What Did Stephanie Jones Public Relations Achieve?
Stephanie Jones built Jonesworks into an Emmy award-winning public relations firm representing elite athletes, business leaders, and entertainment brands. The agency secured major campaigns for clients including Tom Brady, Dwayne Johnson, Venus Williams, and Jeff Bezos while expanding from New York to Los Angeles and Atlanta offices.
Building an Elite Client Portfolio
Jones established Jonesworks as a referral-only boutique agency, cultivating relationships with some of the world’s most prominent figures across sports, business, and entertainment. Her client roster at various points included NFL legend Tom Brady, whose ESPN documentary series “Man in the Arena” and Netflix special “The Roast of Tom Brady” required sophisticated media coordination. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson relied on Jonesworks for major theatrical releases, including the publicity campaigns for Netflix’s “Red Notice” and Warner Brothers/DC’s “Black Adam.”
The firm handled communications for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez, managing high-profile coverage including Sanchez’s Vogue feature and Blue Origin space initiatives. Tennis champion Venus Williams worked with Jones on brand partnerships and advocacy efforts related to gender equality in sports. Additional clients included J.Balvin, NBA player Kyle Kuzma, Chris Hemsworth’s social media presence, and country artists like Julianne Hough and Lainey Wilson.
Corporate and Brand Communications
Beyond individual talent, Jonesworks secured contracts with corporate clients and brands seeking strategic communications support. The firm represented Amazon Studios for entertainment properties, HYBE for music industry initiatives, and major consumer brands including Mattel and Barbie. Brand clients also included Ocean Spray, Wheels Up, Partake Foods, and Tom Brady’s personal ventures TB12 and Brady apparel.
Jennifer Abel, who joined as partner in February 2023, led the Entertainment Division from the Los Angeles office and oversaw social media and digital expansion. Her work on Netflix’s “Red Notice” and “Black Adam” contributed to both films becoming high-water marks for Johnson’s streaming and theatrical performance.
Professional Background and Industry Experience
Before founding Jonesworks, Jones spent nearly a decade at Deutsch Inc., where she served as Vice President of Public Relations. She worked as a producer on Donny Deutsch’s CNBC show “The Big Idea,” gaining exposure to high-profile entrepreneurs and business strategies. Her prior experience also included roles as producer and PR professional at NBC Universal.
This foundation in advertising and broadcast media informed her approach to building Jonesworks as a full-service communications, marketing, and management agency. The company positioned itself at the intersection of traditional PR, crisis communications, media relations, event management, and digital strategy.
Geographic Expansion Strategy
Jones expanded Jonesworks from its New York City headquarters at 211 East 43rd Street to establish offices in Los Angeles and Atlanta. The Los Angeles location focused on entertainment industry clients and managed the agency’s growing roster of actors, musicians, and production companies. The Atlanta office served regional clients and provided strategic support for campaigns requiring southern market expertise.
In interviews from early 2025, Jones expressed ambitions to establish a presence in the United Kingdom, with potential bases in London or Paris. This international expansion would align with the agency’s existing work for clients with global reach, though these plans faced setbacks as client departures accelerated throughout 2024.
High-Profile Campaign Executions
Jonesworks managed several notable publicity campaigns that required navigating complex media landscapes. For Tom Brady’s transition from NFL player to broadcaster and business owner, the firm coordinated messaging across multiple platforms and properties. The “Man in the Arena” documentary series required careful coordination with ESPN and other media partners to shape Brady’s post-retirement narrative.
“Red Notice” represented a significant test for the agency’s entertainment division. The Netflix film, starring Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot, became one of the streaming platform’s most-watched releases. Jonesworks handled Johnson’s promotional appearances and coordinated with the film’s marketing team to maximize visibility across traditional and social media channels.
“Black Adam” presented different challenges as a theatrical release competing for box office attention. The Warner Brothers/DC film required coordination with studio marketing, management of premiere events, and positioning of Johnson within the superhero genre. Despite mixed critical reception, the film opened to $67 million domestically, demonstrating effective audience reach.
Crisis Communications and Reputation Management
Jones positioned Jonesworks as equipped to handle crisis communications, though this specialty area ultimately became controversial. The firm’s expertise areas included strategic communications during reputation challenges, media training for executives facing scrutiny, and rapid response to emerging stories.
For Jeff Bezos, this meant managing coverage around his relationship with Lauren Sanchez, including the National Enquirer controversy in 2019. The firm worked to position Sanchez as a legitimate businesswoman and philanthropist rather than focusing solely on her relationship with Bezos.
Venus Williams’ work with Jonesworks connected to her advocacy for equal pay and opportunities for women in sports. The firm helped amplify Williams’ voice on gender equality issues while managing her commercial partnerships and public appearances.
Agency Culture and Operations Model
Jonesworks operated as a referral-only agency, meaning new clients typically came through recommendations from existing clients or industry connections rather than through traditional business development. This model allowed Jones to be selective about client relationships and maintain a boutique feel despite working with marquee names.
Jones’ husband, Jason Hodes, works as a partner at talent agency WME (William Morris Endeavor), creating potential synergies between Jonesworks’ PR services and WME’s talent representation. Several of Jones’ highest-profile clients, including Tom Brady, Dwayne Johnson, and Donny Deutsch, had connections to WME through Hodes’ position.
The agency emphasized integrated campaigns combining traditional media relations with social media strategy, event management, and digital content creation. This full-service approach aimed to provide clients with comprehensive communications support rather than narrowly focused PR services.
Industry Recognition and Awards
Jonesworks earned Emmy Award recognition for its work, though specific projects tied to this achievement are not publicly detailed in available records. The award positioned the firm among elite entertainment PR agencies and provided credibility when pitching to prospective clients in film and television.
Jones herself gained recognition as one of the prominent publicists working at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and business. Her client list alone established her as someone who had earned trust from individuals accustomed to the highest levels of professional service.
Challenges and Client Departures
The agency faced significant turnover in 2023-2024, with multiple high-profile clients ending their relationships with Jonesworks. Business Insider published an investigative piece in August 2024 examining workplace culture at the firm and detailing departures of clients including Dwayne Johnson, Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez, Chris Hemsworth, Julianne Hough, and Lainey Wilson. Brand clients Wheels Up, Ocean Spray, and Partake Foods also parted ways with the agency during this period.
Jennifer Abel, who had been named partner in February 2023, left Jonesworks in August 2024 to start her own firm. Her departure coincided with intensifying media coverage of tensions on the set of “It Ends With Us,” a film starring Blake Lively and directed by Justin Baldoni. Jonesworks had been representing Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios.
Employee reviews on Glassdoor painted a challenging picture of the work environment, with multiple current and former staff members describing high turnover, difficult management dynamics, and lack of formal HR support. These reviews contradicted Jones’ public statements about fostering a culture of excellence and integrity.
Legal Controversies
Jones became entangled in legal disputes following the “It Ends With Us” situation. Blake Lively filed a complaint alleging sexual harassment and a coordinated smear campaign, citing text messages and emails obtained through a subpoena to Jonesworks LLC. While Jones was not named in Lively’s initial complaint, she later faced lawsuits from Justin Baldoni and Jennifer Abel.
Baldoni’s lawsuit accused Jones of improperly accessing and sharing confidential communications after Abel left the firm. Abel’s separate legal action alleged that Jones created a hostile exit scenario, including having security present when Abel arrived at the office to collect her belongings and demanding access to her devices.
Jones filed her own defamation and breach of contract lawsuit in December 2024, claiming that Abel and crisis PR specialist Melissa Nathan had operated behind her back to damage both Baldoni’s reputation and her own. The competing legal narratives created a complex situation that drew intense media scrutiny to crisis PR practices generally.
Shifting Industry Dynamics
The controversies surrounding Jonesworks coincided with broader questions about celebrity PR ethics and the tactics used by publicists to shape narratives. The “It Ends With Us” situation pulled back the curtain on crisis communications strategies, including the use of social media manipulation, coordinated media placements, and aggressive reputation management.
Multiple PR agencies found themselves scrutinized as details emerged about the campaigns conducted on behalf of various parties. Tag PR, run by Melissa Nathan and backed by Scooter Braun, received particular attention for its alleged role in attempting to shift public perception during the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni dispute.
Media Strategy Evolution
Throughout its operation, Jonesworks adapted to changing media landscapes. The firm moved beyond traditional press release distribution and media pitching to incorporate social media strategy, influencer partnerships, and digital content creation. For clients like Tom Brady and Dwayne Johnson, this meant coordinating messaging across Instagram, Twitter, and other platforms while maintaining relationships with traditional entertainment journalists.
The agency’s work with Tom Brady demonstrated how modern athlete PR requires managing multiple income streams and brand partnerships simultaneously. Brady’s transition from player to entrepreneur involved launching TB12 sports nutrition products, the Brady apparel line, and eventually his broadcaster role with Fox Sports. Each required distinct communications approaches.
Current Status and Industry Position
As of late 2024 and into 2025, Jonesworks’ roster appeared significantly reduced from its peak. Tom Brady reportedly gave notice to end his relationship with Jones, though technically remained under contract. The agency’s website and public-facing information showed limited current client details compared to previous years.
The referral-only model that had been a strength became a vulnerability as client departures potentially affected the firm’s ability to attract new business. In a referral-based system, satisfied clients become the primary business development engine. When high-profile names leave under difficult circumstances, that engine loses power.
Jones continued to present Jonesworks as an operating agency with offices in three cities and international ambitions. However, the gap between this presentation and the reality described in legal filings and media reports raised questions about the firm’s actual scale and client base.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were Jonesworks’ most notable clients?
Jonesworks represented Tom Brady, Dwayne Johnson, Jeff Bezos, Venus Williams, Chris Hemsworth, and other high-profile figures at various points. The firm also handled corporate clients including Amazon Studios, Mattel, and Ocean Spray, though many of these relationships ended in 2023-2024.
What was Jennifer Abel’s role at Jonesworks?
Jennifer Abel was promoted to partner in February 2023 and led the Entertainment Division from the Los Angeles office. She managed major campaigns for Netflix’s “Red Notice” and DC’s “Black Adam” before leaving to start her own firm in August 2024. Her departure led to legal disputes with Jones.
Why did so many clients leave Jonesworks?
Multiple clients departed in 2023-2024 following a Business Insider investigation into workplace culture and amid legal controversies related to the “It Ends With Us” publicity situation. Specific reasons varied by client, but the pattern suggested systemic issues beyond individual relationships.
What campaigns was Jonesworks known for?
The firm handled publicity for Tom Brady’s “Man in the Arena” documentary series, major film releases including “Red Notice” and “Black Adam,” and Jeff Bezos-related coverage including Lauren Sanchez’s Vogue feature and Blue Origin initiatives. These represented some of the agency’s highest-profile work.
The trajectory of Stephanie Jones and Jonesworks illustrates how quickly reputation can shift in the PR industry, even for firms with prestigious client lists. The agency demonstrated capacity for executing complex campaigns across entertainment, sports, and business sectors while building relationships with marquee talent. Yet operational challenges, workplace culture issues, and legal entanglements ultimately overshadowed those professional achievements, leaving the firm’s legacy as a cautionary tale about the importance of internal practices matching external positioning.