Justin Baldoni faces new lawsuit amid legal battle with Blake Lively as ex-publicist sues him
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Justin Baldoni, already embroiled in a legal dispute with co-star Blake Lively, is now being sued by his former publicist Stephanie Jones for breach of contract and alleged professional misconduct.
Baldoni’s former publicist, Stephanie Jones, has filed a lawsuit against him and his company, Wayfarer Studios.
New lawsuit against Justin Baldoni
The new lawsuit also names crisis PR expert Melissa Nathan and ex-publicist Jennifer Abel, accusing them of colluding to poach clients and tarnish Jones’ reputation.
This development comes amid Blake Lively's lawsuit against Baldoni, alleging harassment and a toxic work environment during the filming of 'It Ends With Us'.
Lively’s lawsuit accuses Baldoni of showing her explicit material without consent, and also claims Baldoni’s PR team, including Nathan and Abel, orchestrated a campaign to smear her reputation, painting her as difficult to work with.
The allegations have sent shockwaves through Hollywood, with Baldoni vehemently denying the claims.
His attorney, Bryan Freedman, insists the accusations lack merit and that the purported communications were merely internal strategizing typical of PR professionals.
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Publicist's feud against Justin Baldoni intensifies
Stephanie Jones’ lawsuit adds another layer to the drama, accusing Jennifer Abel of stealing client information from Jonesworks PR to launch her own rival firm.
According to court documents, Abel and Nathan conspired to take Baldoni and Wayfarer as clients, while defaming Jones and her company.
The lawsuit includes alleged text messages between Abel and Nathan, showing disdain for Baldoni and plans to poach clients.
One message purportedly from Abel reads, “I can’t stand him. He’s so pompous. A men’s retreat during release, is he crazy?!”
The lawsuit claims these texts were extracted from Abel’s company phone, which was returned to Jonesworks upon her termination.
PR war and reputational damage
Jennifer Abel, now running her own firm, denies orchestrating a smear campaign against Blake Lively.
She argues that the leaked messages merely reflect internal preparations and private jokes.
“No negative press was ever facilitated,” Abel wrote in a statement. “The internet was doing the work for us,” she added.
Jones alleges that the fallout from Abel’s actions has caused significant harm to her business, with two employees leaving to join competitors.
She claims Nathan and Abel also falsely attributed the smear campaign against Lively to Jones, further damaging her professional standing, according to Daily Mail.
The controversies have taken a toll on Baldoni’s career. His agency, William Morris Endeavor, dropped him, and his podcast co-host, Liz Plank, announced her departure from their show.
Meanwhile, Lively’s co-stars Brandon Sklenar and Jenny Slate, along with author Colleen Hoover, have voiced their support for her, bolstering her claims.
