Employees who used to work at Justin Baldoni’s Wayfarer production company are reportedly sharing their mixed experiences working with the actor.
In a Los Angeles Times feature published Wednesday, March 5, one former worker claimed some of Baldoni’s actions in and out of the office felt performative.
“It was constant positivity all the time — I would say toxic positivity,” one former Wayfarer staffer told the publication. “I’m always a little dubious of people who advertise themselves as disruptors of the status quo or quote-unquote ‘good people.’ It felt phony.”
In a statement to Us Weekly on Wednesday, March 5, a spokesperson for Baldoni and Wayfarer said, “There have never been any reported complaints regarding the workplace culture, or any communicated issues regarding the platforms of its founders. If any guidance was ever provided to employees of how to conduct their written correspondence, it was to ensure that the activities of its employees remained professional and aligned with the ethos of the company. Wayfarer believes that joy and positivity are the essence of good work, and they stand by this statement.”
In 2015, Baldoni, 41, helped launch the Skid Row Carnival of Love, an annual event to help Los Angeles’ unhoused community. Later on in his career, the Jane the Virgin actor released his 2021 book Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity. He also launched a podcast of the same name.
Justin Baldoni Frederick M. Brown/Getty Image
Baldoni’s openness about his efforts to be a better man did earn praise from some staffers.
“He is highly creative and in tune with his spiritual side,” Baldoni’s previous personal and executive assistant Melissa Ames said. “He has a heart for helping others. Working at Wayfarer was one of the best times of my life.”
When speaking with the Los Angeles Times, multiple employees also expressed discomfort with Baldoni’s Baha’i faith being part of Wayfarer’s office culture.
The religion was founded in the 19th century and focuses on the unity of humanity and the elimination of prejudice.
“There was an evangelizing aspect to the way Justin spoke about the faith that, in my opinion, felt professionally inappropriate,” one former employee alleged to the Los Angeles Times.
Justin Baldoni Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
After Chicago-based Baha’i convert Steve Sarowitz’s investment firm, 4S Bay Partners, acquired a majority stake in Wayfarer Entertainment, a separate former employee claimed Baha’i principles were brought up more frequently in discussions.
“Baha’i values were a driving force behind everything they did,” the former employee, who wasn’t as bothered by the focus on the faith, told the Los Angeles Times. “It came up routinely. As a newer Baha’i member, Steve wanted to talk about it all the time.”
In a statement to Us, a spokesperson for Baldoni and Wayfarer confirmed that the founders of Wayfarer Studios are Baha’i. The majority of its senior leadership and staff, however, are not, according to the same spokesperson, who added that no Baha’i-related activities are ever mandated by the company.
“As all of Wayfarer’s projects are rooted in a belief system that stems from various faiths and backgrounds, speaking from a place of spirituality is commonplace,” the spokesperson said. “Employees are encouraged to celebrate and practice their individual beliefs however they see fit, a message which is proudly supported by leadership.”
Baldoni’s personal and professional life has been put under the microscope ever since Blake Lively filed a legal complaint against him in December 2024, accusing him of sexual harassment during filming their movie It Ends With Us. She also claimed that Baldoni attempted to launch a smear campaign against her.
Baldoni denied Lively’s allegations and filed his own lawsuit against Lively, her publicist, and her husband, Ryan Reynolds in January. He is seeking $400 million in damages after accusing the trio of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy and other claims. Lively, 37, and Reynolds, 48, deny his claims.
Read the full article here
