What did Jennifer Abel say about text messages to Melissa Nathan? Justin Baldoni's publicist refutes Blake Lively smear campaign allegations

On Friday, December 20, Blake Lively filed an 80-page-long legal complaint against Justin Baldoni for s*xual harassment - including inappropriate conduct on set and retaliatory behavior.

Jennifer Abel - Baldoni's publicist who was also mentioned in the complaint - broke her silence on the ongoing legal action with a statement on Facebook, which reads:

"What the cherry picked messages don't include, although not shockingly as it doesn't fit the narrative, is that there was no 'smear' implemented."

Abel continued:

"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."

Jennifer Abel's statement addresses the text message conversations that took place between her, Baldoni, and Melissa Nathans - a crisis management expert hired by Justin's studio before It Ends With Us released in August.

Per Blake Lively's team, the text messages reveal "a multi-tiered plan that Mr. Baldoni and his team described as social manipulation designed to destroy Ms. Lively's reputation." They speculate the plan was initiated after the 37-year-old raised concerns over conditions on set.

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Jennifer Abel suggested Blake Lively was horrible to work with, in one of the text messages

A Sky News article published on Sunday, December 22, contained the text messages included in Blake Lively's legal complaint. In one of those text messages, Jennifer Abel told Melissa Nathans that she was

"Having reckless thoughts of wanting to plant pieces this week of how horrible Blake is to work with."

In the following text, Abel wrote:

"The narrative online is so freaking good and fans are still sticking up for Justin... you did such amazing work."

Addressing the words she used in the text messages, Abel agreed about working with their social team to stay on top of the narrative to be able to act quickly if needed, adding:

"and yes, we rejoiced and joked in the fact that fans were recognizing our clients heart and work without us having to do anything but keep our heads down and focus on positive interviews for our client."

Jennifer then went on to say that their jokes, made privately, were about the internet feedback to the woman whose team was making our lives incredibly difficult.

Abel also added that she was notified about the opposing team planting horrible stories about her client - Justin Baldoni - at the beginning of the marketing campaign.

Per her statement, these stories were to be used as a "failsafe" if Baldoni didn't comply with the demands set forth for the campaign. Citing it as the reason behind the Wayfarer Studio hiring a PR crisis management team, Jennifer Abel wrote:

"My sole job was to put together interviews, screening opportunities and speaking opportunities for my client in support of the film, a standard scope of work. I did my job."

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Lively's legal complaint claims she had been wary of Baldoni from the beginning

According to Daily Mail, Blake Lively's complaint heard that the actress had been wary of Justin Baldoni prior to the filming. The duo had allegedly clashed over Baldoni trying to add gratuitous nudity and s*x scenes to the movie.

As the filming of It Ends With Us began, Lively and Baldoni's relations soured further, resulting in an HR meeting where Blake presented various conditions. These conditions were to be met by Baldoni and the studio in order for the A Simple Favor actress to resume the filming process.

The initial reports of the tension between the co-stars stated that the differences were merely creative. Baldoni wanted to market the movie by spotlighting the domestic abuse that forms the heart of the story, while Lively felt it should be more hopeful and uplifting.

In the post-production stage of the movie, Blake Lively also brought in an editor of her own to recut the version of the film that was later distributed. Among the talking points in the text messages are also those that discredit Blake Lively. One of them targets her involvement of Ryan Reynolds in the campaign to create "an imbalance of power."

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Justin Baldoni has denied all the allegations made against him and his studio in Lively's complaint.