Was The Internet Deceived By Justin Baldoni?
Justin Baldoni allegedly hired PR expert Melissa Nathan, who had previously worked with Johnny Depp during his trial, to smear Blake Lively. Did this "male feminist" fool the internet?
There’s something deeply concerning about the male feminist archetype. Don’t get me wrong, I think more men need to speak up for women, but not all of them can be trusted. Why are they so pro-sex work (especially when the porn industry is known to be horrible to women)? Why do they always seem to talk more than they act? Doth protest too much.
I praised Justin Baldoni this year when he used the It Ends with Us press tours to raise awareness of domestic abuse. He had built an amazing reputation for himself this summer and was seen as a champion for women, even preaching about how men should “do better.” Turns out, I may have been wrong to trust him.
This is an opinion piece.
It Ends with Us… In Court
Baldoni’s co-star, Blake Lively, has filed a lawsuit against the director. Lively’s legal action includes claims of forced nudity, exploitation, and harassment on set. Melissa Nathan had apparently been an influential figure in Baldoni’s PR team and was known to have worked with Johnny Depp during his trial with Amber Heard.
Texts and internal documents seemed to show that there was a calculated smear campaign against Lively, orchestrated by Baldoni’s team, with Nathan at the helm. Nathan and others reportedly strategized on how to target Lively’s reputation. I’m assuming this smear campaign was meant to get ahead of Lively, likely because Baldoni feared she might come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against him.
According to the damning piece by The New York Times, IEWU had a birth scene, and Lively, while filming a deeply vulnerable moment, was left naked with her legs spread open on an open set. Baldoni, instead of ensuring a safe and professional environment, allegedly brought his best friend to play the role of the OBGYN and failed to close the set. Lively’s list of demands during production also read like a cry for basic decency: no nude images or videos shown to her, no discussions of Baldoni’s alleged pornography addiction, and no more casual chatter about genitalia, weight, or even her deceased father.
When Lively stood up for herself, Baldoni’s PR machine allegedly swung into action to discredit her. Leaked documents suggest his team explored planting stories about her “weaponizing feminism,” even dragging her famous friendships (Taylor Swift) into the mud.
It’s the same story on repeat. Men who champion feminism not because they believe in equality but because they see it as a way to sidestep accountability. They think being a “feminist” gives them permission to act like they’re above reproach.
Liberal feminism, in some ways, has become a convenient excuse for certain men to continue problematic behaviors under the guise of progressivism. For example, men supporting sex work today are no longer seen as creepy or exploitative. Men can consume porn without guilt, all while congratulating themselves for supporting a harmful industry and its toxic practices.
Maybe it really is no coincidence that Lively’s reputation took a hit while Baldoni, the so-called “ally” and “feminist,” used his press tour to focus on abuse victims and paint himself as the good guy.
Don’t Trust the Loudest Men
If there’s one lesson to take from all this, it’s this: never trust a male feminist who needs to tell you he’s a male feminist. Baldoni’s fall from grace shows us how feminist rhetoric can be weaponized. The louder someone shouts about their virtues, the more side-eye they deserve.
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