Justin Baldoni’s former publicist, Jennifer Abel, is at the centre of a legal battle following allegations of “bullying” and a controversial smear campaign against actress Blake Lively. Abel, who resigned from her position at Jonesworks amidst claims of a toxic work environment, is now being sued by her former employer for breach of contract and defamation.
The controversy intensified after Abel left her role at Jonesworks on 10 July, with her resignation becoming effective on 23 August. Sources close to Abel claim that she left the public relations firm due to a toxic work environment, citing bullying directed at her colleague Matthew Mitchell. However, Jonesworks, led by Stephanie Jones, disputes these claims, alleging that Abel had secretly contacted clients to secure her departure and took more than 70 documents from the firm. As a result, Abel was reportedly terminated early on August 21, prompting the lawsuit.
Abel’s representatives have strongly denied the accusations, asserting that the documents were not “stolen” and calling the lawsuit retaliatory, following the transition of Baldoni and other clients to her new firm, RWA Communications. In an email obtained by The Wrap, Abel’s resignation letter expressed remorse over the situation, acknowledging, “I take full responsibility for my part in all of this. I’m not proud of how emotional I get in these situations.”
The legal drama deepened with a separate lawsuit from Blake Lively, who accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign to damage her reputation after alleged misconduct on the set of It Ends With Us. Lively’s lawsuit claims that Baldoni’s actions were retaliatory, following what she describes as inappropriate behaviour and efforts to discredit her during promotions for the film.
An exposé by The New York Times earlier this year further fuelled speculation of a feud between Baldoni and Lively, highlighting allegations of Baldoni’s misconduct and attempts to tarnish Lively’s career. Baldoni, however, has denied all allegations.