Justin Baldoni Takes Legal Action Against Ex-Publicist For Alleged Confidentiality Breach
Stephanie Jones had represented Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, but reports of tensions between him and Blake Lively surfaced last summer.
Justin Baldoni has filed a lawsuit against his former publicist, alleging she sparked his legal dispute with Blake Lively by leaking private messages. On March 21, the 41-year-old actor, along with his publicist Jennifer Abel, took legal action in a New York federal court against Stephanie Jones, founder of PR firm Jonesworks. The lawsuit claims Jones breached client confidentiality by sharing messages that later played a key role in Lively’s separate case.
“It is undeniable that Stephanie Jones initiated this catastrophic sequence of events by violating the most basic of privacy rights," said Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, in a statement to People.
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Jones had represented Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, but reports of tensions between him and Lively surfaced last summer. This lawsuit is the sixth tied to It Ends With Us.
In December 2024, Lively, 37, sued Baldoni and others, alleging sexual harassment and a smear campaign. The New York Times later revealed it had reviewed text messages and emails obtained through a subpoena, messages allegedly from Abel’s phone, which Jonesworks had seized after Abel announced she was leaving.
Baldoni later sued The New York Times for $250 million, alleging libel and invasion of privacy, reports People.
According to the lawsuit, two days before Abel’s last day, she was summoned to a meeting where she faced a security guard, a forensic data expert, and an attorney. She was allegedly pressured to sign documents and grant access to her laptop, under threat of legal action.
The lawsuit argues this encounter violated California labour laws. Abel was allegedly locked out of key accounts while Jones gained access to her texts, emails, and personal photos. Jones then allegedly passed this data to Lively’s publicist, Leslie Sloane.
“During that call, Sloane told Nathan that Sloane had seen Nathan’s text messages (which could only have come from Abel’s phone) and that Nathan should expect to be sued," the complaint continues. It claims Jones deliberately provided Lively’s team access to Abel’s phone without a subpoena, allowing them to construct a misleading narrative.
“As a result of Jones’ malicious scheme, Abel’s life has been turned upside down. Her career and reputation have been destroyed, and her private information leaked," the lawsuit states.
Jones later countersued Baldoni and Abel. Her attorney, Kristin Tahler, told People, “For months, this group has gaslit and disparaged Stephanie Jones and her company for financial gain and to distract from their disgraceful conduct."
Baldoni has since escalated matters, filing a $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, 48. With lawsuits mounting, the It Ends With Us legal drama shows no sign of slowing down.
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