Before ‘It Ends With Us’ drama, Justin Baldoni built a brand around telling men to do better

When The CW’s answer to a telenovela, “Jane the Virgin,” came to an end in 2019, Justin Baldoni – the actor who was one side of the love triangle that powered the series – was looking toward a bright future, one bolstered by lessons he said he learned on screen and off.

When The CW’s answer to a telenovela, “Jane the Virgin,” came to an end in 2019, Justin Baldoni – the actor who was one side of the love triangle that powered the series – was looking toward a bright future, one bolstered by lessons he said he learned on screen and off. “What’s interesting about the journey of Rafael as a character is it in some strange way resembles and intersects with my journey as a man,” he told the New York Times about the show’s conclusion. “I explored masculinity, digging into the parts of myself that are uncomfortable, and learning about equality and privilege. And it really cracked me open.” The show ended two years after Baldoni’s viral 2017 TED Talk in which he spoke about redefining masculinity. He ponders at one point: “Your strength, your bravery, your toughness: Are you brave enough to be vulnerable? Are you strong enough to be sensitive? Are you confident enough to listen to the women in your life?” Years later, his words are in stark contrast with the man portrayed in a complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department on Friday by actress Blake Lively, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and reputational retaliation while directing and co-starring with Lively in the domestic violence drama, “It Ends With Us.” While the movie was a summer box office success, reports of creative differences and tension between the two stars overshadowed the film’s promotional campaign. According to the complaint, obtained by the The New York Times, Baldoni and Jamey Heath, a producer on “It Ends With Us,” allegedly violated Lively’s physical boundaries and made repeated sexual and other inappropriate comments to her while working on the project. After raising her concerns in a production group meeting, the men agreed that an intimacy coordinator would be present at all times when Lively was in scenes with Baldoni, the complaint states. Lively claims in her complaint that Baldoni and his communications representatives preemptively orchestrated a media campaign to hurt her reputation, fearing Lively’s allegations would surface publicly. The complaint names Baldoni as a defendant, as well as his production company Wayfarer Studios, his publicist, Heath and a crisis public relations manager, among others.