vehemently rejected any wrongdoing by him or the film's production company, Wayfarer Studios, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
However, the legal drama does not end with Lively's allegations. The breach of contract lawsuit filed by Jones claims that Abel, who had plans to leave Jonesworks, took steps to undermine the firm while simultaneously attempting to take its clients.
Jones further alleges that Nathan encouraged Abel's departure and that this concerted effort caused significant harm to Jonesworks' reputation and operations.
"This scheme ultimately inflicted serious damage on Jones and Jonesworks," the lawsuit asserts, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
As the legal battle unfolds, both the allegations surrounding Baldoni and the ongoing disputes between the involved parties continue to draw attention.
