Justin Louis Baldoni (born January 24, 1984) is an American actor and director. He is best known for playing Rafael Solano on
the CW
The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...
telenovela ''
Jane the Virgin
''Jane the Virgin'' is an American romantic comedy-drama and satirical telenovela developed by Jennie Snyder Urman. The series premiered October 13, 2014, on The CW and concluded on July 31, 2019. It is a loose adaptation of the Venezuelan te ...
'' (2014–2019) and for starring in and directing the romantic drama film ''
It Ends with Us
''It Ends with Us'' is a romance novel by Colleen Hoover, published by Atria Books on August 2, 2016. The story follows florist Lily Bloom, whose abusive relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid is compounded when her high school boyfriend At ...
'' (2024). He has also directed '' Five Feet Apart'' (2019) and ''
Clouds
In meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles, suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space. Water or various other chemicals may c ...
'' (2020).
Baldoni co-founded the production company Wayfarer Studios in 2019. Through his company he has produced and co-hosted the ''Man Enough'' podcast. He has also published two books on exploring positive masculinity and overcoming societal expectations of being a man.
Baldoni directed and starred opposite
Blake Lively
Blake Ellender Brown (born August 25, 1987), known professionally as Blake Lively, is an American actress. A daughter of actor Ernie Lively, she made her professional debut in his directorial project ''Sandman'' (1998). She had her breakthrou ...
in ''
It Ends with Us
''It Ends with Us'' is a romance novel by Colleen Hoover, published by Atria Books on August 2, 2016. The story follows florist Lily Bloom, whose abusive relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid is compounded when her high school boyfriend At ...
'', a box-office success, but drew controversy, resulting in a number of lawsuits, including Lively and Baldoni suing each other for
defamation
Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions ...
.
Early life
Baldoni was born in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, and was raised in
Medford, Oregon
Medford is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Oregon, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census on April 1, 2020, the city had a total population of 85,824, making it the List of cities in Oregon, eighth-most populo ...
, to parents Sharon (née Solomon) and Sam Baldoni. His mother is
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
, born to
Ashkenazi Jewish
Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that Ethnogenesis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium Common era, CE. They traditionally spe ...
parents Blanche Katz and Daniel Solomon from
Cleveland
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
,
Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...
. Baldoni is therefore considered Jewish according to ''
Halakha
''Halakha'' ( ; , ), also Romanization of Hebrew, transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Judaism, Jewish religious laws that are derived from the Torah, Written and Oral Torah. ''Halakha'' is ...
'' (Jewish law), as
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism is a collective term for the traditionalist branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Torah, Written and Oral Torah, Oral, as literally revelation, revealed by God in Ju ...
practices
matrilineal descent
Matrilineality, at times called matriliny, is the tracing of kinship through the female line. It may also correlate with a social system in which people identify with their matriline, their mother's lineage, and which can involve the inheritanc ...
.Gillott, Hannah (15 August 2024 How Jewish is Justin Baldoni? ''The Jewish Chronicle''. Retrieved on 31 December 2024 His maternal grandfather served in the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and Baldoni lost relatives in
the Holocaust
The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...
. His father Sam is from an
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
background. His paternal grandfather is Louis Baldoni, a former
Indiana state senator
The Indiana State Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year t ...
and Italian immigrant. Baldoni was raised celebrating both
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
and
Hanukkah
Hanukkah (, ; ''Ḥănukkā'' ) is a Jewish holidays, Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd ce ...
Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
, the faith which both his parents had converted to before he was born. Baldoni has visited
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
several times on
Baháʼí pilgrimage
A Baháʼí pilgrimage currently consists of visiting the holy places in Acre, Israel, Acre and Haifa at the Baháʼí World Centre in Northwest Israel. Baháʼí Faith, Baháʼís do not have access to other places designated as sites for pilgri ...
s.
Baldoni played
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
and ran track in high school, and was a radio disc jockey at a local top 40 radio station. While moving into a new apartment building, Baldoni met a manager who advised him to pursue a career in
acting
Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode.
Acting involves a broad range of sk ...
. He attended college at
California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), also known in athletics as Long Beach State University (LBSU), is a public teaching-focused institution in Long Beach, California, United States. The 322-acre campus is the second largest in the ...
on a partial athletic scholarship, but later dropped out. In December 2024, Baldoni alleged he had "experienced sexual trauma" in a previous relationship when he was attending university. He said that he "wrestled with that trauma for the rest of my life, because in my head a man can't experience sexual trauma at the hands of a woman."
Career
2004–2018: Early roles and ''Jane the Virgin''
Baldoni made his acting debut in the soap opera ''
The Young and the Restless
''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in the fictional Genoa City (named after the real-life Genoa City, Wiscon ...
'' in 2004. In 2008, Baldoni wrote, produced, and directed his first music video that was selected and won him his first "Audience Choice Award" at
Dawn Breakers International Film Festival
Dawn Breakers International Film Festival (DBIFF) was an international travelling film festival held in various cities throughout the world from 2007 to 2015. The festival debuted in Phoenix, Arizona and was later held in San Diego, Houston and Z� ...
. In 2012, Baldoni created a digital documentary series, '' My Last Days'', a show about living—as told by the dying. The show eventually became one of the most-watched YouTube documentary series streamed online. The second season of ''My Last Days'' aired on CW and third season was released in the winter of 2018. On the heels of that success Baldoni founded Wayfarer Entertainment, a digital media studio focused on disruptive inspiration. In December 2018, Baldoni spoke at the annual End Well Symposium about why he believes that thinking about our death can help us live better.
From 2014 to 2019, Baldoni played
Rafael Solano
Rafael Solano Sánchez (born 10 April 1931 in San Felipe de Puerto Plata, in the Dominican Republic) is a Dominican pianist, songwriter, composer, arranger, author, and former Dominican ambassador to UNESCO.CW satirical
telenovela
A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar Drama (film and television), drama genres around the w ...
''
Jane the Virgin
''Jane the Virgin'' is an American romantic comedy-drama and satirical telenovela developed by Jennie Snyder Urman. The series premiered October 13, 2014, on The CW and concluded on July 31, 2019. It is a loose adaptation of the Venezuelan te ...
'' starring opposite
Gina Rodriguez
Gina Alexis Rodriguez (born July 30, 1984) is an American actress. She is known for her leading role as Jane Villanueva in The CW satirical romantic dramedy series ''Jane the Virgin'' (2014–2019), for which she received a Golden Globe Award f ...
. In May 2016 he launched a time-lapse video app for pregnant women and new moms called Belly Bump. In 2018 he played a young
Barry Minkow
Barry Jay Minkow (born March 22, 1966) is a former American businessman, pastor, and convicted felony, felon. While still in high school, Minkow founded ZZZZ Best (), which appeared to be an immensely successful carpet-cleaning and restoration co ...
in the crime drama ''
Con Man
A scam, or a confidence trick, is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using a combination of the victim's credulity, naivety, compassion, vanity, confidence, irresponsibi ...
'', directed by Bruce Caulk.
2019–present: Expansion to directing
Baldoni directed and produced
CBS Films
CBS Films Inc. was an American film production and distribution company founded in 2007 as a subsidiary of CBS Corporation and was considered a Major film studio#Mini-majors, mini-major studio up until 2019.
CBS Films originally was planned t ...
Cole Sprouse
Cole Mitchell Sprouse (born August 4, 1992) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Cody Martin on the Disney Channel series ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody'' (2005–2008), and its spin-off series ''The Suite Life on Deck'' (2008– ...
and
Haley Lu Richardson
Haley Lu Richardson (born March 7, 1995) is an American actress. Following early television roles on the Disney Channel sitcom '' Shake It Up'' (2013) and the ABC Family supernatural drama '' Ravenswood'' (2013–2014), she acted in the coming-o ...
, and based on an original script by
Mikki Daughtry
Mikki Daughtry is an American screenwriter and young adult fiction author. She is best known for writing, along with writing partner Tobias Iaconis, the films ''The Curse of La Llorona'' (2019), '' Five Feet Apart'' (2019) and '' Nightbooks'' (202 ...
and Tobias Iaconis. The film was released on March 15, 2019, and chronicles the lives of two teenagers living with
cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder inherited in an autosomal recessive manner that impairs the normal clearance of Sputum, mucus from the lungs, which facilitates the colonization and infection of the lungs by bacteria, notably ''Staphy ...
. The film was a financial success but received mixed reviews. The following year he directed and produced ''
Clouds
In meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles, suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space. Water or various other chemicals may c ...
'', a film depicting the life of musician Zach Sobiech with
Warner Bros
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American film studio, filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and th ...
. On May 14, 2020, it was announced
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
had acquired distribution rights to the film from Warner Bros., in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the film industry. It was released on October 16, 2020.
In 2024 Baldoni directed, produced, and starred in the
romantic drama
Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their ...
''
It Ends with Us
''It Ends with Us'' is a romance novel by Colleen Hoover, published by Atria Books on August 2, 2016. The story follows florist Lily Bloom, whose abusive relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid is compounded when her high school boyfriend At ...
'', based on
Colleen Hoover
Margaret Colleen Hoover (; born December 11, 1979) is an American author who primarily writes novels in the romance and young adult fiction genres. She is best known for her 2016 novel '' It Ends with Us''. Many of her works were self-published ...
Blake Lively
Blake Ellender Brown (born August 25, 1987), known professionally as Blake Lively, is an American actress. A daughter of actor Ernie Lively, she made her professional debut in his directorial project ''Sandman'' (1998). She had her breakthrou ...
, Baldoni portrays a
neurosurgeon
Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty that focuses on the surgical treatment or rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, ...
who is a domestic abuser. The film became a box office hit, earning over $350 million, but it received mixed reviews from critics. Eventually Baldoni and Lively had a combative working relationship on the set, with Lively accusing him of sexually harassing her and creating a toxic workplace environment.
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...
award-winning journalists
Megan Twohey
Megan Twohey ( ) is an American journalist. She is an Investigative journalism, investigative reporter at ''The New York Times'' and previously reported for Reuters, the ''Chicago Tribune,'' and the ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel''. Twohey's repo ...
and Mike McIntire from ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' investigated the allegations and reported that Baldoni had hired a PR crisis firm in order to "bury her" through a coordinated smear campaign against her across social media platforms such as
TikTok
TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...
,
Reddit
Reddit ( ) is an American Proprietary software, proprietary social news news aggregator, aggregation and Internet forum, forum Social media, social media platform. Registered users (commonly referred to as "redditors") submit content to the ...
, and X. Baldoni responded with a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the newspaper, saying that the article's authors had pulled quotes so far out of context as to be the opposite of the truth. Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, released what he said were the full, unedited version of emails, texts and other information in order to demonstrate Baldoni's accusation against the ''Times''.
''It Ends with Us'' controversies
Baldoni directed and starred opposite
Blake Lively
Blake Ellender Brown (born August 25, 1987), known professionally as Blake Lively, is an American actress. A daughter of actor Ernie Lively, she made her professional debut in his directorial project ''Sandman'' (1998). She had her breakthrou ...
in ''
It Ends with Us
''It Ends with Us'' is a romance novel by Colleen Hoover, published by Atria Books on August 2, 2016. The story follows florist Lily Bloom, whose abusive relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid is compounded when her high school boyfriend At ...
'' (2024), a box-office success. Its contentious filming received substantial media coverage, as both Lively and Baldoni filed lawsuits related to the production. In December 2024, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios, accusing them of
sexual harassment
Sexual harassment is a type of harassment based on the sex or gender of a victim. It can involve offensive sexist or sexual behavior, verbal or physical actions, up to bribery, coercion, and assault. Harassment may be explicit or implicit, wit ...
and
intimidation
Intimidation is a behaviour and legal wrong which usually involves deterring or coercing an individual by threat of violence. It is in various jurisdictions a crime and a civil wrong (tort). Intimidation is similar to menacing, coercion, terro ...
. Denying the allegations, Baldoni sued Lively and her husband
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds (born October 23, 1976) is a Canadian and American actor, producer and businessman. Known for starring in comedic and superhero films, he was the List of highest-paid film actors, world's second-highest-paid actor in 202 ...
for $400 million, alleging that the Hollywood power couple and their publicist, Leslie Sloan, sought to "destroy" him. He also sued ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' for
libel
Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions ...
over their investigation and reporting of the allegations Lively made in the
California Civil Rights Department
The California Civil Rights Department (CRD), formerly known as the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), is an agency of California state government charged with the protection of residents from employment, housing and public accom ...
(CRD) complaint she submitted.
On December 20, 2024, Lively filed a complaint with the
California Civil Rights Department
The California Civil Rights Department (CRD), formerly known as the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), is an agency of California state government charged with the protection of residents from employment, housing and public accom ...
(CRD) against Baldoni for sexual harassment and intimidation on the set of ''
It Ends with Us
''It Ends with Us'' is a romance novel by Colleen Hoover, published by Atria Books on August 2, 2016. The story follows florist Lily Bloom, whose abusive relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid is compounded when her high school boyfriend At ...
'' (2024). ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' ran a corresponding story accusing Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath of hiring crisis management experts to "destroy" Lively's reputation through social media campaigns and strategic media placement. Baldoni has denied the accusations, and his lawyer, Bryan Freedman, produced a statement describing Lively's claims as "completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious."
On December 21, 2024, the
talent agency
A talent agency is a company that represents actors, authors, musicians, model (person), models, professional athlete, athletes, writers, dancers, and other professionals in various industries. Talent agencies specialize, either by creating dep ...
Colleen Hoover
Margaret Colleen Hoover (; born December 11, 1979) is an American author who primarily writes novels in the romance and young adult fiction genres. She is best known for her 2016 novel '' It Ends with Us''. Many of her works were self-published ...
, the author of the novel on which the film is based, released a personal statement supporting Lively. Baldoni, who had recently received the Voices of Solidarity Award, had it rescinded by its sponsor,
Vital Voices
Vital Voices Global Partnership is an American international, 501(c)(3), non-profit, non-governmental organization that works with women leaders in the areas of economic empowerment, women's political participation, and human rights. The organiza ...
. Baldoni's ''Man Enough'' co-host Liz Plank resigned from their podcast.
Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...
released a statement standing by Lively, adding, " strongly condemn any reputational attacks on her. Any such attacks have no place in our business or in a civil society."
In response to their reporting on the allegations by Lively, Justin Baldoni filed a libel lawsuit for $250 million against ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' for pushing an "unverified and self-serving narrative" using "cherry-picked and altered communications stripped of necessary context," and allegedly ignoring evidence disputing her claims. Baldoni's lawyer stated, "In this vicious smear campaign fully orchestrated by Blake Lively and her team, the ''New York Times'' cowered to the wants and whims of two powerful ‘untouchable’ Hollywood elites, disregarding journalistic practices and ethics once befitting of the revered publication by using doctored and manipulated texts and intentionally omitting texts which dispute their chosen PR narrative."
''The New York Times'' has defended itself, saying, "The role of an independent news organization is to follow the facts where they lead. Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported. It was based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article."
On December 31, 2024, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, mirroring the California Civil Rights Department complaint. The lawsuit named Baldoni; his film studio, Wayfarer; and the two public relations representatives, Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel.
On 16 January 2025, Baldoni's attorney filed a $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively, her husband
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds (born October 23, 1976) is a Canadian and American actor, producer and businessman. Known for starring in comedic and superhero films, he was the List of highest-paid film actors, world's second-highest-paid actor in 202 ...
, and their publicist Leslie Sloan for civil
extortion
Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit (e.g., money or goods) through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, although making unfounded ...
,
defamation
Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions ...
, and
invasion of privacy
The right to privacy is an element of various legal traditions that intends to restrain governmental and private actions that threaten the privacy of individuals. Over 185 national constitutions mention the right to privacy.
Since the global ...
. The 170-page complaint, filed in the Southern District of New York, claims that Lively attempted to hijack control of the movie with demands and threats, and despite getting most of what she wanted, decided to accuse Baldoni of a smear campaign, "to deflect attention and blame for Lively's disastrous misjudgments... Lively would recast herself as the long-suffering martyr by portraying Baldoni and Wayfarer as her persecutors," according to the complaint. Baldoni denies any sexual harassment took place and said that the smear campaign alleged by Lively did not exist. On January 31, Baldoni filed a 168-page timeline of events, including text messages, to support the assertion that Lively had conducted a smear campaign against him.
Baldoni contends that Lively, along with Reynolds and Sloan, engaged in a coordinated effort to tarnish his reputation, derail his career, and obscure the film’s original purpose of highlighting domestic violence awareness.
Other ventures
''Man Enough'' projects
In July 2017, ''Variety'' announced that Baldoni was developing a talk show through his media company Wayfarer Entertainment. The show, entitled ''Man Enough'', is described as a disruptive panel series that explores what it means to be a man today. Eight 25-minute episodes were to be distributed on the internet. In 2021, Baldoni released a book under the same premise.
He began a podcast series under the same name with co-hosts Liz Plank and Jamey Heath. A children's version of the book ''Boys Will Be Human'' was released in October 2022. Plank left the podcast in 2024 after ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' reported allegations that Baldoni
sexually harassed
Sexual harassment is a type of harassment based on the sex or gender of a victim. It can involve offensive sexist or sexual behavior, verbal or physical actions, up to bribery, coercion, and assault. Harassment may be explicit or implicit, wit ...
Blake Lively
Blake Ellender Brown (born August 25, 1987), known professionally as Blake Lively, is an American actress. A daughter of actor Ernie Lively, she made her professional debut in his directorial project ''Sandman'' (1998). She had her breakthrou ...
. Plank wrote in a statement, "I will continue to support everyone who calls out injustice and holds the people standing in their way accountable".
Wayfarer Studios
Baldoni co-founded a production company called Wayfarer Entertainment that produces television, films, and digital content. In 2019, Wayfarer sold a majority stake in the company to investment fund 4S Bay Partners, setting up a $25 million content fund, and was renamed Wayfarer Studios in 2020. The studio's most successful project to date is the 2024 romance drama ''
It Ends with Us
''It Ends with Us'' is a romance novel by Colleen Hoover, published by Atria Books on August 2, 2016. The story follows florist Lily Bloom, whose abusive relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid is compounded when her high school boyfriend At ...
'', that Baldoni directs and stars in. The film has grossed $391 million at the box office. The studio has also partnered with the
nonprofit
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
No More to provide resources and information related to domestic abuse and violence such as that shown in the film No More dedicates itself is to ending domestic and sexual violence. They work to increase awareness, inspire action, and fuel culture change with a view to eradicating domestic violence. It is a global initiative that comprises “the largest coalition of non-profits, corporations, government agencies, media, schools, and individuals addressing domestic and sexual violence”. They say they are “committed to engaging, reaching, and working with people from diverse communities”.
In 2014, Baldoni through Wayfarer Studios's philanthropic branch, Wayfarer Foundation started the annual Skid Row Carnival of Love in downtown
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. The event served between 4 and 5 thousand homeless individuals living around
Skid Row
A skid row, also called skid road, is an impoverished area, typically urban, in English-speaking North America whose inhabitants are mostly poor people " on the skids". This specifically refers to people who are poor or homeless, considered disre ...
providing career services such as "housing services,
domestic violence
Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...
services, dental and medical exams, an eye clinic, haircuts, and massages" and other festivities such as face-painting, live concerts, and children's activities.Pener, Degen (11 July 2019 ‘Jane the Virgin’s’ Justin Baldoni Expanding Skid Row Carnival of Love ''The Hollywood Reporter''. Retrieved on 1 January 2025
Personal life
After almost two years of dating, Baldoni married Swedish actress Emily Foxler, now known as
Emily Baldoni
Emily Baldoni (née Fuxler; born 3 August 1984) is a Swedish actress. She was initially credited as Emily Foxler, a variant spelling of her birth name, before getting married and taking on her husband's surname professionally. She is best known ...
. He proposed to her in a 27-minute video which he released on his production company's
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
channel where it went
viral
The word ''Viral'' means "relating to viruses" (small infectious agents).
It may also refer to:
Viral behavior, or virality
Memetic behavior likened that of a virus, for example:
* Viral marketing, the use of existing social networks to spre ...
. He described it as "his first movie". The couple married in July 2013 in
Corona, California
Corona (Spanish language, Spanish for "Crown") is a city in northwestern Riverside County, California, United States, directly bordering Orange County, California, Orange and San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino counties. Its curre ...
. Together they have a daughter and a son.
Baldoni is a member of the
Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
and has stated that for him it's a "daily source of inner happiness". He has stated that he has
ADHD
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple ...
. He has previously written and spoken about his struggles with
Body dysmorphic disorder
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), also known in some contexts as dysmorphophobia, is a mental disorder defined by an overwhelming preoccupation with a perceived flaw in one's physical appearance. In BDD's delusional variant, the flaw is imagined ...
(BDD). Baldoni is on the Board of Ambassadors of the Tahirih Justice Center, a nonprofit advocating for women, girls, and all immigrant survivors of gender-based violence.Board of Ambassadors Tahirih Justice Center. Retrieved on 1 January 2025
Filmography
Film
Television
Bibliography
* ''Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity'' (
HarperOne
HarperOne is a publishing imprint of HarperCollins, specializing in books that aim to "transform, inspire, change lives, and influence cultural discussions." Under the original name of Harper San Francisco, the imprint was founded in 1977 by 13 e ...
, 2021)
* ''Boys Will Be Human: A Get-Real Gut-Check Guide to Becoming the Strongest, Kindest, Bravest Person You Can Be'' (
Harper Collins
HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the " Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster. HarperCollins is ...