The Vital Voices Global Partnership rescinded its Voices of Solidarity Award from actor and director Justin Baldoni. The award, presented on December 9th, recognized Baldoni’s purported “courage and compassion in advocating on behalf of women and girls.” However, following a December 21st sexual harassment complaint filed by actress Blake Lively, the organization reversed its decision. In a statement on December 23rd, Vital Voices cited Baldoni’s alleged “abhorrent conduct” as directly contradicting the organization’s values and the award’s spirit.
Lively’s complaint stems from her experience working on the film *It Ends With Us*, where Baldoni was her director and co-star. The complaint alleges sexual harassment and a subsequent campaign to damage Lively’s reputation through social media manipulation. This campaign, allegedly orchestrated by Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios CEO Jamey Heath, involved hiring a crisis PR expert to spread negative narratives about Lively, effectively branding her as “tone-deaf, difficult to work with, a bully,” according to the *New York Times*.
The complaint details “inappropriate misconduct” towards Lively and other cast members throughout the film’s production. It recounts a January 4th meeting between Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, Baldoni, Heath, and other producers, where a list of demands was presented to address the alleged hostile work environment. These demands included a cessation of non-consensual conversations about sex and specific guidelines for filming intimate scenes. While an agreement was reached, the alleged smear campaign followed before the film’s release.
Baldoni’s attorney vehemently denied Lively’s claims in a statement to the *New York Times*, calling them “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious.” Despite previously presenting himself as a #MeToo ally and authoring a book challenging traditional masculinity, Baldoni has since been dropped by his talent agency, WME. Colleen Hoover, author of the book *It Ends With Us*, publicly supported Lively on Instagram, praising her resilience.