Justin Baldoni's Baha’i faith and religious beliefs explored in wake of Blake Lively's lawsuit claims

Actress Blake Lively is suing her It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni, accusing him of s*xual harassment and running a smear campaign against her. In the wake of this, Justin Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, has described the allegations as “false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious.” Freedman said it was an attempt to “rehash narratives in the media” to damage his client’s reputation.

Meanwhile, Justin Baldoni’s religious beliefs have come under scrutiny. For the unversed, he identifies with the Baha’i faith, which is based on the spiritual unity of all humankind. Justin’s parents, Sharon and Sam Baldoni, embraced the Baha’i faith despite their Jewish heritage.

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Exploring Justin Baldoni’s religion

Justin Baldoni arrives at the "It Ends With Us" premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on August 6, 2024, in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)

Justin Baldoni was born in Los Angeles and experienced an interfaith upbringing. His father was an Irish Catholic, and his mother was Ashkenazi Jewish, the roots of which can be traced back to 19th-century Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Middle East.

He grew up embracing the Baha'i faith, which has tenets that include the oneness of humanity, gender equality, and harmony of science and religion. InterfaithFamily.com reported that his mother converted to the Baha’i faith before marrying his father, who later did the same. Yet, they continued to honor their original ancestries.

During an April 2020 interview with Today, he shared how his faith shaped his career and passion.

“So, the Baha'i Faith definitely provides a lot of insight, and it’s also a daily source of inner happiness. Through God, we are told to not rely on the external or superficial for joy and serenity, and while no one is perfect at that, it’s an incredible guiding light,” Baldoni shared at the time.

In the same interview, he shared how the Baha'i faith helped him face the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially by connecting him with 6 million community members worldwide online.

“In our faith, prayer is our foundation and it’s seen as kind of the anchor in our lives. So we try to start and end our day by reminding ourselves that we’re a spiritual being having a physical experience," he added.

Back then, Justin also shared that he had a Baha'i quote from Abdu'l-Bahá, a central figure in the faith, tattooed on his arm:

"Where there is love, nothing is too much trouble, and there is always time."

He mentioned that he lived his professional and personal life according to this motto. As per the official website of Baha'i, it is a monotheistic religion that originated in 19th-century Iran. The believers of this faith prey to Bahá’u’lláh, a messenger of God.

Additionally, Baldoni once shared that his grandfather was in the Second World War, and a section of his family were victims of the Holocaust, as per the Jewish Journal. Thus, the 40-year-old actor-filmmaker has celebrated Hanukkah to honor his Jewish background while commemorating Christmas.

The Jewish Chronicle even mentioned that Justin Baldoni visited Israel in 2011 and later in 2022. Incidentally, Israel is also the land of Judaism, and the governing body of the Baha'i faith, the Universal House of Justice, is located in Haifa.

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Justin Baldoni directed and played the male lead in the Colleen Hoover adaptation, It Ends With Us, opposite Blake Lively. The film was released on August 9. However, its media tour was derailed after a rift between the co-stars.

Now, more than four months later, Blake Lively has filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing Justin Baldoni of s*xual harassment, reportedly attempting to ruin her career, and running a smear campaign against her.

While he has refuted the claims, Lively told the New York Times that her "legal action" would hopefully "pull the curtain" on "sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct" and help "protect others who may be targeted."

Notably, Baldoni has advocated for domestic violence prevention, championed women’s rights, and participated in the #MeToo movement.