Justin Baldoni won an award from Vital Voices earlier this month, but it has now been taken away due to a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against him by Blake Lively.
After the allegations surfaced, the actor not only lost his award but also his representation by agency WME. In contrast, Lively has received significant support after coming forward with her claims.
Justin Baldoni’s lawyers have since slammed Blake Lively’s claim, alleging that she caused issues while filming “It Ends With Us.”
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Justin Baldoni Loses Women’s Advocacy Award
Baldoni continues to suffer a hit to his image after Blake Lively filed an explosive sexual harassment lawsuit against him.
Latest amongst his casualties is the loss of a prestigious award he won for his courageous work advocating for women and girls.
The 40-year-old Baldoni received the Voices of Solidarity Award on December 9, which was meant to honor women. However, the recognition was revoked in light of the lawsuit filed by Lively, according to TMZ.
In a statement posted Monday to its website, the Voices of Solidarity Award from Viral Voices expressed its support for Lively and called the allegations against the actor “disturbing” and “abhorrent.”
They then noted that they had contacted Baldoni to inform him of their decision to revoke his award.
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This development comes after Baldoni was dropped by his agency, WME, following Lively’s suit.
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Blake Lively Accused The Actor Of Sexual Harassment
Lively declared legal war against her “It Ends With Us” co-star last Friday when she alleged in a 10-claim complaint that he harassed her sexually on the set of “It Ends With Us,” as well as also mastermind a “coordinated effort to destroy her reputation.”
In her filing, the “Gossip Girl” star claimed that Baldoni “often” referred to women in the workplace as “sexy.”
According to People Magazine, Lively narrated a particular incident where he “pressured” her to remove her coat to reveal her onesie even as it was partially unzipped and showing her bra.
She noted that the “Five Feet Apart” actor told her he thought she looked “sexy” in a tone that made her feel “ogled and exposed.”
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Lively also claimed that Baldoni “routinely degraded” her by “finding back-channel ways of criticizing her body and weight.”
She narrated an instance where he called her trainer behind her back less than 4 months after she gave birth to her fourth child, implying that he “wanted her to lose weight in two weeks.”
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Justin Baldoni Allegedly Cried Over Reports That Blake Lively ‘Looked Old’ For Her Role
Lively’s lawsuit also included claims that Baldoni “cried in [her] dressing room” over social media commentary that she “looked old” in her “It Ends with Us” role.
The documents stated that while Baldoni “was objectifying Ms. Lively as a sex object,” he also “went out of his way to message criticisms of her age and weight.”
The actress expressed dissatisfaction as she said he “made the rest of the cast and crew wait for hours” on the second day of filming “while he cried in Ms. Lively’s dressing room, claiming social media commentators were saying that Ms. Lively looked old and unattractive based on paparazzi photos from the set.”
“She tried to reassure him that she should look authentic in the scenes depicted in the photos, which were just after her character had been abused by her fictional husband, rather than ‘hot,'” the document alleged, claiming Baldoni “appeared focused on Ms. Lively’s sexual appeal above all else.”
“His lengthy outburst caused a delay in shooting, forcing an emotional scene to be shot haphazardly,” the statement read.
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Justin Baldoni’s Lawyers Fire Back At The Actress’s Lawsuit
Following her complaints, Lively issued a statement to the New York Times, saying, “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.”
However, according to TMZ, Baldoni and his lawyer, Bryan Freedman, have denied the allegations she brought against him, calling her “actions, interviews, and marketing during the promotional tour distasteful.”
Freedman also latched out at Lively’s lawsuit, tagging it an attempt on her part to “fix her negative reputation,” adding that the claims are “false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt.”
Freedman further accused the actress of causing problems on set, “threatening to not show up to set, threatening to not promote the film, ultimately leading to its demise during release.”
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The Co-Stars’ Feud Was Apparent During The Films Promo Run
Fans quickly speculated that there was tension between Lively and Baldoni after the duo did not pose for pictures together at the world premiere of their movie despite being the lead stars.
Baldoni was also not seen in any photographs with the other cast members, unlike Lively, who shared several snaps with her co-stars.
The rumors gained further momentum when Lively attended premieres in London and Copenhagen while Baldoni remained in New York for press interviews.
There has also been speculation regarding the stars’ social media activity. Many observe that Baldoni follows both Colleen Hoover, the author of the book the film is based on, and Lively, but neither of them follows him back.