An award recently given to actor and director Justin Baldoni, honoring his “courage and compassion in standing up for women and girls,” is withdrawn after it came to light.a complaint filed by actress Blake Lively accusing him of sexual harassment and orchestrating a campaign to damage his reputation.
The Voices of Solidarity Award was awarded to Baldoni on December 9 by Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international nonprofit organization focused in the empowerment of women.
In a statement on December 23, the organization said that the Baldoni’s alleged “abominable conduct” detailed in Lively’s complaint is “contrary to the values of Vital Voices and the spirit of the Award,” as reported Guardian.
On December 21, Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni, who had been his director and co-star of the film It Ends With Us. The complaint alleges that Baldoni sexually harassed Lively and then organized a campaign to damage her reputation.
Baldoni has starred in and directed several films and television shows, notably Jane The Virgin on the CW, and is co-owner of Wayfarer Studios, the film company that produced It Ends With Usa romantic drama released earlier this year.
According to the complaint, Baldoni and Wayfarer CEO Jamey Heath engaged in “inappropriate conduct” with Lively and other cast members during production of the film. The conditions were allegedly so bad, the complaint states, that on January 4, Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds met with Baldoni, Heath and other producers to discuss a list of demands “to address the hostile work environment” that nearly derailed the film’s production.
The list included demands that Baldoni and Heath immediately stop engaging in personal, inappropriate and non-consensual conversations about sex with Lively and other women on set. It also included requirements to film sexual and intimate scenes for the film. All parties agreed to implement and follow what was discussed during the meeting.
However, before the film’s release, Baldoni and Heath reportedly hired a public relations expert crisis to go on the offensive against Lively. According to messages included in the complaint, they engaged in a coordinated effort to damage Lively’s reputation by posting negative stories about her on social media. The public relations effort was reportedly successful. “They called her deaf, difficult to work with, intimidating,” wrote the New York Times.
In a statement to TimesBaldoni’s lawyer said Lively’s claims “are ccompletely false, scandalous and intentionally lewd with the intent to publicly hurt and repeat a narrative in the media.”
Baldoni had previously positioned himself as an ally of #MeToo during the height of the movement and published a book that he said challenged notions of traditional masculinity.
Following the recent news of Lively’s complaint, Baldoni’s talent agency, WME, has stopped representing it.
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