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Justin Baldoni’s Women’s Solidarity Award Rescinded Amid Allegations
Justin Baldoni recently received a Women’s Solidarity Award in New York, but the honour has been revoked following serious allegations from his co-star Blake Lively.
The award, given by the global non-profit organization Vital Voices, aims to empower women and was presented to Baldoni earlier this month. However, the organization announced on Monday that it would rescind the award after Lively’s legal complaint accused him of “abhorrent conduct” and engaging in efforts to damage her reputation.
In defending himself against the accusations, Baldoni’s legal representatives stated that the claims made by Lively were “categorically false.” They further asserted that a crisis management team was retained because Lively allegedly threatened to disrupt the film project unless her conditions were satisfied.
In the film “It Ends With Us,” Lively portrays a woman involved with a charming yet abusive partner, the role played by Baldoni. The complexities of their on-screen relationship parallel the serious nature of the allegations surrounding their off-screen interactions.
The Voices of Solidarity Award was conferred upon Baldoni on December 9 during a ceremony in New York, where comedian Hasan Minhaj presented the award. It celebrates men exhibiting courage and compassion in advocating for women and girls.
After receiving the accolade, Baldoni expressed his gratitude through an Instagram post, conveying that he felt “deeply honoured and humbled” and emphasized the ongoing need to educate men about vulnerability, sensitivity, and empathy.
However, less than two weeks later, Lively filed a legal complaint alleging coordinated attacks on her public persona by Baldoni and his associates. Following a meeting addressing her allegations of repeated sexual harassment and distressing behaviour, Lively detailed her grievances, including demands for changes to the film’s script and conduct on set.
In her complaint, Lively submitted a list of 30 stipulations regarding Baldoni’s conduct and added that there were requests to prevent the inclusion of sensitive content in the film. She characterized Baldoni’s actions as part of a “multi-tiered plan” aimed at damaging her reputation, which allegedly involved hiring a crisis manager to orchestrate a retaliatory strategy against her.
In response, Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, dismissed Lively’s claims as unfounded and claimed that she had made numerous demands, threatening to derail the film’s production and promotion if her stipulations were not met. Freedman criticized Lively’s assertions as being deliberately scandalous, suggesting an intent to tarnish Baldoni’s reputation publicly.
As the situation continues to evolve, both Baldoni and Lively’s actions will likely draw significant attention as discussions around workplace conduct, power dynamics, and the treatment of actors in the entertainment industry remain at the forefront of public discourse.
Source
www.bbc.com