Justin Baldoni
JB Lacroix/Getty ImagesYears before his past problems with pornography were mentioned in a lawsuit about his alleged behavior on set It ends with usdirector Justin Baldoni previously shared how he developed an “unhealthy” relationship with pornography after being exposed to it at a young age.
“I was introduced to porn when I was ten years old. Way before I ever had an erection or even knew how I felt about anything,” Baldoni, now 37, shared in the July 2021 episode. Sarah Greenbergis “A Life of Greatness” podcast. “We’ve sexualized this thing, so of course it becomes fascinating and interesting and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, tits.’ And then, you know, the hormones start raging.
Baldoni added at the time that he “seeks refuge (in porn) when I’m feeling alone, or when I’m feeling abandoned, or when I’m feeling hurt or something, because it was a dopamine rush — I didn’t know that at the time.” At an early age, I trained my brain to deal with the pain of the dopamine hit.
In the podcast, he shared that even though he has never taken alcohol or drugs, he can still have a vice and use something in an “unhealthy” way.
Justin Baldoni seems to have nothing but positive things to say about his It Ends with Us co-star Blake Lively as reports of an on-set feud continue to circulate online. The drama officially hits theaters in August 2024, and Baldoni, who directs and stars alongside Lively, has heaped praise on his on-screen partner. “Blake (…)
“And I found myself going back to images and videos of naked women over the course of my life when I necessarily felt bad about myself,” he told Greenberg. “And I knew it was a problem for me when I told myself I didn’t want to do this.”
Justin Baldoni
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Vital Voices Global PartnershipBaldoni is also the author of a book titled Man Enough: Not Defining My Masculinitywhere he writes extensively about his “relationship” with the porn industry and how it informs young men’s understanding of consent.
“I really believe that especially the pornography that young guys watch is very violent, and because nobody ever sits us down and teaches us about consent, we learn it through porn,” he said in 2021. “So what do you have? You have a whole generation of guys who think that when a girl says ‘no’ or ‘stop’ or ‘that hurts’ that means it’s okay.’
Baldoni’s previous comments about pornography are relevant again after this Blake Lively filed sexual harassment case against her It ends with us costar on Friday, Dec. 20, alleging that Baldoni’s behavior toward her on set caused the actress “serious emotional distress.”
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s new film It Ends With Us proved to be a box office hit, earning $50 million during its opening weekend. While the cast should be hoping for the film’s success, they have instead found themselves embroiled in controversy as reports swirl of behind-the-scenes drama involving various final parts of (…)
The lawsuit also alleges that before filming resumes in January 2024. meeting was held to address Lively’s claims of a “hostile work environment” on set, attended by many people, including her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
According to the lawsuit, her requests include “no more showing Blake nude videos or images of women, no more mention of Baldoni’s alleged past ‘porn addiction,’ no more discussions of sexual conquests in front of Blake and others, no more mention of the cast and crew’s genitalia, no more inquiries about Blake’s weight, and no more mention of Blake’s dead father.
Brian FriedmanBaldoni’s attorney, addressed Lively’s allegations in a statement to Us Weeklywhich he called “totally false, outrageous and deliberately obscene”.
Friedman tells us that Lively is suing to “fix her negative reputation” and “retell the narrative” regarding the film’s production, further alleging that the actress made “multiple demands and threats” during filming, including “threatening not to be shown threatening not to promote the film, which ultimately led to his death during the premiere if her demands were not met.
UPDATE 12/21/24 at 10:30 a.m. ET: TMZ reported in December that Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and “serious emotional distress.” His attorney, Brian Friedman, said in a statement to Us Weekly that the allegations were “completely false, outrageous and intentionally obscene.” We reached out to Lively’s rep for comment at the time. Original story (…)
us has reached out to Lively’s rep for comment.
“I hope my lawsuit helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to hurt people who speak up about wrongdoing, and helps protect others who may be targeted,” Lively said in a statement to New York Times in December, where she also denied spreading negative information about Baldoni.
