Justin Baldoni’s podcast co-host exits show after Blake Lively’s sexual harassment complaint: ‘We all deserve better’

News Room By News Room
4 Min Read

Justin Baldoni’s “Man Enough” podcast co-host Liz Plank announced her exit from the show following Blake Lively’s sexual harassment claims against the “It Ends With Us” director.

“I’m writing to you today to let you know that I have had my representatives inform Wayfarer that I will no longer be co-hosting ‘The Man Enough’ podcast,” Plank wrote in a statement shared to Instagram.

“Thank you for trusting me with your hearts and stories, for holding space for mine, and for making this show what it was,” she continued. “I will miss you, the listeners, so much. I love what this community created together with every fiber of my being, and that’s because of you.”

Despite closing this “chapter” in her life, Plank said she will “remain committed to the values we’ve built together.”

“Thank you for being here, for trusting me, and for being by my side for the last four years,” she continued. “We all deserve better, and I know that together, we can create it.”

The Canadian author, 37, told fans she “will have more to share soon” but needs time to “process everything that has happened.”

“In the meantime, I will continue to support everyone who calls out injustice and holds the people standing in their way accountable,” she concluded.

Plank and Baldoni, 40, launched the show — in which they dissected “modern masculinity” — in 2021.

According to the website, their aim was to explore “what it means to be a man today and how rigid gender roles have affected all people. The show creates a safe environment for a range of perspectives to meet and stay at the table, exploring how the messages of masculinity show up in relationships, body image, privilege, fatherhood, sex, success, mental health and so much more.”

While the podcast was a success, the podcast hosts notably stopped filming together in August — when “It Ends With Us” came out and the public drama began.

On Dec. 20, Lively filed a lengthy complaint against the director, claiming she “suffered from grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety” as a result of his alleged behavior.

The “Gossip Girl” actress alleged that Baldoni showed her explicit images and videos on set and asked about her personal sex life. She also claimed he tried adding more intimate scenes than they originally agreed upon.

As a result of his alleged actions, Lively claimed she had to set up a meeting with her fellow producers to request a list of protections before moving forward with the project.

In the meeting, Baldoni was allegedly told he could no longer show Lively nude images, talk about his past porn addiction or discuss the private parts of the cast and crew.

Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, was also present, per the filing.

An attorney for Baldoni denied the allegations in a statement to Page Six, saying, “It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations.”



Read the full article here

TAGGED:
Share This Article
Leave a comment