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= Justin_Baldoni =
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Introduction
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Justin Louis Baldoni (born January 24, 1984) is an American actor and
director. He is best known for playing Rafael Solano on the CW
telenovela 'Jane the Virgin' (2014-2019) and for starring in and
directing the romantic drama film 'It Ends with Us' (2024). He has
also directed 'Five Feet Apart' (2019) and 'Clouds' (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 in 'It Ends with
Us', a box-office success, but drew controversy, resulting in a number
of lawsuits, including Lively and Baldoni suing each other for
defamation.
Early life
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Baldoni was born in Los Angeles, California, and was raised in
Medford, Oregon, to parents Sharon (née Solomon) and Sam Baldoni. His
mother is Jewish, born to Ashkenazi Jewish parents Blanche Katz and
Daniel Solomon from Cleveland, Ohio, with roots in Central and Eastern
Europe. Baldoni is therefore considered Jewish according to 'Halakha'
(Jewish law), as Orthodox Judaism practices matrilineal descent. His
maternal grandfather served in the Second World War and Baldoni lost
relatives in the Holocaust. His father Sam is from an Italian Catholic
background. His paternal grandfather is Louis Baldoni, a former
Indiana state senator and Italian immigrant. Baldoni was raised
celebrating both Christmas and Hanukkah in honour of his Jewish and
Catholic grandparents. However, he was raised Baháʼí, practicing the
Baháʼí Faith, the faith which both his parents had converted to before
he was born. Baldoni has visited Israel several times on Baháʼí
pilgrimages.
Baldoni played soccer 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. He attended college at California State University,
Long Beach 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."
2004–2018: Early roles and ''Jane the Virgin''
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Baldoni made his acting debut in the soap opera 'The Young and the
Restless' 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. 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 in the CW satirical
telenovela 'Jane the Virgin' starring opposite Gina Rodriguez. 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 in the
crime drama 'Con Man', directed by Bruce Caulk.
2019–present: Expansion to directing
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Baldoni directed and produced CBS Films' 'Five Feet Apart', starring
Cole Sprouse and Haley Lu Richardson, and based on an original script
by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis. The film was released on March
15, 2019, and chronicles the lives of two teenagers living with cystic
fibrosis. The film was a financial success but received mixed reviews.
The following year he directed and produced 'Clouds', a film depicting
the life of musician Zach Sobiech with Warner Bros. On May 14, 2020,
it was announced Disney+ 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
'It Ends with Us', based on Colleen Hoover's novel of the same name.
In the film, in which he acted opposite Blake Lively, Baldoni portrays
a neurosurgeon 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 award-winning journalists Megan Twohey and Mike McIntire from
'The New York Times' 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, Reddit, 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'.
''Man Enough'' projects
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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' reported allegations that Baldoni sexually
harassed Blake Lively. 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
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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', that Baldoni directs and
stars in. The film has grossed $391 million at the box office. The
studio has also partnered with the nonprofit No More to provide
resources and information related to domestic abuse and violence such
as that shown in the film. [
https://www.nomore.org 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. The event served between 4 and 5 thousand
homeless individuals living around Skid Row providing career services
such as "housing services, domestic violence services, dental and
medical exams, an eye clinic, haircuts, and massages" and other
festivities such as face-painting, live concerts, and children's
activities.
Personal life
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After almost two years of dating, Baldoni married Swedish actress
Emily Foxler, now known as Emily Baldoni. He proposed to her in a
27-minute video which he released on his production company's YouTube
channel where it went viral. He described it as "his first movie". The
couple married in July 2013 in Corona, California. Together they have
a daughter and a son.
Baldoni is a member of the Baháʼí Faith and has stated that for him
it's a "daily source of inner happiness". He has stated that he has
ADHD. He has previously written and spoken about his struggles with
Body dysmorphic disorder (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.
''It Ends with Us'' controversies
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Baldoni directed and starred opposite Blake Lively in 'It Ends with
Us' (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 and intimidation. Denying the allegations,
Baldoni sued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds 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' for
libel over their investigation and reporting of the allegations Lively
made in the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) complaint she
submitted.
On December 20, 2024, Lively filed a complaint with the California
Civil Rights Department (CRD) against Baldoni for sexual harassment
and intimidation on the set of 'It Ends with Us' (2024). 'The New York
Times' 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 WME dropped Baldoni as a
client. Colleen Hoover, 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. Baldoni's 'Man Enough' co-host Liz Plank
resigned from their podcast. Sony Pictures released a statement
standing by Lively, adding, "[W]e 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' 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, and their publicist
Leslie Sloan for civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy.
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.
Film
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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
rowspan="2" | 2005 'Yesterday's Dream' Pat
'The Helix...Loaded' Jason
2008 'The House Bunny' Waiter
rowspan="2" | 2009 'After Dusk They Come' Peter
'Alpha Males Experiment' Gavin
2010 'Unrequited' Todd Brown
rowspan="2" | 2011 'Royal Reunion' Nicky rowspan="2" | Short film
'Intervention: Cinderella' Aladdin
rowspan="3" | 2013 'Isolated' Ambassador for Peace
'Not Today' Eli Hill
'The Proposal' Justin Short film
2014 'A Fine Step' Marzo Bolivar
2018 'Con Man' Young Barry Minkow
|2019 |'Five Feet Apart' | |Director; also executive producer
|2020 |'Clouds' | |Director
|2023 |'The Senior' | |Producer
rowspan="4" |2024 'The Garfield Movie' | |Executive producer |
|'Ezra' | |Executive producer |
'It Ends with Us' Ryle Kincaid Also director and executive producer
'Will & Harper' Executive producer
Television
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Year Title Role Notes
rowspan="2" |2004 |'The Young and the Restless' |Ben |3 episodes
|'Wedding Daze' |Guillermo Valerio |Television film
rowspan="3" |2005 |'JAG' |Azzam |Episode: "Bridging the Gulf"
|'Spring Break Shark Attack' |J.T. |Television film
|'Charmed' |Salko |Episode: "Something Wicca This Way Goes"
|2005-2006 |'Everwood' |Reid Bardem |15 episodes
|2007 |'CSI: Miami' |Damon Argento |Episode: "Cyber-Lebrity"
|2008 |'The Suite Life of Zack & Cody' |Diego |Episode: "Foiled
Again"
|2009 |'Heroes' |Alex Woolsey |Episodes: "Building 26" and "Exposed"
rowspan="2" |2010 |'The Bold and the Beautiful' |Graham Darros |10
episodes
|'CSI: NY' |Heath Kirkfield |Episode: "Out of the Sky"
|2011-2012 |'Single Ladies' |Derek |4 episodes
rowspan="3" |2012 |'Blackout' |Josh Martin |TV miniseries
|'Shadow of Fear' |Bobby rowspan="2" |Television film
|'Undercover Bridesmaid' |Jake
|2013 |'Happy Endings' |Marcus |Episode: "Fowl Play/Date"
|2014-2019 |'Jane the Virgin' |Rafael Solano |Main role; 99 episodes
|2017 |'Madam Secretary' |Kevin Park |2 episodes
Bibliography
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* 'Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity' (HarperOne, 2021)
* 'Boys Will Be Human: A Get-Real Gut-Check Guide to Becoming the
Strongest, Kindest, Bravest Person You Can Be' (Harper Collins, 2022)
License
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Original Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Baldoni
