Jennifer Abel, the publicist for Justin Baldoni, reportedly departed from her previous position amid allegations of "bullying," which coincided with an alleged smear campaign directed at Blake Lively during the summer months.

The situation escalated when Baldoni's former publicist initiated a lawsuit against Abel and Baldoni's crisis management team, which includes his production company, Wayfarer Studios, and crisis manager Melissa Nathan, citing defamation and breach of contract.

This legal dispute arises concurrently with a lawsuit filed by Lively against Baldoni, in which she accuses him of sexual harassment and of orchestrating a smear campaign aimed at damaging her reputation following alleged misconduct during the filming of It Ends With Us.

A source familiar with Abel's situation informed The Wrap that she left Jonesworks, the public relations firm where she was previously a partner, due to a toxic work environment.

Baldoni's publicist stated that the reason for his resignation was due to workplace bullying.

Abel reportedly cited "bullying" as a factor in her resignation, alleging that it was aimed at her colleague, Matthew Mitchell. Following her resignation on July 10, she established her own company, RWA Communications, with her official departure from her previous position scheduled for August 23. However, she was allegedly terminated by Jonesworks on August 21 after claims emerged that she had misappropriated documents and client information.

Jonesworks, under the leadership of Stephanie Jones, has subsequently initiated legal action against Abel, accusing her of breaching her contract and defaming the company. Jones asserts that Abel covertly reached out to clients to facilitate her exit and took more than 70 documents from the firm. "Jennifer submitted her resignation in July and had consented to remain until August 23. She was dismissed prematurely after Jonesworks uncovered that she had taken over 70 documents," they stated.

Conversely, Abel's representative refuted these allegations, asserting, "The documents were not 'stolen,' nor were any clients." Abel's team contends that the lawsuit is a retaliatory measure following the transition of Baldoni and other clients to her new firm.

In a correspondence obtained by The Wrap, Abel's resignation letter expressed, "I take full responsibility for my part in all of this. I’m not proud of how emotional I get in these situations."

Earlier this year, rumours of a conflict between Lively and Baldoni surfaced during the promotional activities for It Ends With Us. Lively's subsequent lawsuit alleges misconduct and retaliation on Baldoni's part. An investigative report by The New York Times outlined accusations of Baldoni's inappropriate conduct and attempts to undermine Lively. Baldoni has denied all allegations.

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