Justin Baldoni seemed to be at the height of his career.

This month, the actor and director of “It Ends with Us” was in New York City to receive the global Voices of Solidarity Award from Vital Voices, an organization dedicated to supporting women and girls.

“It Ends with Us,” which is based on the bestselling book by Colleen Hoover, tackles the serious issue of domestic violence. The award appeared to align well with Baldoni, who has made his mark by openly discussing his vulnerabilities and challenging traditional concepts of masculinity — a phrase he often uses.

However, things took a dramatic turn when Blake Lively, his co-star in “It Ends with Us,” made allegations of sexual harassment against him in a complaint with the California Department of Civil Rights that emerged on Saturday.

Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, stated to The New York Times that Lively’s accusations were “completely false, outrageous and deliberately sensationalized with the intention of causing public harm and reviving past narratives.” He mentioned that Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, only responded to inquiries to ensure fair and accurate coverage of the situation.

The fallout was immediate. By Monday, Vital Voices had revoked his award. Baldoni’s podcast co-host, journalist Liz Plank, who focuses on masculinity, openly announced her resignation in a letter stating that “we all deserve better.” Support for Lively came from Baldoni’s male co-star Brandon Sklenar and the author Hoover on social media.

This situation reflects the growing intolerance in Hollywood for claims of sexual misconduct in a workplace, nearly ten years after the #MeToo movement brought significant change to the industry.

Allegations Against Justin Baldoni: Naked Photos and Inappropriate Behaviors

However, no one anticipated the serious allegations revealed in Lively’s legal complaint made public on Saturday.

The claims detail accusations of Baldoni showing Lively videos and pictures of naked women, discussing his struggles with pornography, sharing personal sexual anecdotes, describing his genitalia, initiating unplanned kisses, making comments about Lively’s trainer’s weight, entering her trailer while she was undressed, inserting explicit scenes into the film, and making personal as well as sexual remarks.

The complaint goes on to say that Baldoni allegedly disregarded sexual consent and that his public relations team communicated in fixed messages that they could “silence anyone.” Moreover, Baldoni purportedly worked with a PR team to generate negative stories regarding Lively after she raised concerns about his behavior on set.

“I hope that my legal action sheds light on the harmful retaliatory strategies used against individuals who speak out about misconduct, and protects others from being targeted,” Lively commented to The New York Times in a piece published on Saturday.

This rapid turn of events has profoundly impacted Baldoni, who has worked hard to advocate challenging traditional masculinity since his breakout role in the Emmy-nominated series Jane the Virgin, which premiered in 2014.

Justin Baldoni’s Career Focused on Challenging Traditional Masculinity

Following the conclusion of “Jane the Virgin” in 2019, Baldoni began developing a film adaptation of “It Ends with Us,” based on Hoover’s novel.

After the awareness raised by the #MeToo movement, he also launched “The Man Enough Podcast,” which discusses contemporary masculinity and the effects of rigid gender roles on society.

This podcast featured various celebrity guests, including Shawn Mendes, and was co-hosted with journalist Plank and Jamey Heath, a colleague from Wayfarer Studios, who is also mentioned in Lively’s complaint.

In 2021, Baldoni published a book titled “Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity,” which aligns with the topic of his podcast. The following year, he introduced a children’s companion book called “Boys Will Be Human: A Get-Real Gut-Check Guide to Becoming the Strongest, Kindest, Bravest Person You Can Be.”

His Instagram biography features a message about preventing domestic violence, stating: “If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, there is help available. Visit @nomoreorg for more information.”

Baldoni supported the No More Foundation, an organization dedicated to combating domestic and sexual violence, during the promotion for “It Ends with Us.” The film aimed to challenge harmful stereotypes about masculinity and marked Baldoni’s efforts to attain mainstream recognition. It earned $148.5 million at the box office.

Initially, in the ongoing dispute between Lively and Baldoni, many observers viewed Baldoni as coming out ahead.

Justin Baldoni’s podcast co-host departs following Blake Lively’s sexual harassment claims

However, the tide turned on Saturday. The ascent Baldoni had worked towards for years in Hollywood began to crumble.

His podcast partner, Plank, announced her exit on Instagram, stating in an extended message, “I will miss you all dearly,” adding that the listeners of “Man Enough” “deserve better.”

Earlier this month, Baldoni shared a post about receiving the Vital Voices award, expressing hopes to educate young boys on the idea that vulnerability is a form of strength, sensitivity is a superpower, and empathy holds great power.

In his post, Baldoni emphasized that masculinity is something to be proud of and encouraged boys to embrace all their complex qualities that define their humanity. He stated, “I wholeheartedly believe that when boys learn to be safe spaces for themselves, our world will become a safer place for everyone.”

By Christmas Eve, Baldoni had removed his earlier post after he was taken off the Vital Voices website on Monday.