Celebs Who Can't Stand Justin Baldoni

January 2025 saw the judge presiding over Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's legal battle set their trial date for March 2026, but that didn't stop a number of stars and fans from taking sides in the meantime. While some of Blake's nearest and dearest (aka Taylor Swift and Hugh Jackman) have kept mum, others came out swinging for the "Gossip Girl" alum and made it clear they had no time for Baldoni. 

Perhaps the most obvious star to have taken a stance against Baldoni was Blake's sister and "Teen Witch" star Robyn Lively. In the wake of The New York Times article outlining Blake's claims to have been smeared by Baldoni's PR team, Robyn took to her Instagram Stories to share screenshots and a link to the story. "FINALLY justice for my sister @blakelively," she wrote in a caption, according to Page Six. The next day, she opted for a more permanent Instagram post with an accompanying caption asking people to read the article. Granted, most of her post was dedicated to praising Blake's character rather than outright slamming the "It Ends With Us" director. Even so, she certainly didn't hold back on how she felt about the goings-on at the set and around the time of the film's marketing campaign. Speaking of The New York Times piece, she shared, "It calls out those behind the ruthless and nefarious smear campaign that aimed to take down my sister. It also highlights the truth and what really happened, what she actually endured during the filming of 'It Ends With Us.'" 

Other than the shows of support via Instagram (and at least at the time of this writing), Robyn hasn't said anything more about the drama or about Baldoni. However, there's no question that her loyalties lie with her sister. 

We'll start with a little detail not everyone may be aware of: Robyn Lively is married to none other than Coach Bolton of East High, aka Bart Johnson. While Robyn kept her allusions to Justin Baldoni somewhat vague, Blake Lively's "High School Musical" star brother-in-law wasn't nearly as diplomatic. 

In one very pointed — and subsequently deleted — X post, Johnson wrote that Blake Lively had officially complained about Baldoni's conduct on the set "long before the public conflict" (via @PopCrave). He then went on to point out that Blake hadn't been the only one to take issue with him. "The cast unfollowed him for a reason," he added. In another since-deleted post, he got even more personal, writing of Baldoni, "He's a fraud. He puts on the 'costume' of a hero, man bun and all. Used all of the trendy catchphrases & buzz words for his podcasts. None of it's genuine. It's all theatre." No word on whether Johnson was privy to the "Nicepool" drama prior to Baldoni's complaints, but "man bun" certainly has us thinking it's a possibility. 

Roughly a month after those posts, Johnson took to X once again — though this time, it was to issue an apology. "Anytime I've said anything unkind about someone I've regretted it," he began. Johnson went on to hint that there may have been some truth to what he said and that he'd shared his post to back up his sister-in-law, but reiterated, "There's a better way. It's below the standard I have for myself and I regret it." The actor also shared an apology to anyone who may have been upset by his comments ... though notably, not to Baldoni in particular. TBH, calling himself out was still pretty impressive, so go Wildcats. 

Blake Lively's immediate family wasn't the only ones to voice their support for her in the wake of The New York Times piece. From sister to sisterhood, Blake's former co-stars Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera, and Amber Tamblyn also made it clear that they were backing her all the way. 

"Throughout the filming of 'It Ends With Us,' we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice," they wrote in a joint statement posted to Ferrera's and Tamblyn's Instagram accounts (Bledel did not share it, but the super-private "Gilmore Girls" star also hasn't posted anything since 2014, so we wouldn't read too much into that).

That Blake's co-stars were so vocal in their support shouldn't come as much of a surprise. After all, in addition to starring together in a movie about sisterhood, they've all stayed close friends in real life over the years. Likewise, Ferrera and Tamblyn, in particular, have been very loud advocates for believing women who come forward with stories of assault and harassment. Back in 2017, Ferrera shared that she had been sexually assaulted as a child in a since-deleted social media post, imploring women to "break the silence [so] the next generation of girls won't have to live with this bulls**t" (via People). Tamblyn, meanwhile, opened up about sexual harassment she'd endured in a 2017 op-ed for The New York Times and encouraged other survivors to come forward. "The more we open our mouths, the more we become a choir. And the more we are a choir, the more the tune is forced to change," she wrote. 

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).

America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel weren't the only ones among Blake Lively's castmates to side with her over Justin Baldoni. The "It Ends With Us" director's on-screen sister Jenny Slate also had a lot to say about the allegations. 

In a statement to Today, the former "Big Mouth" voice actor said, "I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation." Like most of the other stars who have come out in support of Blake, Slate did not mention Baldoni by name (or man bun). However, she made it clear she found the claims about Baldoni and his team's shady side concerning. "What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing, and wholly threatening," she said.

Other than that initial statement, Slate hasn't said anything more about the legal drama that ensued in the wake of The New York Times article and Blake's filing, or even after Baldoni's own lawsuits. In fact, she made it clear in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that she wasn't going to. Asked if there were major differences between the TV show that she shot not long after "It Ends With Us," titled "Dying for Sex," Slate shut the question down, responding, "I don't have anything to say about that." Whether or not she can stand Baldoni on a personal level, in light of all the back and forth between him and Blake, that was probably the safest approach to take — at least until the trial. 

Sticking with "It Ends With Us," one thing that raised a ton of eyebrows was the book's author siding with Blake Lively over Justin Baldoni. This was despite Baldoni and Colleen Hoover having previously been super close. In fact, Baldoni previously told Entertainment Weekly that it was Hoover who suggested he play the male lead in the film adaptation. Like we said, though, in the aftermath of Blake's legal filing and The New York Times article, Hoover shared that she was fully behind Lively. "@Blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met," she wrote in an Instagram Story (via People). 

Of course, things took a number of turns after Baldoni filed lawsuits of his own, and that's likely the reason why the author ended up deactivating her Instagram account. She later returned to the app, but as has been pointed out by many, she did so sans personal pictures of Baldoni or Lively on her feed. All that's remained are snaps from the announcement that they would be playing Lily Bloom and Ryle Kincaid, which appear on her feed and in a well-hidden Instagram Stories collection. 

It does bear mentioning that even with any personal pics seemingly scrubbed from her social media, there is still one clue that suggests Hoover is still friendly with Blake and on the outs with Baldoni. That would be her Instagram following list, which includes Blake but no sign of the director. 

Another friend of Justin Baldoni's who distanced themselves from him in the wake of Blake Lively's allegations? His former co-host on the "Man Enough" podcast, Liz Plank. Plank made it clear that her friendship and professional relationship with Baldoni were done in a statement posted to her Instagram account. "I have had my representatives inform Wayfarer that I will no longer be co-hosting the 'Man Enough' podcast," she began, thanking everyone who'd tuned in prior to her exit. And then came the zinger. "We all deserve better ... I will continue to support everyone who calls out injustice and holds the people standing in their way accountable," she concluded. 

Plank's stance is an especially interesting one because, as some may know, she wasn't only close to Baldoni: she's also long been friends with Blake and Ryan Reynolds and even featured in Season 1 of the latter's "Welcome to Wrexham." Plank also made a point of lauding both Blake and Reynolds in 2022 when "The Adam Project" was released. In a lengthy Instagram caption, she gushed over their Group Effort Initiative and gave specific props to Lively, writing, "Behind every great project there's a woman behind the scenes giving essential notes and if you're lucky enough it's @blakelively. She's a fiercely talented, compassionate and clever creative mind I've been blessed to get to witness in its full impossibly cool glory."

Given that much of the online hate Blake has received has revolved around her doing too much behind the scenes on "It Ends With Us," the fact that Plank has long appreciated her desire to be involved in every step of the process makes us think she would always have been team Blake. Either way, it's pretty clear she can't stand Baldoni.