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Topics: Blake Lively, US News, Celebrity
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Blake Lively, US News, Celebrity
After being sued by his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively, American actor Justin Baldoni has since been hit with another lawsuit.
This time, it's his former publicist who has spoken out, filing a complaint about the star stemming back to when they worked together earlier this year.
For those out of loop, the 40-year-old film-star was last week named in a damning legal complaint filed by his romantic-drama castmate Lively, 37, who accused him on both orchestrating a 'smear campaign' to 'destroy' her reputation, and exhibiting overly-sexualised behaviour towards her and her employees.
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Among the many accusations being made against Baldoni, are that he 'improvised gratuitous sexual content' after she’d accepted the role of Lily Bloom in the adaption of Colleen Hoover’s novel, and asked explicit questions about her own sex life.
Lively also alleged that Baldoni and several other staff members from his production company Wayfarer Studios 'routinely degraded' her and other women on set, entered her trailer without permission, ceaselessly referenced his 'pornography addiction' and mentioned the 'genitalia' of other cast and crew members.
Though Baldoni's representatives have vehemently denied all accusations made against him, the former Gossip Girl actress has since accumulated mass support from both fans and fellow stars.
His attorney Bryan Freedman stated: "It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives."
Among those to have since shown support to Lively and spoken out about their own experiences is Joneswork publicity worker Stephanie Jones, who explained that her firm were suddenly dropped by Baldoni back in August, just a handful of months into their year-long deal.
At the time, Baldoni went on to work with Jennifer Abel - a former Joneswork employee who left to set up her own firm, RWA Communications, and who has been named in Lively's lawsuit for planning to 'plant pieces' about the star.
According to documents obtained by Variety, Jones is suing Baldoni and Abel for breach of contract, as well as another publicist named Melissa Nathan.
Nathan has also been named in Lively's lawsuit for sending a text - obtained due to a subpoena - which read: "Imagine if a document saying all the things that he wants ends up in the wrong hands. You know we can bury anyone but I can't write that to him. I will, I'd be very tough."
Jones has reportedly sued the trio for the 'smear campaign' against the actress, which they supposedly pinned on her.
"To this day, Abel and Nathan continue to point the finger falsely at Jones now that their own misconduct is coming to light, and to defame and attack Jones in the industry," the latest lawsuit alleges.
Again, Baldoni's lawyers have denied the allegations against him, whilst Abel has denied the supposed 'campaign' against Lively.
Lively has stated: "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."