The aftermath of Blake Lively’s sexual harassment complaint against her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni continues to keep growing. This week, journalist and author Liz Plank announced her departure from The Man Enough Podcast, a show she had been hosting alongside Baldoni for the last three years.
Plank submitted her resignation and announced the news on Monday. Taking to her Instagram, she revealed her decision in a post. “I have had my representatives inform Wayfarer that I will no longer be co-hosting The Man Enough Podcast,” Plank wrote in her post. “Thank you for trusting me with your hearts and stories, for holding space for mine, and for making this show what it was. I will miss you, the listeners, so much.”
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The podcast was launched in 2021 by Plank, Baldoni and Jamey Heath, president of Wayfarer Studios. The show focused on the themes of masculinity and personal growth. However, as the accusations against Baldoni are gaining steady attention now, the program’s future stands to be uncertain.
Blake Lively’s 80-page legal complaint not only accuses Baldoni of sexual harassment but also alleges he orchestrated a smear campaign using media manipulation. Exhibits included in the lawsuit aim to support these claims.
As US Weekly reports, one of those text exchanges includes a PR team email that goes like this, “Our team can also explore planting stories about the weaponisation of feminism and how people like Taylor Swift, have been accused of utilizing these tactics to ‘bully’ into getting what they want.”
Jennifer Abel, a publicist named in the suit, defended the actions regarding leaked text exchanges. She argued that they were being misinterpreted.
In a now-deleted Facebook post, Abel wrote, “What the cherry-picked messages don’t include, although not shockingly as it doesn’t fit the narrative, is that there was no ‘smear’ implemented.” She clarified that the messages exchanged with crisis expert Melissa Nathan were lighthearted comments about fan reactions and did not suggest any malicious intent. Abel further said that Baldoni’s team did not engage in negative strategies but instead focused on monitoring online narratives that ensure positive media coverage.
“We didn’t have to implement anything because the internet was doing the work for us,” she added, possibly referencing resurfaced clips and interviews featuring Lively that have gone viral online.
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Amid this ongoing scenario, several celebrities have publicly supported Lively. Her Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars, along with A Simple Favor director Paul Feig and actress Amber Heard, have spoken out on her behalf.
Adding to Baldoni’s troubles, his Voices of Solidarity Award, given for “advocating on behalf of women and girls,” was cancelled days after the allegations came to limelight. On top of that, Baldoni has been dropped by his talent agency, WME. Amidst everything, he keeps facing consistent scrutiny in the wake of these claims.
With the allegations coming up and adding troubles, Baldoni’s professional future hangs in the balance.