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On December 24, Elizabeth Day, the host of How to Fail, announced on Instagram that she had decided to remove the episode featuring Justin Baldoni from all platforms. The move came in light of the serious allegations made against the actor-director by Blake Lively. Day expressed her commitment to supporting victims of abuse, stating,
"Every individual has a right to a safe workplace. Every woman has the right to dignity in that workplace," she said, adding that all forms of abuse should be called out.
According to the Hollywood reporter, Justin had talked about the "s*xual trauma" he experienced during the filming of the movie, in the interview. However, Day did not further comment on Justin Baldoni's specific remarks from the podcast.
Justin Baldoni on experiencing "emotional abuse" while filming It Ends With Us
The actor and director admitted during his appearance on How to Fail With Elizabeth Day that he was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 40 and opened up about his experience with s*xual trauma.
"It got very emotionally abusive," the actor admitted to the Hollywood reporter.
"I experienced s*xual trauma in that relationship, then wrestled with that trauma for the rest of my life because, in my head, a man can’t experience s*xual trauma at the hands of a woman. It’s also the way that society has kind of made me feel that it’s only the other way around when in reality, it can happen."
Justin Baldoni delved into the emotional intensity of playing Ryle Kincaid in It Ends With Us, particularly highlighting a pivotal scene that left a lasting impact on him. The actor described the challenge of capturing Ryle's complex emotions during a scene where the character discovers Atlas's number in Lily's phone.
Baldoni explained that the character's jealousy and heartbreak had manifest in ways that reveal his dangerous potential. After filming the scene, Baldoni said he experienced a "near breakdown," retreating to process the overwhelming emotions.
He shared how deeply the character's unresolved trauma resonated with him, noting that Ryle's actions stem from suppressed feelings of guilt and loss tied to his brother's death. Baldoni explained that embodying Ryle's pain was so consuming that it lingered in his mind and body for months after the production.
He admitted to having dreams as Ryle and grappling with the emotional weight of the character. Despite this, Baldoni expressed relief at eventually leaving the role behind, stating,
"For the most part, he's out."
Blake Lively's legal complaint against Justin Baldoni
Blake Lively, 37, filed a legal complaint on December 20, accusing Justin Baldoni of multiple incidents of s*xual harassment during the production of It Ends With Us.
The complaint, which was filed with the California Civil Rights Department, claims that Baldoni exhibited "disturbing" and "unprofessional" behavior on set. Lively alleged that after reporting these incidents, Baldoni and his associates engaged in a smear campaign to damage her reputation in the media.
Legal documents reveal alleged text exchanges between Justin Baldoni's public relations team, including PR executive Jennifer Abel and crisis management consultant Melissa Nathan, suggesting they planned to "bury" Lively's reputation, as reported by Vanity Fair on December 21, 2024.
The alleged campaign reportedly harmed Lively's personal and professional life, including the sales of her brand, Blake Brown, which experienced a 78% decline.
In response to Lively's filing, Justin Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, denied all allegations, calling them "false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt" the actor. Freedman also addressed the claim about the smear campaign, arguing that the actions taken by Baldoni's PR team were standard crisis management efforts when dealing with external threats.
On December 23, Bryan Freedman issued a statement regarding the claims of a smear campaign, defending the actions of the PR team as "necessary" due to the public scrutiny surrounding Baldoni. He stressed that the actor's reputation was unfairly tarnished and that the accusations were part of a broader effort to damage his career.
Blake Lively has received support from several individuals, including her sister, Robyn Lively, and It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover. Robyn Lively took to Instagram to express her solidarity with her sister and highlight statements from The New York Times article about the allegations.
Hoover also shared her admiration for Blake Lively's character, stating that she has been "nothing but honest, kind, supportive, and patient" throughout their collaboration.
