Justin Baldoni's Publicist Denies Damaging Blake Lively's Reputation: 'The Internet Was Doing the Work For Us'
The controversy surrounding Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's film 'It Ends With Us' has escalated with new statements from Baldoni's PR team.
Jennifer Abel, Baldoni's publicist, addressed leaked text messages that were part of Lively's sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios.
Abel defended the crisis team exchanges on Facebook, stating they were primarily jokes about fan reactions and didn't represent actual actions against Lively.
She emphasized that while they prepared for various scenarios, they didn't implement any negative press campaigns.
Bryan Freedman, attorney for Baldoni, Abel, and Nathan, challenged the context of the leaked messages, stating TAG PR operated normally for crisis management facing "threats by two extremely powerful people." He criticized 'The New York Times' for publishing leaked texts without full context.
The controversy stems from Lively's lawsuit alleging sexual harassment by Baldoni during filming, including inappropriate conduct that led to an all-hands meeting addressing various demands, such as stopping discussions of inappropriate topics and showing nude videos.
Since the lawsuit's filing, Baldoni has been dropped by WME. His team claims Lively made "multiple demands and threats" during production, including threats to not promote the film.
Journalist Kjersti Flaa, whose 2016 interview with Lively recently resurfaced, denied involvement in any smear campaign, stating she independently chose to share her "uncomfortable" interview experience with Lively after seeing the movie.
Both sides continue to maintain their positions - Lively's team asserting sexual harassment and retaliation, while Baldoni's team denies the allegations and claims Lively's actions harmed the film's release.
There's been no additional official comment on the matter from either party.
