**Justin Baldoni Faces a Series of Legal Troubles: Sued by Former Public Relations Manager, Allegations Related to Blake Lively**
The acclaimed actor and director Justin Baldoni is facing an escalating legal battle with a new lawsuit filed by his former public relations manager, Stephanie Jones. In the lawsuit, Jones accuses Baldoni and his film production company, Wayfarer Studios, of conspiring to defame actress Blake Lively without her knowledge.
Jones also takes aim at Baldoni’s crisis management team, including PR manager Jennifer Abel and crisis manager Melissa Nathan, accusing them of trying to destroy her reputation.
### **Background of the Lawsuit**
The 52-page lawsuit, filed Tuesday, not only provides new details about the allegations against Baldoni, but also names Abel and Nathan, who were featured in Blake Lively’s high-profile lawsuit last weekend.
In Lively’s own lawsuit, she alleges that Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their PR team retaliated after she spoke out about Baldoni’s sexual harassment and misconduct on the set of *It Ends With Us*. In response, Lively alleges that Baldoni’s team launched a smear campaign to discredit her if she went public with the allegations.
Stephanie Jones, in her latest lawsuit, alleges that she was excluded from those plans and even became the target of a separate smear campaign.
### **Smear Conspiracy Allegations**
Jones claims that Abel, an employee of her media company Jones Works, secretly worked with Nathan and Baldoni to carry out a smear campaign against Blake Lively. In the process, Abel and Nathan allegedly used strategies to make Lively look bad and discredit Jones with other clients, including Baldoni.
According to Jones, Abel not only betrayed her, but also plotted to leave Jones Works, taking important clients with him, including Justin Baldoni. Notably, text messages included in the lawsuit appear to show Abel and Nathan discussing this plan.
One text message from Nathan to Abel reads: *“When you leave, we will manage the accounts together and make a lot of money. Don’t talk to her (Jones) anymore.”*
### **Justin Baldoni’s role**
While Abel and Nathan are accused of being the main campaigners, Jones claims Baldoni also played a key role in the operation. He allegedly knew about Abel and Nathan’s actions and even agreed to work with them behind Jones’s back.
A text message from Nathan also suggests that Baldoni was persuaded not to continue working with Jones: *“He said of course he would work with Jen (Abel).”*
**Campaign Against Blake Lively**
One of the highlights of the lawsuit is the allegation that Baldoni, Abel, and Nathan planned to launch a smear campaign against Blake Lively. According to the lawsuit, an internal memo was drafted that suggested “weaponizing” Baldoni’s image as a longtime feminist to attack Lively, while downplaying the seriousness of her allegations.
Jones claims that she was completely unaware of the memo or the actions of Abel and Nathan until the internal messages were revealed.
### **Stephanie Jones Smear Campaign**
In parallel with the allegations against Lively, Jones claims that she was also the victim of a smear campaign. Abel and Nathan allegedly contacted media outlets, including the *Daily Mail* and *Business Insider*, to publish stories that defamed Jones.
One *Daily Mail* article even mentioned “tensions” between Lively and Baldoni, with unnamed sources seemingly blaming Jones for “leaking information.”
Jones asserts that these actions not only damaged her reputation, but also damaged her professional relationship with Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios.
Stephanie Jones’ lawsuit is just one piece of the complex legal picture facing Justin Baldoni. As details continue to emerge, the case not only sheds light on internal conflicts within the entertainment industry, but also raises important questions about how sexual harassment allegations are handled and professional ethics.
We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
