Justin Baldoni’s women’s solidarity award revoked following harassment allegations

The women’s solidarity award recently bestowed upon actor Justin Baldoni has been withdrawn. This action follows accusations from his *It Ends With Us* co-star, Blake Lively, who alleges sexual harassment and a concerted effort to “destroy” her reputation. Vital Voices, a global non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering women, had presented Baldoni with the award earlier in the current month. On Monday evening, the organisation declared its decision to revoke the honour. This decision came after a legal complaint submitted by Lively detailed “abhorrent conduct” attributed to the actor, his production studio, and a crisis public relations team, which Vital Voices stated was “contrary to the values” it upheld. In response, Baldoni’s legal representatives informed the BBC that these allegations are “categorically false.” They further stated that a crisis manager was engaged because Lively had allegedly threatened to impede the film’s production unless her conditions were satisfied. In the romantic drama *It Ends With Us*, Ms. Lively portrays a character involved with a charming yet abusive boyfriend, a role performed by Mr. Baldoni. Vital Voices confirmed in a statement that the Voices of Solidarity Award was presented to Baldoni on 9 December during an awards ceremony held in New York. Comedian Hasan Minhaj presented the accolade, which acknowledges “remarkable men who have shown courage and compassion in advocating on behalf of women and girls.” Baldoni shared news of the award on his Instagram page, expressing that he was “deeply honoured and humbled” and emphasizing the ongoing efforts required to support future generations of men. In his post, he remarked, “My hope is that we can teach our boys, while they are still young, that vulnerability is strength, sensitivity is a super power, and empathy makes them powerful.” On Monday, Vital Voices clarified that it had rescinded the award and informed Baldoni of this decision. Also on Monday, Liz Plank, who co-hosts a podcast with Baldoni, declared her departure from *The Man Enough* show in the wake of the allegations. The podcast describes its mission as establishing “a safe environment” for discussing topics such as the manifestation of “masculinity” in relationships, along with “sex, success,” and “mental health.” Ms. Plank, an author and journalist, communicated to her listeners via Instagram, stating: “I’m writing to you today to let you know that I have had my representatives inform [Baldoni’s production company] Wayfarer that I will no longer be co-hosting The Man Enough podcast.” She extended gratitude to fans for “trusting me with your hearts and stories, for holding space for mine, and for making this show what it was.” Ms. Lively, widely recognized for her role in the television series *Gossip Girl*, recently initiated a legal complaint, alleging that Baldoni and his team engaged in actions to undermine her public image. According to her complaint, these alleged attacks occurred after a meeting convened to address “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behaviour” attributed to Baldoni and a producer involved with the film. The filing submitted to the California Civil Rights Department indicates that a list of 30 demands, pertaining to the alleged misconduct of the pair, was presented during the meeting with the aim of ensuring the film’s continued production. Among the requests on this list were stipulations such as discontinuing any mention of Baldoni’s “pornography addiction,” refraining from descriptions of genitalia, and prohibiting the inclusion of intimate scenes not approved by her during the script review stage. Lively also accused Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios of orchestrating a “multi-tiered plan” designed to damage her reputation across media platforms and online. This plan allegedly involved engaging a crisis manager who directed a “sophisticated, coordinated, and well-financed retaliation plan” against her, employing a “digital army” to disseminate seemingly authentic social media content. In response to the legal complaint, Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s lawyer, issued a statement on Saturday asserting that the accusations were “categorically false.” Mr. Freedman contended that Lively had made numerous demands and threats, including “threatening to not show up to set, threatening to not promote the film,” which he claimed would “ultimately lead to its demise during release, if her demands were not met.” He further alleged that Lively’s claims were “intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media.”