Justin Baldoni’s former publicist sues over alleged smear campaign against Blake Lively
The IndependentSign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Justin Baldoni’s former publicist Stephanie Jones is suing the actor and director for breach of contract in a new lawsuit that links her dismissal to the alleged smear campaign against Baldoni’s It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively. This weekend, Lively filed a legal complaint against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment during filming as well as organizing a “smear campaign” against her in the months that followed. The New York Times reports that the new lawsuit by Jones claims that her former employee Jennifer Abel was one of those involved in the alleged campaign against Lively. It claims that Abel, Nathan and Wayfarer’s Jamey Heath worked together “to formulate a no-holds-barred strategy to discredit and suppress any potential revelations about Baldoni’s on set behavior,” and that to do so they launched “a smear campaign against Lively.” Jones says she had no knowledge of these actions, and that Abel and Nathan “secretly conspired” to undermine her reputation, steal her clients and then blame her for the campaign against Lively.