Justin Baldoni was sued by his former publicist in the Blake Lively scandal

Justin Baldoni was sued by his former publicist in the Blake Lively scandal

It’s never ending.

The Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively scandal continues, and Baldoni, 40, is now being sued by his former publicist.

According to Variety, Steph Jones, owner of the public relations firm Jonesworks, has accused Baldoni of violating her contract, which required him to pay her $25,000 per month.

The Post reached out to Baldoni’s attorney for comment.

Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively in It Ends With Us. Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Stephanie Jones, Justin Baldoni’s ex-publicist. LinkedIn/Stephanie Jones
Blake Lively at the UK screening of It Ends With Us on August 8, 2024. AFP via Getty Images

Baldoni parted ways with Jonesworks in August after his Jonesworks publicist Jennifer Abel left the company to start her own company.

Jones also sued Abel and publicist Melissa Nathan. She has accused them of carrying out the alleged “smear campaign” against Lively behind her back and without her knowledge.

“To this day, Abel and Nathan continue to falsely point the finger at Jones after their own misconduct comes to light, and to defame and attack Jones within the industry,” the lawsuit says.

On Saturday, Lively, 37, filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, who not only starred in “It Ends With Us” but also directed it.

The film is about a domestic violent relationship between its characters and is based on a best-selling novel by Colleen Hoover.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in It Ends With Us. ©Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively are seen on the set of It Ends With Us on January 12, 2024. GC images
Justin Baldoni with his wife Emily at the premiere of “It Ends With Us” on August 6, 2024. GC images

Lively’s lawsuit alleged that Baldoni sexually harassed her on the set of her hit film.

According to legal documents, “Gossip Girl” also accused Baldoni of “a coordinated effort to destroy her reputation” after the film’s release.

Lively said in the documents that the alleged smear campaign damaged her business and caused her family to suffer “severe emotional distress.”

The film premiered in the summer and was a hit, grossing over $300 million on a budget of $25 million.

At the time, there were rumors of a feud between Lively and Baldoni, as they strangely didn’t appear together to promote the film.

Fans of the film noticed that many members of the cast unfollowed Baldoni on social media, further fueling speculation.

Lively faced a barrage of negative headlines following the film’s release and was labeled a “bad girl” after a journalist claimed an unpleasant interview with the star caused her to quit her job.

Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively will film “It Ends With Us” in January 2024. Christopher Peterson/SplashNews.com
Justin Baldoni at the world premiere of “It Ends With Us” on August 6, 2024. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

After the lawsuit became public, Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman told The Post: “It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false allegations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and his representatives as another desperate attempt .” ‘fix’ their negative reputation.”

According to the legal documents, Lively claims that it was Baldoni who made things untenable on set.

Lively claimed in the lawsuit, “Things got so bad during filming that there was a meeting with everyone involved to address what they felt was a hostile work environment.”

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants actress also claimed that Baldoni and his allies “conducted a campaign of ‘social manipulation’ to ‘destroy’ her reputation.”

As evidence, she included texts from Baldoni’s publicist to a studio publicist saying the actor “wants to feel like (Ms. Lively) can be buried.”

Blake Lively at the UK screening of It Ends with Us in August 2024. Scott A. Garfitt/Invision/AP
Justin Baldoni on August 8, 2024. Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images

“These allegations are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with the intent to publicly offend and rehash a narrative in the media,” Baldoni’s attorney said in a statement to The Post.

Jenny Slate, who also starred in the film (she played Baldoni’s character’s sister), released a statement on Tuesday.

“As a castmate and friend of Blake Lively, I voice my support as she takes action against those who have reportedly planned and carried out an attack on her reputation,” Slate told Today.

She added: “What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing and completely threatening. “I praise my friend, I admire her courage and I stand with her.”

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