Justin Baldoni and Gina Rodriguez evolved from onscreen love interests to best friends.
The duo met on the set of Jane the Virgin, which premiered on The CW in 2014. Based on a Venezuelan telenovela, Jane the Virgin starred Rodriguez as devout virgin Jane who became pregnant after an accidental artificial insemination by her gynecologist while Baldoni played Rafael a.k.a the father of her baby.
Before Jane the Virgin came to an end five seasons later, Baldoni reflected on the impact the show had on his life.
“What a magical experience @cwjanethevirgin was. Even from the audition there was something so special / magical about it,” he wrote via Instagram in 2019. “Its a longer story for another time but we set our intention from the beginning (actually before the official beginning) to be of service with our work. Love @hereisgina — so proud of all the bad ass magic she is creating right now.”
Baldoni went on to praise Rodriguez as a scene partner, adding in a separate post, “So proud of my soul sister @hereisgina. I’ve been watching her create magic for the last five years, I’ve seen how hard she works both on screen and off to create change and make a difference.”
He continued: “The business deals in between scenes, the love and respect for the crew and family, the 14 hour days and press on the weekends, the fight for representation and care to always look to cast and hire the marginalized and under-represented. She is so full of love and talent and I am so damn proud to call her a friend.”
Rodriguez was just as proud of Baldoni amid his success as a director and producer. “Justin is also one of my closest friends and we talk all the time,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in August 2024.
Keep scrolling to relive Rodriguez and Baldoni friendship:
