Also read: Justin Baldoni’s publicist, Jennifer, breaks silence on ‘leaked texts,’ deletes later: ‘Blake Lively’s claims lack…’

Lively’s lawsuit alleges a pattern of harassment, retaliation, and a smear campaign orchestrated by Baldoni and his team, including attempts to manipulate public perception. The lawsuit includes text messages between Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel and crisis expert Melissa Nathan which Abel defended as a ‘lighthearted joke’ in a now-deleted statement.

Justin Baldoni’s podcast co-host quits

“I’m writing to you today to let you know that I have had my representatives inform Wayfarer that I will no longer be co-hosting ‘The Man Enough’ podcast,” Plank wrote in a statement posted on her Instagram handle. “Thank you for trusting me with your hearts and stories, for holding space for mine, and for making this show what it was,” she continued. “I will miss you, the listeners, so much. I love what this community created together with every fiber of my being, and that’s because of you.”

Also read: Taylor Swift, Hailey Bieber named in Justin Baldoni’s ‘takedown’ plan for Blake Lively, email reveals; here’s why

She vowed to continue advocating for justice and accountability, promising to share more as she processes recent events. We all deserve better, and I know that together, we can create it. I will have more to share soon as I continue to process everything that has happened. In the meantime, I will continue to support everyone who calls out injustice and holds the people standing in their way accountable.”

Man Enough launched in 2021 saw Baldoni, Plank and Wayfarer Studios president Jamey Heath come to the table weekly to discuss “modern masculinity.” For those unversed, Jamey Heath has also been accused in the lawsuit filed by the Gossip Girl star, who alleges serious misconduct, including staring at her while she was topless and showing her ‘pornographic’ content.

Justin Baldoni’s publicist defends ‘leaked text’ exchanges

In her 80-page complaint, Blake Lively not only leveled sexual harassment accusations against her co-star but also accused him of plotting a smear campaign through media manipulation. The lawsuit was filed alongside exhibits meant to substantiate these claims.

According to the US Weekly, one of those alleged text exchanges includes an email from the PR team that reads, “Our team can also explore planting stories about the weaponisation of feminism and how people like Taylor Swift, have been accused of utilising these tactics to ‘bully’ into getting what they want.”

Jennifer Abel, a publicist named in the lawsuit, defended the leaked text exchanges, arguing that they had been misinterpreted. In a now-deleted Facebook post, Abel explained that the messages, shared with crisis expert Melissa Nathan, were simply lighthearted comments about fan reactions and did not point to any intentional effort to smear Lively.

“What the cherry picked messages don’t include, although not shockingly as it doesn’t fit the narrative, is that there was no ‘smear’ implemented,” Abel wrote. She emphasised that Baldoni’s team never implemented negative strategies, focusing instead on monitoring social narratives and ensuring positive coverage. “We didn’t have to implement anything because the internet was doing the work for us,” she said probably referring to the old clips and interviews featuring Lively resurfacing on the internet.