Justin Baldoni Hits Back At Claims His Good Deeds Are ‘Phony’

Justin Baldoni is defending himself towards former staff’ allegations of hypocrisy and claims that he presided over a “poisonous” office tradition.

The actor has been in a authorized standoff together with his “It Ends With Us” co-star Blake Lively after she filed a sexual harassment lawsuit towards him, which he responded to with a $400 million countersuit.

Ever since, Justin Baldoni and Blake Vigorous have been concerned in a back-and-forth over the case, with the actress claiming in an amended grievance that her children are “traumatized” by the authorized drama.

Baldoni has been left preventing for his popularity after a number of allegations surfaced, claiming that his philanthropic efforts had been nothing greater than a charade.

In a Los Angeles Times function, certainly one of his former staff at Wayfarer Studios raised eyebrows at his charitable gestures, comparable to “filming himself giving clothes to a homeless man or asking staff to signal their emails with the phrase ‘a lot love.'”

“It was fixed positivity on a regular basis — I might say poisonous positivity,” the ex-Wayfarer worker mentioned. “I am at all times slightly doubtful of people that promote themselves as disruptors of the established order or quote-unquote ‘good folks.’ It felt phony.”

Some former colleagues spoke to his character, suggesting that the 41-year-old actor/director provides off a sample of performative advantage and energy performs that, of their view, conflicted with the beliefs he professes to uphold.

“They maintain speaking about [the Baldoni-Lively battle] as David and Goliath, however that is simply not my expertise,” mentioned one former colleague, who most well-liked to stay nameless for worry of being drawn into litigation.

The ex-colleague continued, “Justin has a variety of energy and some huge cash, and he’s not afraid to make use of them to get his approach. We’d like allies, however we want allies whose private and enterprise dealings align with who they are saying they’re.”

Baldoni has now slammed the allegations that his charitable gestures are “phony” and that he fostered a “poisonous” office atmosphere.

In an announcement shared with the Daily Mail, a rep for the “Jane The Virgin” star wrote, “There have by no means been any reported complaints relating to the office tradition, or any communicated points relating to the platforms or its founders.”

“If any steerage was ever offered to staff on how one can conduct their written correspondence, it was to make sure that the actions of its staff remained skilled and aligned with the ethos of the corporate. Wayfarer believes that pleasure and positivity are the essence of fine work, and so they stand by this assertion,” Baldoni’s spokesperson added.

The Los Angeles Occasions additionally claimed that former staff in Baldoni’s firm alleged they felt uncomfortable with the “growing prominence of the Bahai religion in Wayfarer’s workplace tradition.”

Different staff claimed that “Bahai rules had been ceaselessly invoked in discussions in regards to the firm’s mission and tasks” on the office, “notably after Sarowitz turned extra concerned.”

A previous worker famous, “There was an evangelizing facet to the best way Justin spoke in regards to the religion that, in my view, felt professionally inappropriate.”

Baldoni’s rep seemingly distanced the actor from the claims that he was being unprofessional together with his faith.

They advised the Day by day Mail that as a result of all the corporate’s “tasks are rooted in a perception system that stems from numerous faiths and backgrounds, talking from a spot of spirituality is commonplace.”

The rep added, “Workers are inspired to have fun and observe their particular person beliefs nonetheless they see match, a message which is proudly supported by management.”

The studies come after a decide moved to dismiss the New York Occasions as a defendant in his lawsuit towards Blake Vigorous.

The co-stars have been embroiled in a bitter, escalating authorized battle after Vigorous accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and misconduct on the set of “It Ends With Us.”

Baldoni denied the claims and filed a $250-million defamation swimsuit towards her and the New York Occasions, which revealed her allegations, earlier than following up with a $400-million countersuit towards Vigorous, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, Leslie Sloane, accusing them of conspiring to destroy his popularity and usurp management of the movie from him.

Nevertheless, a decide on Tuesday prompt he might dismiss the information outlet as a defendant within the case.

U.S. District Choose Lewis Liman in Manhattan mentioned the New York Occasions‘ February 28 movement to be excused from the case provided “substantial grounds for dismissal” and “a robust exhibiting that its movement to dismiss is more likely to succeed on the deserves.”