Justin Baldoni loses women's advocacy award amid sexual harassment allegations
Actor-director Justin Baldoni is facing the brunt of his actions after a sexual harassment lawsuit was filed against him by his It Ends With Us co-star, Blake Lively. In the latest, Vital Voices, a global women's rights organization, has taken back the Voices of Solidarity Award it had given to him earlier this month. The award was given to "remarkable men who have shown courage and compassion in advocating on behalf of women and girls."
Vital Voices cited Baldoni's 'abhorrent conduct' as the reason
Vital Voices chose to rescind the award from Baldoni over his purported "disturbing" and "abhorrent conduct," Lively's lawsuit revealed. The organization in their Instagram post said "The communications among Mr. Baldoni and his publicists included in the lawsuit—and the PR effort they indicate—are, alone, contrary to the values of Vital Voices and the spirit of the Award." "We have notified Mr. Baldoni that we have rescinded this award."
Lively's lawsuit against Baldoni and its implications
For those unaware, Lively has accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, and starting a smear campaign to ruin her reputation. The lawsuit also features text messages between Baldoni and his publicists, where he allegedly asks them to "bury" Lively. Since the lawsuit went public, Lively has received overwhelming support from the film industry including Sony Pictures, which distributed It Ends With Us. Sony Pictures, said in a statement, "We strongly condemn any reputational attacks on her."
