Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively have been the epicenter of a news explosion in the past few days after the latter filed a complaint against her It Ends With Us co-star and director, alleging sexual harassment as well as orchestrating a smear campaign to “destroy” her public image.
The 80-page complaint outlines Lively’s accusations in great detail, and many have expressed their support for the actress as details of what she claims happened behind the scenes of shooting the Colleen Hoover adaptation came to light. “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted,” Lively said in a statement.
After the news broke, Baldoni was dropped by entertainment agency WME (William Morris Endeavor) as a client, in large part due to the gravity of Lively’s complaint against him. On Dec. 24, Baldoni’s co-host on The Man Enough podcast, Liz Plank, also severed ties with the actor, announcing that she will be stepping down as co-host after four years on the show. “I will miss you, the listeners, so much,” Plank wrote on Instagram, but didn’t mention Baldoni and her other co-host, Jamey Heath, who was also named in Lively’s complaint.
Now, Vital Voices has issued a statement regarding the controversy surrounding Baldoni, and they are choosing to rescind his Voices of Solidarity Award after his alleged actions surfaced.
The revocation came two weeks after Justin Baldoni was honored
Vital Voices, established in 1999, is a non-profit organization that advocates for gender equality and human rights, and the Voices of Solidarity Award is given to men “who have shown courage and compassion in advocating on behalf of women and girls in the United States and around the world.” Baldoni was among the men honored and given the award in a ceremony held on Dec. 9. The actor posted about the event on Instagram, writing that he was “deeply honored and humbled” to be recognized.
In an announcement posted on Dec. 23, Vital Voices stated that they are rescinding Baldoni’s award and have notified him of the action after reading about the “disturbing” and “abhorrent conduct” that was described in Lively’s claim. “The communications among Mr. Baldoni and his publicists included in the lawsuit — and the PR effort they indicate — are, alone, contrary to the values of Vital Voices and the spirit of the Award,” the organization stated.
Many took to social media to comment on the Lively/Baldoni saga, with one saying, “He’s getting cancelled,” and another writing, “Holy s**t. His career is almost over.” Others, however, are more cautious, saying that Baldoni shouldn’t be judged, at least for now. “Give the guy his day in court,” one wrote, while another commented, “Innocent till proven guilty doesn’t matter anymore? So, everyone forgot about Amber and Depp?”
Baldoni himself hasn’t released a statement after Lively’s lawsuit was made public, but his lawyer spoke out saying the text messages attached to the complaint lacked “critical context.” He also claims the allegations against Baldoni are “completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious.” The California Civil Rights Department, which received Lively’s complaint, has 60 days to determine whether to proceed with an investigation into the case.