Justin Baldoni’s ‘Man Enough’ Podcast Co-Host Exits After Blake Lively Lawsuit
Author and journalist Liz Plank, who co-hosts The Man Enough show with Justin Baldoni, is leaving the podcast after Blake Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign against her.
“I’m writing to you today to let you know that I have had my representatives inform Wayfarer that I will no longer be co-hosting The Man Enough podcast,” Plank announced on Instagram Monday. “Thank you for trusting me with your hearts and stories, for holding space for mine, and for making this show what it was. I will miss you, the listeners, so much. I love what this community created together with every fiber of my being, and that’s because of you.”
Plank, who previously reported for Mic, NBC News, and Vox Media, published For the Love of Men: From Toxic to a More Mindful Masculinity, in 2019. Baldoni launched the The Man Enough alongside Plank and Jamey Heath, CEO of Wayfarer Studios and producer on It Ends With Us. The website for the show bills the podcast as creating “a safe environment for a range of perspectives to meet and stay at the table, exploring how the messages of masculinity show up in relationships, body image, privilege, fatherhood, sex, success, mental health and so much more.”
Following the release of It Ends With Us, Lively filed a lawsuit against co-star and film director Baldoni, Heath, and Wayfarer Studios on Dec. 21. In the complaint, Lively claimed “severe emotional distress” from her experience while making the film and accused Baldoni and his coworkers of sexual harassment. The actress also alleged that there was a coordinated effort to tarnish her reputation during the film’s marketing campaign.
Baldoni has since been dropped by talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME). Baldoni has denied the allegations via his attorney. In a statement to Variety, his lawyer, Bryan Freedman, called Lively’s claims “false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt.”
“As this chapter closes for me, I remain committed to the values we’ve built together. Thank you for being here, for trusting me, and for being by my side for the last four years. We all deserve better, and I know that together, we can create it,” Plank continued in her social media post shared on Monday. “I will have more to share soon as I continue to process everything that has happened. In the meantime, I will continue to support everyone who calls out injustice and holds the people standing in their way accountable.”
