Justin Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios deny allegations of "toxic positivity" after former employee calls him a "phony"

A former Wayfarer Studios staff member called Justin Baldoni a "phony" and criticized him for his alleged "toxic positivity" in a Los Angeles Times interview, published on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. Among other allegations was that employees were told to sign their emails with "so much love."

One former staffer called out Baldoni for being pretentious with his "constant positivity", saying:

"It was constant positivity all the time—I would say toxic positivity... I’m always a little dubious of people who advertise themselves as disruptors of the status quo or quote-unquote ‘good people.’ It felt phony."

However, the It Ends With Us star and his production company are now denying the allegations. A statement, shared in the same article by a spokesperson for Baldoni and Wayfarer, denied any wrongdoing.

"If any guidance was ever provided to employees of how to conduct their written correspondence, it was to ensure that the activities of its employees remained professional and aligned with the ethos of the company," the statement read.

Also addressing the allegations of "toxic positivity" in the workplace at Wayfarer Studios, the statement continued:

"Wayfarer believes that joy and positivity are the essence of good work, and they stand by this statement."

A spokesperson for both Baldoni and Wayfarer also denied in the article that the company has any mandated Bahai-related activities.

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Former employees' allegations about Justin Baldoni's workplace environment

In the March 5, 2025, article by the Los Angeles Times, several former employees of Justin Baldoni's Wayfarer Studios spoke about the alleged workplace environment in his production company.

Justin Baldoni previously directed a 2015 documentary about The Simpsons writer, Sam Simon, which aired around a week after he died from cancer. Some Wayfarer employees were not fond of such projects, calling Baldoni's repeated focus on stories about people with terminal illnesses "slightly exploitative."

LA Times quoted an ex-staffer, saying:

"The message was always, 'These people are dying and they still have a positive outlook, so everyone has a reason to be positive.' But, you know, you're also making money off these people, so it feels at least slightly exploitative."

Other employees also shared their discomfort over the It Ends With Us director's Bahai faith former staffers were allegedly being subjected to. Former employees told the LA Times that Bahai has reportedly become prominent in the office culture at Wayfarer, and that it comes up a lot during discussions.

One, in particular, described how Baldoni spoke about the faith, saying that it had an "evangelizing aspect" to it that felt "professionally inappropriate."

The article also quoted several positive reviews about the actor, one in particular was from a former personal and executive assistant, Melissa Ames. She told the LA Times that Baldoni is "highly creative" and "has a heart for helping others." She also credits the actor for giving her the career opportunities she only dreamed of before.

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The latest allegations and comments about Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios' workplace environment come in the middle of his legal battle with It Ends With Us co-star, Blake Lively.

The latter filed a lawsuit claiming s*xual harassment against Baldoni in December 2024, which he has since denied. Justin Baldoni also filed a countersuit, and the two are expected to go to court in March 2026.