When did Justin Baldoni start Wayfarer Foundation? Actor's nonprofit organization shuts down amid his ongoing lawsuit against Blake Lively

Amid the ongoing legal drama between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, the latter's non-profit organization, Wayfarer Foundation, is reportedly set to shut down. According to People, the reason behind such an action is currently unknown. Founded in 2021, Wayfarer Foundation was a philanthropic wing of the Wayfarer Studios that was established in 2019.

Along with Justin Baldoni, businessman Steve Sarowitz was also involved in launching the studio six years ago. The news was announced earlier this month through an Instagram post from the foundation's official page.

The caption included a statement from Sarowitz that read:

"I am so incredibly proud of the impact this organization has made and deeply grateful for our staff, board, donors and partners. Upon unanimous decision of the board of directors, today we will begin the process of sunsetting the Foundation."

Sarowitz further confirmed that despite the decision to shut the organization down, all the previously made commitments would be taken care of. While the news emerged amid the ongoing legal drama, no mention of the lawsuit was made in the Instagram caption.

For the unversed, in the lawsuit filed by Blake Lively, she had named both Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios. The Hollywood Reporter on December 31, 2024, cited Blake Lively's attorney's statement to the New York Times:

"Wayfarer and its associates have violated federal and California state law by retaliating against her for reporting s*xual harassment and workplace safety concerns."

The claims, however, were denied by Justin's attorney, Bryan Freedman, on December 21, in a statement to TODAY.com. Subsequently, Justin Baldoni filed a $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times for alleging libel and false reporting.

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Exploring more about Justin Baldoni's Wayfarer Foundation

According to a report by People dated May 7, 2025, the Wayfarer Foundation had launched and aided several initiatives and programs in the past. One of the most popular ones was the "Los Angeles' Skid Row Carnival of Love", started by Justin Baldoni in 2015, which was aided by the foundation.

The purpose of the program was to provide services and donations to individuals who did not have homes. Speaking about the inititative, Justin told The Hollywood Reporter in 2019:

"We have an entire city of people sleeping on the street, one of the worst man-made disasters in our country."

In 2022, Justin Baldoni's foundation launched the Emerging Leaders program. According to the official website, the program was designed

"To cultivate underrepresented young people as spiritually-rooted and imaginative leaders."

Additionally, Wayfarer Foundation introduced the "Wayfarer Fellows" program. It aimed to offer university students opportunities to engage in areas related to philanthropy.

Regarding the ongoing lawsuit between Justin and Blake, separate updates have emerged. According to People, Marvel petitioned the court to have its name removed from the suit just last month. Meanwhile, Baldoni's lawyer approached the court, urging them to dismiss the motion.

According to the outlet, Marvel's involvement in the legal drama stemmed primarily from its decision to include the character named "Nicepool" in the movie Deadpool & Wolverine.

According to a report by E! Online on April 30, 2025, the company further urged that the court "issue a protective order prohibiting the disclosure of Marvel’s confidential documents by any party or other nonparty in this action."

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Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's lawsuit is set to appear for trial in March 2026.