Blake Lively's Brother-in-Law Speaks Out Against Justin Baldoni Following Lawsuit

The actor is not mincing words.

Bart Johnson, Blake Lively, Robyn Lively
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Blake Lively's brother-in-law Bart Johnson is not shying away from saying what he really feels about Justin Baldoni. The actor and husband of Blake's sister, Robyn Lively, spoke out against the It Ends With Us actor and director on X, sharing his thoughts in the wake of the complaint the Gossip Girl star filed against the former Jane the Virgin star.

Putting it simply, Johnson called Baldoni a "fraud," alleging that he uses his curated image as a feminist alley as a "costume," adding that "none of it's genuine. It's all theater."

"Rewatch his videos with a more critical eye and watch him compliment and praise himself with faux humility and self deprecation," the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star wrote. "What a performance."

Johnson is just one of the many voices speaking out in support of Lively and her complaint. Earlier in the week, Lively's sister—and Johnson's wife—spoke out, as did It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover, her Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars and friends, Jenny Slate, Amber Heard, and even Paul Feig, director of both A Simple Favor films.

In the wake of the complaint, Baldoni has been dropped by his representatives at WME, his podcast co-host Liz Plank has quit the show, and folks like Nick Viall have called Baldoni's behavior and image into question.

@nickviall

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"I'm always very skeptical of people who present as flawless, who always say the right things," Bachelor alum Viall stated on his podcast back in August. "All I know is that the internet is trying to go back and find every little moment that Blake Lively was rude as a justification as to why, and whose side to take, when the entire cast has unfollowed Justin Baldoni."

"I just felt like this guy was cosplaying as an ally," Viall stated in a new video posted to TikTok four days ago where he detailed the time he interviewed Baldoni on his podcast.

Echoing Johnson's words, Viall ended his video with, "He's a fraud."

Alicia Lutes
Freelance Writer

Alicia Lutes is a freelance writer, essayist, journalist, humorist, and screenwriter based in Los Angeles. She has written extensively on culture, entertainment, the craft of comedy, and mental health. Her work has been featured in places such as Vulture, Playboy, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, MTV, Cosmopolitan, Rotten Tomatoes, Bustle, Longreads, and more. She was also the creator/former host of the web series Fangirling, and currently fosters every single dog she can.