Justin Baldoni’s publicist quit PR firm over founder ‘bullying’ as timeline is unclear amid Blake Lively lawsuit
As a seasoned observer and analyst of human dynamics, I must say that the unfolding drama between Stephanie Jones, Alyssa Milano’s former business partner, and her client, Blake Lively, is a fascinating study of interpersonal relationships and power struggles.
It seems that Jennifer Abel, who serves as Justin Baldoni’s publicist, reportedly left her previous position because of alleged bullying and an apparent smear campaign against Blake Lively during the summer months.
Yesterday, I found myself caught up in yet another twist in the ongoing saga of “It Ends With Us.” You see, my beloved Colio Baldoni’s former publicist has taken legal action against his current one, Abel, adding fuel to the fire that has been burning since the drama unfolded.
In the lawsuit, Baldoni, along with his production company Wayfarer Studios, his crisis manager Melissa Nathan, and an individual named Abel, have been listed as the parties being sued for claims involving defamation and breach of contract.
At the same time, Baldoni is currently engaged in a legal dispute with Lively, who filed a lawsuit against him last week for alleged sexual harassment and orchestrating a defamatory campaign against her, following their work together on It Ends With Us.
A source close to Baldoni’s publicist Abel told The Wrap that she claimed there was ‘bullying’ going on at Stephanie Jones’ public relations firm Jonesworks, where Abel was once a partner and the same one that previously represented the actor.
During the summer season, Abel left Jonesworks, which used to be Baldoni’s publicist agency, and established her own company, named RWA Communications.
After that, Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, decided to part ways with Jonesworks and instead teamed up with Abel at her recently established company.
It’s worth mentioning the contrast between the reported dates of Abel’s resignation and termination. TheWrap claims that she chose to leave Jonesworks on July 10, with her final day set for August 23, but it appears she was actually terminated on August 21 instead.
According to a previous report from Variety, it was claimed that Abel was let go by Jonesworks on August 21, only a few days following the release of “It Ends With Us.
On a Tuesday, barely a week had passed since Lively took legal action against Baldoni, when Jones decided to file a lawsuit in New York’s Supreme Court, targeting Abel and the entire crisis management team accused of orchestrating the alleged smear campaign against Lively.
Jones asserted that she dismissed Abel upon uncovering evidence of document theft, as she was planning to establish her own company.
It is said that Abel may have clandestinely obtained ‘some documents and client details, and at the same time, he reportedly reached out to Jonesworks’ clients in a bid to facilitate his own exit.’
Jones and her representative have filed a lawsuit against Abel, alleging that he broke the contractual agreement by disregarding his employment conditions, poaching clients, and making false, damaging statements about her.
Based on records acquired by The New York Times, it appears that Jones asserted she was removed as the representative for Baldoni and Abel took over her clientele instead.
When she discovered what Abel was secretly doing, she terminated her employment at Jonesworks.
I proactively handed over my work mobile device to Jonesworks, ensuring that a legal professional was present during the exchange. This step underscores my commitment to transparency and adherence to company policies.
The incriminating communications between Baldoni and his team, which were mentioned in Lively’s complaint and were originally obtained from the same device, have been kept untouched and were extracted using forensic methods directly from the company phone.
Instead, it appears that Abel has stated she chose to resign on July 10th, as reported by an insider to The Wrap.
She reportedly quit over ‘bullying’ from Jones.
The alleged behavior in question seemed to be aimed at a fellow coworker, Matthew Mitchell. This includes their joint work for Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, and it appears that Abel also referred to him in messages to other clients who make up the majority of her text conversations.
According to the source, it was determined that Abel’s final day would be on August 23, which fell two weeks following the release of “It Ends With Us.
Despite Abel having resigned on July 10, it’s reported that Jones terminated her position on August 21, following the discovery of her suspected attempts to steal clients.
As a trusted confidant, I can share an update on the recent developments at Jonesworks. It has been reported that Jennifer tendered her resignation in July with the intention to stay until August 23rd. However, due to the discovery of her having taken over 70 documents from the company, her tenure was unexpectedly terminated ahead of schedule.
As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase that statement like this: I believe the person involved in the defamation case claims Abel’s lawsuit is a form of retaliation. This perceived retaliation stems from the fact that Baldoni and Wayfarer, who were previously at Jonesworks, moved to Abel’s new firm.
‘They were not “stolen,” nor were any other clients.’
Additionally, it was mentioned that those clients who departed to work with Abel’s firm were actually individuals she had established professional connections with before her tenure at Jonesworks.
One of them was a client whom Abel had personally signed during his tenure at Jonesworks, and this client had no prior connection to Stephanie Jones, as revealed by our source.
In the apparent resignation letter from Abel to Jones, obtained by The Wrap, Abel portrays a tense relationship where issues persistently intensify between them. She also expresses feelings of chronic concern that she was falling short of expectations set by Jones.
In his message to Jones, Abel expressed: “I acknowledge that I played a role in everything that has happened. I’m not pleased with my reactions during these tense moments, nor with my habit of withdrawing when I sense we aren’t moving forward in our discussions.
‘I realize there are areas in my communication skills that require improvement, and this experience has served as a valuable lesson in helping me identify where I can do better at expressing myself clearly.’
In Abel’s resignation letter, penned around a month prior to the theatrical premiere of “It Ends With Us,” no particular points of contention between them are explicitly mentioned.
Meanwhile, this event took place during a time when the relationship between Baldoni and Lively was growing increasingly strained, causing many people to become critical of the actress.
This suggests that the alleged smear campaign may have played a role in those conflicts.
In the early part of this year, there were rumors swirling among fans about the off-screen relationships among the It Ends With Us cast, particularly focusing on the dynamic between the main actress Blake Lively and her fellow actor-turned-director Baldoni.
During the promotion of the film that portrays a heart-wrenching tale of a tumultuous romance and domestic abuse, whispers of a supposed dispute began circulating on the web.
Following a chilly promotional journey and what seemed like an orchestrated barrage of unfavorable press, and just before the holiday season, Lively took legal action against Baldoni.
In an extensive lawsuit, she alleged that Baldoni had subjected her to sexual harassment and further planned a defamation strategy to tarnish her image and undermine any public revelations about his inappropriate behavior during filming.
A New York Times report outlined claims that he engaged in questionable conduct on the film set and subsequently faced allegations of reprisal towards her.
Baldoni has denied all of the allegations.
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2024-12-26 04:07