Justin Baldoni’s publicist has allegedly revealed they ‘revelled’ in the narrative around Blake Lively as they break their silence on leaked text messages from the actor’s complaint against Baldoni.
Over the weekend, Lively submitted a complaint against Baldoni, who was her co-star and director on It Ends with Us, a film based on a Colleen Hoover novel about domestic violence and emotional abuse.
She alleged that he carried out sexual harassment on the set of the film, and started a social media ‘smear campaign’ against her.
Leaked messages between Baldoni's team
Among the details in the filing were messages, acquired via subpoena, between Baldoni’s publicist and a PR specialist, also used by Johnny Depp in his suit against Amber Heard, who the director hired to help with PR following his on-set feud with Lively.
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One of his publicists, Jennifer Abel, was shown in the texts saying that Baldoni wanted ‘to feel like she can be buried’ in alleged reference to Lively.
According to Deadline, however, Abel has broken her silence by posting a rant in a ‘PR & Marketing Facebook group’.
While Abel has not responded to Deadline’s request for comment, they claim they have verified that it was her that posted this. Due to it being a private Facebook group, this cannot be fully verified.
Deadline's claims have now been separately reported by both The Hollywood Reporter, and The Wrap.
Baldoni's publicist's response
They claim she posted over the weekend: “What the cherry-picked messages don’t include, although not shockingly, as it doesn’t fit the narrative, is that it was no smear implied, no negative press was ever facilitated.
“No social combat plan, although we were prepared for it, as it’s our job to be ready for any scenario, but we didn’t have to implement anything, because the internet was doing the work for us.”
She went on to supposedly admit: “And yes, we rejoiced and joked in the fact that fans were recognizing our client's heart and work without us having to do anything but keep our heads down and focus on positive interviews for our client.
“As the texts show, we sophomorically revelled again, and we sophomorically revelled and again joked privately to each other about the internet’s feedback to the woman whose team was making our lives incredibly difficult over the course of the campaign.
“I’m human… the long hours, months of preparation on top of my day-to day- scope …it felt good to see that although we were prepared, we didn’t have to do anything over the top to protect our client.
"Is my client perfect? No. In fact, he says that he’s not perfect so constantly to the point I tell him he needs to be less self-deprecating because it could be taken the wrong way.
"Are Blake’s feelings valid? It’s not my position to say or speculate what she was feeling in these moments that she claims, and I would never slam a woman for speaking her truth.
"But at the end of the day, if it’s not the truth and there is evidence that proves otherwise, then as a representative I have to do what I feel is right as well."
This marks silence being broken by Abel and PR crisis specialist Melissa Nathan, who has yet to comment on being featured in texts.
Of the social media campaign she is claiming was created against her, Lively said in the complaint that the ‘emotional impact’ was ‘extreme’ stressing that it affected ‘her family, including her husband and four children’.
Demands made by Blake Lively and response from Baldoni
Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds, was also present for a meeting between Lively and Baldoni that allowed for her to return to the set of the film before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
This meeting laid out 30 demands that Blake Lively had for her return to set, which included Justin Baldoni and producer James Heath not showing her pornography on set or improvising kissing.
The full list can be found here.
LADbible Group has reached out for comment to Wayfarer Studios and Justin Baldoni.
Justin Baldoni’s full statement in response to the lawsuit can be found here.
Topics: Blake Lively, Celebrity, Entertainment, Film, Justin Baldoni, TV and Film
Michael Slavin