Tragic Details About Justin Baldoni

Note: This article discusses topics surrounding sexual assault and misconduct

Justin Baldoni gained notoriety from playing Rafael Solano in the hit telenovela "Jane the Virgin" from 2014 to 2019. Since then, he's maintained his prominence in the entertainment industry, serving as a director for films like "Five Feet Apart," (his directorial debut) in 2019 and "Clouds" in 2020. He also has a history as an activist, with interviews, speeches, and podcasts advocating against toxic masculinity. 

His career took off even more when he was asked to fill the role of leading man and director of the 2024 film "It Ends With Us."Unfortunately, that project ended in a controversial legal battle with his costar, Blake Lively. This is not the first hardship or pitfall Baldoni has faced throughout his life. From dealing with a bad back to unhealthy relationships to the court case that could change the trajectory of his career, there are many tragic details you may not know about Baldoni.

Over the years, many fans have come to see Justin Baldoni as a sensitive and progressive man. His Ted Talk, "Why I'm Done Trying to be 'Man Enough,'" and his book, "Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity," dive deep into his experiences with personal growth. He's even been open about sensitive topics, such as his insecurities about his body.

In his book, Baldoni expressed that he was always a skinny kid, but after experiencing bullying, he became obsessed with building his physique. "When I looked in the mirror, I didn't see what everyone else saw. I didn't see a teenager who was so jacked that he was accused of being on steroids. I didn't see the six-pack," he wrote. Despite becoming stronger, he still saw himself as too skinny and felt the need to work out extensively.

The actor has expressed that those feelings of inadequacy have carried over into adulthood. During a 2018 interview with Cosmopolitan, he explained that those feelings are especially heightened when he has to film shirtless scenes.

The media frenzy surrounding the case between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively began during the press tour and the premiere of the film, "It Ends With Us." Fans and media outlets became suspicious as Baldoni and Lively didn't interact much during the press junket, and Lively's character was called into question after a few bad interviews. In December 2024, Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni and others who worked on the film for exhibiting inappropriate behavior on set that led to a "hostile work environment," as well as accusing them of setting off a smear campaign to destroy her reputation, according to People. Lively's allegations were met with Baldoni suing Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times for $400 million in defamation.

To counter the allegations made against him, Baldoni hired the best lawyers in the game, and it didn't come cheap. During a pre-trial conference in February 2025, Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, revealed that his clients — including Baldoni's publicists, his production company, and two producers from the film — have been devastated both financially and emotionally by the case.

It wasn't just the lawyer fees that started to rack up; The actor has claimed Lively's allegations have practically cost him his career. Since news of the scandal broke, Baldoni has been dropped by his talent agency, WME. And his reputation has been damaged as many question his character in light of the allegations. 

"It Ends with Us" is a film that explores the complex and troubling realities of domestic violence, which makes the allegations against Justin Baldoni even more upsetting. When it was announced that Baldoni would both star in and direct the film, he seemed like the ideal choice due to his advocacy on these issues and his personal experience with a similar situation in college.

In December 2024, Baldoni appeared on the "How to Fail Podcast" with host Elizabeth Day. Day has since removed the episode from streaming platforms in light of Blake Lively's allegations against Baldoni. While on the podcast, Baldoni discussed his college relationship. "I kind of contorted myself and my personality to be what she wanted ... I completely lost any sense of self that I had left. And it got very emotionally abusive," he said (via The Independent). Although he didn't want to go into details, the actor also shared that he had experienced sexual trauma in the relationship. 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Justin Baldoni has been a dedicated athlete most of his life and, as a result, has dealt with his share of injuries. In January 2017, he posted a video to Instagram detailing the pressure he's put his body under since a young age. In the caption, he wrote, "After 20 years of pretty much destroying my body with sports and weightlifting resulting in ... tons of injuries — this year I am committing to healing my body from both the inside and out." Nevertheless, healing takes time.

While filming "It Ends With Us" from 2023 to 2024, Baldoni continued to experience excruciating pain due to injuries. His back, in particular, caused him lots of pain. Throughout filming, he was dealing with a herniated disk, damage to both knees and arthritis in his shoulder. He was able to work with Dr. Adeel Khan to seek relief from his injuries. "Looking at him, no one would have ever imagined someone as physically fit as him was actually in pain," Khan told GlobeNewswire. Khan treated Baldoni with a combination of stem cells and peptides to help relieve some of his discomfort. In a now-deleted video that Baldoni posted to Instagram, he shows himself sitting on his heels — something he claimed he hadn't been able to do since his 20s.

Justin Baldoni has been with his wife, Emily Baldoni, since the two began dating in 2011. They married in 2013, but there are a few strange things about their relationship, and one choice that he made when it came to their nuptials gave a few guests pause.

Justin began his wedding vows rather unusually: with an apology. "I'm sorry for all my faults, my shortcomings, for my insecurities and my ego, and for everything that I've ever done or said that's hurt you, and everything I've ever brought to this relationship that hasn't been pure," Justin said to his wife. He continued his vows more traditionally by promising to cherish, appreciate, and be there for Emily. But, the strange start made it seem like he had a lot of guilt coming into their marriage.

Justin's apology could have stemmed from his guilt surrounding his past porn addiction. In July 2021, he appeared on the "A Life of Greatness" podcast with Sarah Grynberg, and he dove into all the skeletons in his closet. He opened up about how he'd used porn as a way to cope with negative emotions in the past. "And I knew that it was an issue for me when I would tell myself that I don't want to do that. And [I] would find [myself] doing it," he said. Unfortunately for Justin, these moments of vulnerability revealing his past guilt came back to haunt him when his wedding vows and podcast interview resurfaced amid his lawsuit with Blake Lively.