What’s New
Two top-tier Hollywood publicists accused of helping actor Justin Baldoni orchestrate a smear campaign against Blake Lively are now receiving their own publicity.
Newsweek contacted the public relations professionals, Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, via email for comment.
The Context
Lively, 37, has filed a lawsuit against her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Baldoni, 40, alleging sexual harassment and a retaliatory campaign to damage her reputation. In the suit, Baldoni is accused of engaging in inappropriate behavior, including showing Lively explicit images, discussing his pornography addiction and improvising unapproved intimate scenes during filming. Despite her complaints, she alleges that her concerns were dismissed and met with retaliation.
In response to her allegations, Lively says that Baldoni’s crisis management team orchestrated a smear campaign to discredit her, causing severe emotional distress to her and her family. Baldoni’s career is facing significant setbacks, including being dropped by his talent agency, WME.
Who Is Nathan?
Nathan is a veteran publicist who specializes in crisis management, helping Hollywood’s elite when they aim to control the narrative. She is CEO and founder of The Agency Group (TAG) public relations firm, which has bases in Los Angeles and New York and a satellite office in Washington, D.C.
Her clients have included Drake, Johnny Depp, Logan Paul and Jason Sudeikis, according to IMDB.
Nathan previously served as executive vice president at Hiltzik Strategies, a prominent New York-based firm led by Matthew Hiltzik. Several of her colleagues from Hiltzik joined her at TAG. She began her career in the U.K. at the Outside Organisation under Alan Edwards, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Lively’s lawsuit includes alleged text messages between Baldoni, Nathan and Abel. In one exchange, Nathan appears to tell Baldoni, “You know we can bury anyone.”
Who Is Abel?
Abel is founder and CEO of RWA Communications, a public relations and communications services company out of Beverly Hills. She announced creation of the company on LinkedIn in August and is Baldoni’s personal publicist.
“None of this would be possible without standing on the shoulders of giants throughout my 15+ years in the industry. I’ve learned from the greats, and the not-so-greats, all of whom played an integral part in where I am today,” Abel wrote in a post.
Before launching her company, Abel spent four years as vice president, then partner, at JONESWORKS, a PR firm out of New York. She also spent 11 years at R&CPMKm, formerly known as Rogers & Cowan.
Abel also has a background in news, spending five months as a producer, editor and reporter in 2008 and eight months as an assistant producer and editor at CBS47/FOX 30 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Who Owns Wayfarer Studios?
Justin Baldoni co-owns Wayfarer Studios with Paylocity founder Steve Sarowitz. They founded the company in 2019.
Wayfarer is an independent production studio that creates feature films—including It Ends With Us—TV shows, documentaries and podcasts.
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