He Who Is Feminist & Spiritual Cannot Be Chauvinist, Apparently

The Hollywood Reporter's latest cover story paints Justin Baldoni as a hug-happy little lamb whose religion and we-are-one view of the world means maybe he just didn't understand that he was being a creep.

By Lauren Tousignant | February 24, 2025 | 1:55pm

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He Who Is Feminist & Spiritual Cannot Be Chauvinist, Apparently

Since the New York Times published its explosive exposé of Blake Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit against Justin Baldoni in December, the emerging narrative has volleyed between “but Justin wouldn’t!” and “Blake sucks and overreacted.” Baldoni himself seems to believe he’s done nothing wrong based largely on the fact that he considers himself a feminist, meaning, by definition, his actions can’t be sexist, misogynistic, or chauvinist. Kind of like our president’s recent tweet: “He who saves his Country does not violate any law”—He who declares himself Feminist does not do anything misogynist.

Over the weekend, The Hollywood Reporter took the “but he’s a feminist” narrative one infuriating step further.

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The outlet’s latest issue features an illustrated cover of Lively and Baldoni in togas, with Lively slingshotting her cell phone at a seemingly helpless Baldoni, who is carrying Colleen Hoover’s book, It Ends With Us. The film adaptation of which, if you’ve managed to avoid this entire saga, is why we’re all here. The cover is very bad, and—as Lively’s rep said in a statement to E! News—“sexist,” but the accompanying story is much worse. The writer, Peter Kiefer, argues that, because Baldoni is also religious, his inappropriate actions might have just been a classic case of misunderstanding.

Baldoni was raised in the Baha’i religion, which THR describes as a “small, obscure Iranian” religion with between 5 and 8 million followers across 230 countries, including a community of about 3,000 in Los Angeles. In 2019, he founded his production company, Wayfarer Studios, with billionaire Steve Sarowitz, who’s Baha’i. Baldoni’s business partner and the president of Wayfarer Studios, Jamey Heath, who was named several times in Lively’s lawsuit, is also Baha’i—as are many of the company’s employees, and a “friend” of Baldoni’s who was brought in to play Lively’s character’s gynecologist without her approval (one of the many incidents she cites as harassment in the lawsuit).

Apparently, Baha’i is “based on notions of humanity, universalism and gender equality,” which has given Baldoni “his own unique way of communicating and behaving.” As part of her lawsuit against Baldoni, Lively points to a meeting in 2023—attended by producers and Sony executives—in which she laid out a list of 30 demands (though a more apt description might be “reasonable requests”) that Baldoni and Heath had to agree to before resuming production following the writer’s strike in 2023. Among these requests, Lively alleges Baldoni described his genitals to her, made sexual comments, talked about his porn addiction, showed her naked videos and photos of women, told her he talks to her dead dad, pressured her to share her religious beliefs, and repeatedly asked if he can sage her employees. But, THR would have you believe that Baldoni is just a doe-eyed little lamb whose spirituality and we-are-one view of the world means maybe he just didn’t understand.

Kiefer cites a source described as a “female executive at a production company” who recently met with Baldoni and Wayfarer, and was uncomfortable by the way Baha’i informed their business style—which reportedly includes asking everyone to share something private, unrelated to their job, at the beginning of meetings.

“In my head I was like, ‘I’m sorry, are we at Café fucking Gratitude?’” she told the outlet.”Why are you imposing your culture on this meeting that’s being held at our offices? I can’t explain exactly why, but it made me so uncomfortable.” Beyond that, rather than question how the prevalence of this religion among one of the film’s main stakeholders might have led to an uncomfortable and possibly predatory workplace, Kiefer basically blames it all on the Me Too movement. He writes:

What if much of it — the alleged inappropriate hugging and pre-filming praying — could be explained as a clash between a very specific faith-driven community with its unique mores, and a much more modern, post-#MeToo one with its own set of beliefs and commandments?

And:

His unique mannerisms have at times come into conflict with Hollywood’s current ethos, which in the wake of the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements and the COVID pandemic has become far more rigid, uniform and policed.

I mean, what the fuck. For starters, to categorize the teeny tiny gender equality gains made (which are being quickly unraveled by the current administration) as a culture that’s now “rigid, uniform, and policed” is to spit in the face of anyone who shared their story of sexual harassment, assault, discrimination, or violence. Plus, if this “faith-driven” Baha’i community is so focused on gender equality, shouldn’t they easily align with Kiefer’s so-called “post-#MeToo” “commandment” that women not get sexually harassed at work?

When analyzed through the prism of a 180-year-old faith that has a strong mystical component to it, at least some portions of this dispute start to make more sense.

Am I now meant to believe that this grown-ass man, who’s worked in the entertainment industry for well over a decade, just walked off a secluded commune onto a movie set and is so pure-hearted about the world that he can’t grasp why anyone would be bothered by him openly talking about sex, porn, and his genitals? Why are we doing backflips to give him the benefit of the doubt?

Lively has maintained that there were official meetings, formal complaints, and promises from Baldoni and Heath to adjust their behavior, but nothing ever changed, and instead, they retaliated against her—including hiring Johnny Depp’s former PR team to “silence” her and “eviscerate” her credibility.” Last week, Lively’s lawyers amended their initial complaint to state that two more women from the It Ends With Us cast are willing to testify about their own complaints against Baldoni’s behavior; THR reports that “sources indicate” it’s Jenny Slate and Isabela Ferrer. Also last week, Lively filed a protection order stating that she, her family, and co-stars and witnesses “have received violent, profane, sexist, and threatening communications” from trolls and social media users.

Meanwhile, Baldoni’s main defense seems to just be that Lively and Reynolds are two of the most powerful and bankable people in Hollywood, so he was bullied into doing anything to keep her happy. And that he’s a feminist. And, now, probably, thanks to Kiefer, that he’s Baha’i.

“The Justin that I know isn’t capable of doing the things that he’s accused of doing because he truly sees himself as this feminist,” a source told THR. “But Blake clearly got grossed out.” Women, next time you find yourself being sexually harassed at work, before you say anything, make sure that it’s not just A) That you’re grossed out and need to get over it or B) That he’s religious, therefore, not sexually harassing you because it’s just his unique, quirky, communication style.

Kiefer concludes that maybe Lively, who reportedly believes she’s sparking the next #MeToo, and Baldoni, who thinks he and his band of Baha’i followers are just doing their faith’s work, are both right…

My kingdom for a day when the media and the public are shown a woman’s written, formal, and documented accusations of sexual harassment/discrimination/assault, etc., and, instead of turning over every stone on the face of the Earth to find a way to excuse the man’s actions, simply say, “Ok.”