Once upon a time, Justin and Emily Baldoni were able to fly under the radar, with very little attention paid to their marriage. However, in the wake of his legal drama with Blake Lively, all that has changed — and unfortunately, some aspects of their union have come across as red flags.
Of course, one of the major reasons why so many have begun looking into the Baldonis’ marriage is because Justin’s wife, Emily, has remained silent on his legal woes. This is in stark contrast to Ryan Reynolds’ major involvement (granted, there have been missteps) in his wife’s allegations against the “It Ends with Us” director. Speaking exclusively to Nicki Swift about the possible ramifications of Emily’s decision not to speak out in support of her husband and rubbish the shady details about Justin, behavior and relationship expert Dr. Patrick Wanis pointed out, “When a spouse remains silent during a public crisis, it sends a powerful and often negative message — both to the public and to the celebrity facing the allegations.”
We’ll start by delving a little more into the latter. Wanis told us that Emily’s silence may have been hurtful to Justin. “Humans are wired to seek validation and support from those closest to them, especially in times of crisis. We need that support!” he explained. In the absence of that support, Wanis continued, there was a chance many might begin asking questions about the state of the relationship, as it signaled “a lack of unity in the relationship.” That’s in sharp contrast to everything we’ve heard Emily and Justin say about each other when they have opened up about their marriage in the past — but then again, we may only be seeing a highlight reel.
Emily’s silence could signal that she believed the allegations
Perhaps more concerning than the emotional consequences of Emily Baldoni keeping mum on her husband’s very public legal battle is the fact that some may equate her silence with believing there was truth to the claims — aka, another red flag. As Dr. Patrick Wanis exclusively explained to Nicki Swift, silence could be an indication of “internal conflict or hesitation about defending their partner.”
There is always a chance that Emily may choose to say something if Justin Baldoni is cleared of any wrongdoing. However, Wanis noted that for those who questioned why she didn’t speak out from the start, it may come across as too little too late. “A delayed response can often do more harm than good. The longer the spouse waits, the less authentic their support will appear,” he pointed out. Wanis pointed out that while some might think the delay in issuing a statement was all about self-preservation, others could just as easily assume she was pressured into speaking up — whether by Justin or the court of public opinion.
Now, there is also a chance that Emily’s approach to the situation has been in line with the “Never complain, never explain” tactic favored by the royal family — and it does bear mentioning that, to some degree, that seems to have worked. In fact, in response to the only Instagram post that Emily has shared of Justin since the scandal broke (a very gushy birthday message), a number of fans cheered her on specifically for not speaking out. “I’m sure it was hard to sit back and let him take what they threw at him, over and over! You both have so much class,” one wrote. Guess it’s all up to interpretation!
The Baldonis may need to do some damage control, post-trial
Even though it seems as though most of Justin and Emily Baldoni’s fans have been supportive of Emily’s decision to stay quiet throughout the legal drama, Dr. Patrick Wanis cautions that there may be a need for some damage control down the line.
Asked if celebrities could switch the narrative from negative to positive in the event that their spouse didn’t loudly condemn allegations against them, Wanis shared, “Yes, but it requires a strategic, emotionally intelligent approach.” That could mean turning to other loved ones who were willing to speak up — like his mom, for example. Sure enough, Sharon Baldoni spoke to all the allegations in an Instagram post, writing in the caption, “As you keep your integrity through it all justice and truth with shine today and into eternity.” That note on Justin’s integrity is especially important, as Wanis did point out that it needed to be highlighted, whether by Justin himself or by those willing to give a public endorsement.
Another piece of advice Wanis had for Justin — or any celebrity whose spouse wasn’t coming out swinging for them, for that matter — is that showing public understanding about Emily’s silence could do wonders for his image. “Frame their silence as a personal coping mechanism rather than a lack of support. ‘I respect her choice to process things differently,'” he said. At the time of this writing, Baldoni hasn’t said anything to that effect. That said, given his track record of highlighting the female gaze and experience, we certainly wouldn’t be surprised if he did at some point in the future. Alternatively, it’s possible he’s letting that track record do the talking now.
Some were weirded out by Justin’s proposal
Moving on from the “Jane the Virgin” alum’s legal debacle, some may remember that one thing many found weird about Justin and Emily Baldoni’s marriage was the way he proposed. ICYMI, Justin ditched the traditional route and instead created a short film. He also filmed her watching the movie from the restaurant where they’d had their very first date before walking in and popping the question. TBH, as a filmmaker, we didn’t find it too off-brand. Plus, he actually joked about it in an episode of “Live with Kelly and Mark” and shared that it had poked fun at him. Like we said, though, not everyone was as impressed.
Taking to Reddit, a number of critics shared that the short film’s runtime (a whopping 26 minutes and 59 seconds) was just too long. “27 minutes is … that’s a lot …” wrote one. Another agreed, adding, “He made her sit silently through a short film starring himself … as a way to propose. It’s not sweet it’s just weird and creepy. All the red flags.”
It didn’t exactly help that Emily also alluded to it being a little awkward for her. In a joint interview with Justin for Hollywood Law Group, she called it an emotional rollercoaster, feeling all alone, and that she kept thinking the video would end and Justin would appear, only for that not to be the case. However, it was also pretty clear she loved the sentiment, so we’re not sure this flag was all that red to her. Ultimately, while there certainly have been some eyebrow-raising moments in this relationship, we’re not all that sure any of the flags have been firetruck red. Maybe a blood orange — and clearly a shade that works for the Baldonis.
