Back in the summer of this year, you would be forgiven for thinking Blake Lively was the most hated woman on the planet. Social media was awash with posts calling her a mean girl and a bully and criticizing her marketing of the domestic violence drama It Ends With Us.
But it turns out this wave of dislike wasn’t organic. According to a lawsuit filed by Lively on December 20, one man is responsible: Justin Baldoni, Lively’s director and co-star on It Ends With Us. After Lively accused him of sexual harassment on the set of the movie, he set out to “bury” her.
The PR firm he used was the same one that worked with Johnny Depp during the infamous Depp-Heard trial. And just as they were able to turn the internet against Amber Heard, they succeeded in turning it against Lively. It’s true that Lively has a problematic past – getting married on a plantation has been a huge stain on her reputation – but what was visited on her while she was fighting sexual harassment must have been soul-destroying.
The allegations against Baldoni, and against It Ends With Us producer Jamey Heath, make for very sobering reading. They repeatedly violated Lively’s boundaries. The explosive New York Times piece on the allegations and the smear campaign states that Baldoni and Heath would enter Lively’s trailer while she was undressed, that Baldoni had improvised kissing scenes that Lively did not consent to, and perhaps most disturbingly of all, that Baldoni “discussed his sex life, including encounters in which he said he may not have received consent.”
People have reacted with horror to the news of the smear campaign. And Lively’s former co-stars and good friends are among the most shocked and appalled. Her The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars have spoken out about the situation.
America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel released a joint statement on Instagram, stating they believe Lively and stand with her. “As Blake’s friends and sisters for over 20 years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation,” they wrote.
“Throughout the filming of It Ends With Us, we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice. Most upsetting is the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivors’ stories to silence a woman who asked for safety. The hypocrisy is astounding.”
As the marketing for It Ends With Us was ramping up, Lively was criticized for minimizing the role of domestic violence in the film and promoting it as light and frothy. At the same time, Baldoni was seen to be condemning domestic violence and, seemingly, supporting survivors. That won a lot of people onto his side, but it was all performative. Plus, the official marketing plan for the movie requested Lively focus on the lighter parts of the story. She was only doing her job.
“We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated and resourced as our friend Blake, she can face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe working environment,” the joint statement went on. “We are inspired by our sister’s courage to stand up for herself and others.” The statement ended with the women requesting everyone read the New York Times piece.
Hopefully, Lively’s nightmare may be coming to an end as more and more people, not just those close to her, are stating their support. Stars including Gwyneth Paltrow and Amy Schumer, plus Amber Heard herself, have all spoken up. But it’s worrying that the situation was able to get as far as it did and that the abusers were able to so nearly get away with it.
Published: Dec 23, 2024 10:28 am