Justin Baldoni Makes First Public Appearance Since Blake Lively’s Lawsuit

Justin Baldoni was seen out in Los Angeles just days before the holiday season, marking his first public appearance since Blake Lively‘s lawsuit made headlines.

The actor and director, accompanied by his wife, was photographed as they dropped off their children at a relative’s home before heading to an office meeting. The usually upbeat Baldoni appeared somber and serious during the outing—a reflection, perhaps, of the weighty allegations he currently faces.

As The Blast previously reported, Blake Lively’s legal complaint accuses Justin Baldoni of creating a “hostile work environment” during the filming of “It Ends With Us.”

Justin Baldoni kept it casual during his recent outing in Los Angeles, sporting denim jeans paired with a plain light green-brown T-shirt as he climbed into a white SUV.

See the photos obtained by TMZ here.

The sighting comes amid Blake Lively’s allegations that Baldoni frequently spoke on set about his alleged past struggles with pornography addiction and sexual encounters. Lively also claims that Baldoni collaborated with PR teams in a coordinated effort to damage her professional reputation.

On the other hand, Baldoni’s legal team has pushed back, painting a different picture of the production environment. They have accused Lively of being the source of the issues, claiming she was often absent from set and unwilling to participate in promoting the film.

Last week, it was reported that Blake Lively filed a legal complaint against her “It Ends with Us” co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment during the film’s production and alleging that he later organized a “smear campaign” against her.

According to legal documents filed with the California Civil Rights Department, which act as a precursor to a formal lawsuit, these allegations mark the culmination of months of speculation surrounding tension between Baldoni, the film’s director, and other cast members.

The 37-year-old actress stars as Lily Bloom in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s 2016 bestselling novel. The story follows a flower shop owner navigating an abusive relationship with her partner, Ryle Kincaid, played by Baldoni.

The legal filings accuse Baldoni and his associates of orchestrating a targeted campaign aimed at tarnishing Lively’s reputation in the media. Lively claims this alleged effort has caused her “severe emotional distress.”

According to the complaint, Blake Lively outlined several specific requirements in order to continue working on the film.

Additionally, she requested an end to discussions about Baldoni’s and producer Steve Heath’s past struggles with pornography addiction, as well as any conversations involving personal sexual experiences.

The complaint also highlighted the need for Baldoni to stop making inappropriate references to his own genitalia in conversations with her and her team and to cease claims about allegedly communicating with Lively’s late father.

Additionally, the filing claims that Justin Baldoni had “inserted improvised gratuitous sexual content and/or scenes involving nudity into the film (including for an underage character) in highly unsettling ways” without Blake Lively’s prior knowledge or consent.

Blake Lively’s 80-page legal filing features excerpts from thousands of text messages and emails exchanged between Justin Baldoni, public relations executive Jennifer Abel, and crisis management expert Melissa Nathan.

The messages included in Blake Lively’s legal filing allegedly reveal how Baldoni, Abel, and Nathan strategized to manage social media speculation and control the public narrative surrounding the situation.

The exchanges suggest their focus was on protecting Baldoni’s image, with Abel reportedly telling Nathan, “He wants to feel like [Lively] can be buried.”

Speculation about a rift between Justin Baldoni and the rest of the It Ends with Us cast first surfaced during the movie’s promotional tour after its release on August 9.

Fans quickly noticed Baldoni’s absence from joint press events, a noticeable lack of group photos featuring both Blake Lively and Baldoni at premieres, and the fact that several cast members—including Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds—had unfollowed Baldoni on Instagram.