Justin Baldoni’s motivations for his dramatic image overhaul have been laid bare after his physical and mental well-being were ‘severely impacted’ by his ongoing feud with It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively, sources have revealed.
Last week saw the father-of-two unveil a surprising new look, shortly after the actor admitted he was ‘exhausted’ from a year of ’emotional stress.’
While spending time with his two children, Maiya and Maxwell, in Hawaii, the Jane the Virgin star showcased his edgy haircut for the first time – looking a world away from his character in the controversial flick.
Since its release last year, Baldoni and Lively has been caught up in a scorching legal back and forth that has kept the actor’s image firmly in the public consciousness.
However, sources has revealed that the ongoing drama took a big toll on the Clouds actor’s ‘physical, mental, and spiritual harmony’ – leading him to make big changes to improve his health.
‘Justin’s physical and mental well-being was severely impacted by this,’ the first source exclusively explained to DailyMail.com. ‘It is extremely disturbing for him to look at photos of himself from last summer when all of this was going on.’
Justin Baldoni ‘loves the way he looks now’ after seeing his physical and mental well-being ‘severely impacted’ by his ongoing feud with It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively
Since its release last year, Baldoni and Lively has been caught up in a scorching legal back and forth that has kept the actor’s image firmly in the public consciousness
The insider noted that the Five Feet Apart director hadn’t realize the impact the situation was having until he looked back at images from last year.
‘At the time, he didn’t realize how unwell he looked, but he sees it now,’ the source continued. ‘He spent endless hours on this project, and for it to end this way really caused him a great deal of pain.’
Noting how it affected his appearance, the source added: ‘He lost weight, struggled with poor eating and sleeping habits, and became severely depressed, constantly having to defend himself against false accusations.
‘Losing his jobs and watching his career fall apart pushed him into a very dark place.’
Thought his legal woes are far from over, the source explained that the having his side of the story out in the open was a turning point.
‘Things began to take a turn when the truth started to come to light. In response, Justin decided to leave LA and take his family to Hawaii for an extended stay,’ the source noted. ‘Being there, he has reconnected with his true self and is now in physical, mental, and spiritual harmony.’
In fact, the source says the actor couldn’t be happier with his appearance as they continued: ‘He loves the way he looks now, and he knows this will benefit him when this is over, and he begins auditioning for roles again.
‘Justin is working through all of this and is very confident that, in the end, justice will prevail.’
Sources has revealed that the ongoing drama took a big toll on the Clouds actor’s ‘physical, mental, and spiritual harmony’ – leading him to make big changes to improve his health
The insider noted that the Five Feet Apart director hadn’t realize the impact the situation was having until he looked back at images from last year (pictured on set with Lively in 2024)
Elsewhere, another insider noted that the star’s family have been a large motivation for him during this turbulent period.
‘The lawsuit has served to reinforce how important family is’, the insider noted. ‘He can’t allow this to consume him and impact his wife and children.’
The insider continued: ‘Emily has been his rock so the least he can do is be equally great to her and their kids. He is putting his health and family first.’
The actor’s woes kicked off last Fall when speculation of a feud between him and Lively began to make waves online.
Then Lively was the first to file to sue in December, alleging sexual harassment and that Baldoni ordered a ‘smear campaign’ against her due to tensions on the set of the domestic violence drama.
Baldoni retaliated with a $400 million defamation case against Lively and Reynolds as well as the New York Times, which ran a lengthy article about her claims.
Both Lively and Baldoni have denied each others claims, and the New York Times has denied Baldoni’s accusations and requested that his lawsuit against the paper be dismissed.
Last week, Reynolds filed a motion to be dismissed from Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit.
The source says the actor couldn’t be happier with his appearance as they continued: ‘He loves the way he looks now, and he knows this will benefit him when this is over’
Elsewhere, another insider noted that the star’s family have been a large motivation for him during this turbulent period
In his legal request, Reynolds described himself as a ‘supportive spouse who has witnessed firsthand the emotional, reputational and financial devastation’ Lively endured.
Opening up about his mental health in a podcast, Baldoni told Gent’s Talk that he had been under a lot of ’emotional stress’
He also claimed in his court paper that Baldoni was attempting to ‘shame’ him for being ‘the kind of man who is confident enough to listen to the woman in his life and stand with her.’
Reynolds is seeking dismissal with prejudice, which would bar Baldoni from re-filing the suit in the future.
Opening up about his mental health in a podcast filmed last November, Baldoni told Gent’s Talk that he had been under a lot of ’emotional stress.’
He recalled messaging his best friend Jamey Heath – who is the president of their production company, Wayfarer Studios – to tell him about his ‘anxiety’ and burnout.
‘I told them that I wasn’t in the best place. I told them that I was exhausted, that I haven’t given myself time to recover or time to heal. I had an intense year — a lot of material success and a lot of emotional stress. It was very hard on me and my family,’ he said.
Elsewhere in the recently released interview, Baldoni briefly discussed falling short, acknowledging he was ‘a work in progress’.
The actor claimed he has always strived to be ‘radically sincere and authentic’ as he added: ‘I can get lost in the same way that everybody gets lost, but healing isn’t linear.’
It Ends with Us was a box-office hit, earning $351 million worldwide despite a $25 million budget.
Based on the best-selling novel by Colleen Hoover, no update has been made about an adaptation of the sequel book, It Starts with Us.
