Justin Baldoni's Wayfarer Foundation closing amid Blake Lively lawsuits
Justin Baldoni's Wayfarer Foundation has come to an end amid the actor-director's legal battle with Blake Lively, who has accused him of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign — all of which he adamantly denies.
The charitable subset of Wayfarer Studios announced its decision to close in a statement on its website from billionaire co-founder Steve Sarowitz. Both he and the 'Jane the Virgin' alum adhere to the Bahá'í faith, a cornerstone of Wayfarer.
Insiders told TMZ that the move comes as Baldoni and Sarowitz deal with the financial and emotional impact of the lawsuits both from and against Lively, who starred with Baldoni in last summer's hit film 'It Ends With Us.'
In a statement on the foundation's site, Sarowitz shared that the board unanimously decided last Friday to start 'the process of sunsetting the Foundation.'
The Paylocity co-founder clarified the foundation will 'honor all … current grant commitments' and that he himself maintains his personal commitment to 'making an impact on society through the ongoing mission and work.'
Wayfarer endeavored to promote economic prosperity, gender equality, racial justice, universal education and the arts, among other causes, according to its website.
Lively first leveled her allegations against Baldoni in December, coinciding with a New York Times deep-dive into her claims of sexual harassment and a crisis PR campaign known as astroturfing.
On New Year's Eve, Lively formally sued Baldoni, who simultaneously filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against the Times.
The following month, Baldoni filed a $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and publicist Leslie Sloane, also accusing them of civil extortion.
The case is scheduled to go to trial in New York next March.
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