Bart Johnson has all the reasons to side with her sister-in-law, Blake Lively.
Blake Lively’s brother-in-law has publicly voiced his support for the actress following her allegations of sexual harassment against It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni.
In a comment on The New York Times Instagram post about Lively’s complaint, Johnson, 54, emphasized that her concerns were documented early during production.
“Her complaints were filed during the filming. On record. Long before the public conflict,” wrote Johnson, who is married to Lively’s half-sister, Robyn Lively. “The cast unfollowed him for a reason. Read this article before spiting [sic] ignorance.”
Johnson also criticized Baldoni’s alleged public relations tactics, saying, “His PR team was stellar. Gross and disgusting but highly effective. Read the article, their text message exchanges, and his PR campaign strategy to bury her by any means necessary. No one is without faults. But the public got played.”
Lively’s complaint, obtained by People, alleges that Baldoni’s behavior created a hostile work environment, causing her “grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety.” It further claims Baldoni retaliated by orchestrating a smear campaign to damage her reputation.
The filing describes a meeting attended by producers and Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, to address Baldoni’s alleged actions, which had reportedly disrupted production.
While Lively stated that Sony Pictures and Wayfarer Studios approved her requests to address the issues, she claims Baldoni launched a “social manipulation” campaign afterward, with screenshots of alleged texts and emails included as evidence.
In additional comments on Instagram, Johnson defended Lively against online criticism and referenced the immense pressure she faced.
“Just IMAGINE being a stay-at-home mom raising 4 kids, married to the busiest man in Hollywood, running multiple companies, working 16+ hour days, and launching businesses while being attacked by a VERY expensive PR smear campaign,” he wrote.
“Looks like she’s doing a hell of a job to me.”
He also addressed resurfaced interviews of Lively that have circulated online, saying, “None of us have ever been wrong or mean. Never. We should discount decades of good for those few bad moments. Glad the microscope isn’t on me every day of my life.”
Lively’s complaint has sparked widespread attention, highlighting ongoing concerns about workplace behavior and accountability in Hollywood.
