When Art Imitates Life: Blake Lively v Justin Baldoni.
Justin Baldoni’s attempt to ‘bury’ Blake Lively because of reports about workplace harassment,
and the impact believing the headlines has.
As more and more information is coming out about the planned and successful smear campaign
against Blake Lively by Justin Baldoni and Jamey Heath, his publicist Jennifer Abel (who has
now quit) and Mellisa Nathan (PR Crisis Manager), I cannot help but feel we, as the public, have
not only failed Lively, but all those who have been subject to smear campaigns and workplace
harassment.
Press Tour Turns Sour:
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover debuted on the New York Times Bestseller list in January of
2022, four years after its original release date. The book depicts the struggle of recognising
domestic abuse, coming to terms with it and ultimately finding the strength and courage to
leave. Therefore, when it was announced in May of 2023 that it was to be turned into a movie by
Wayfair Studios (Baldoni’s company), starring Lively and Baldoni, it was highly anticipated by
fans.
However, during the press tour something felt off. Fans first became suspicious of a fall out
when it was noticed that none of the cast members followed Baldoni on social media, this
speculation was only amplified when Baldoni appeared alone on the red carpets while Lively
and the rest of the cast were seen doing press together. These suspicions were confirmed when
reports came through of a rift between Lively and Baldoni. It was reported that Baldoni felt
‘sidelined’ by Lively and Lively felt ‘uncomfortable’ on set due to Baldoni’s behaviour.
The Smear Campaign Begins:
It was strange, therefore, that in the days leading up to the release date of the 9th of August
2024, only Lively seemed to be the subject of intense hate online. Many criticised her for
promoting the movie as a lighthearted, rom-com-esc film, one to bring your friends along to. This
was a stark contrast to Baldoni's promotional tactic. Unlike the lighter route Lively was taking,
Baldoni was much more serious and focused on the victims of domestic violence. Along with
this, interview clips began circling of Lively acting ‘bratty’
, like a ‘mean girl’ and ‘rude’
. This was
picked up by news channels and social media and soon Lively seemed to be on the verge of
being cancelled.
On July 31st 2024, Baldoni hired a PR crisis team amid reports that he had made Lively
uncomfortable on set. The information was not released to the public until the 13th of August, by
which time the Lively smear campaign was well underway. Although the crisis team was the
same that Johnny Depp had hired through his hearing with Amber Heard, this news appeared to
be swept under the rug by news channels and received little attention on social media
compared to the negative headlines on Lively.
She Was Telling Us All Along:
In retaliation to reports of Lively being made uncomfortable at the hands of Baldoni, it has been
confirmed that Baldoni, alongside Mellisa Nathan, intentionally started a smear campaign
against her. Leaked texts between Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel and Nathan reveal “[Baldoni]
wants to feel like she can be buried…
”
, while another read “you know we can bury anyone. But I
can’t write that to him” and “we can’t write that we will destroy her”
. Whether the smear
campaign was revenge, a silencing tactic, or to get his name out of the press it was a well
financed, highly sophisticated plan that, at least temporarily, successfully ruined the reputation
of Lively.
These texts are just the tip of the iceberg, and the more problematic issues lie deeper. The
reports of Lively and the cast feeling uncomfortable on set were confirmed with the official
complaint made by Lively against Wayfair being published by the New York Times.
Upon the return to set after the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, Lively’s attorneys provided
Wayfair with a document entitled “Protections for Return to Production”
. This document included
thirty items describing conduct that was to cease upon the return of the cast, some items of
point include:
● [4] No more mention to BL or her employees of personal times that physical consent was
not given in sexual acts, as either the abuser or the abused.
● [11] An intimacy coordinator must be present at all times when BL is on set with Mr.
Baldoni.
● [12] No more personal, physical touching of, or sexual comments by, Mr. Baldoni or Mr.
Heath to be tolerated by BL and/or any of her employees, as well as any female cast or
crew without their express consent.
● [13] No more improvising of kissing. All intimate touch must be choreographed in
advance with BL and an intimacy coordinator. No biting or sucking of lip without BL
consent. And all intimate on camera touch and conversations must be “in character”
, not
spoken from Mr. Baldoni to BL personally.
● [15] All actors participating with BL in intimate scenes involving her being in any state of
nudity or simulated nudity must be classified as active, working actors, not “friends” of
the director or producers, and must be pre-approved by BL.
● [20] No more entering, attempting to enter, interrupting, pressuring or asking BL to enter
her trailer or the makeup trailer by Mr Heath or Mr Baldoni while she is nude, for any
reason.
● [27] No more adding of sex scenes, oral sex, or on camera climaxing by BL outside the
scope of the script BL approved when signing onto the project.
● [29] No more retaliatory or abusive behaviour to BL for raising concerns or requesting
safeguards.
Read the full complaint here:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/12/21/us/complaint-of-blake-lively-v-wayfarer-studios-l
lc-et-al.html
Something More Sinister:
A smear campaign in and of itself is a cruel and unjust way of dealing with conflict within a
workplace, purposefully ruining the reputation of a colleague due to personal vendettas by
talking to the media is unfair. However, this instance was more than that and something far
worse. This smear campaign was to make sure Lively and the rest of the cast would not be
heard when they tried to tell their stories. We were being told that Lively was sidelining the
director, involving her husband unnecessarily, she was discussing the movie in the wrong tone
(it was later discovered she was under contractual obligation to promote the movie in a
lighthearted manner and to focus on hope and inspiration). We were being made to ignore
someone who had been harassed and then, at the hand of the same man, was having her
reputation destroyed.
What is more, and the most uncomfortable element of this series of events, was this was all
happening on the set of a movie about abuse. Whilst playing an abusive partner, Baldoni was
making sexual remarks, being pushy, breaking character, adding unscripted kissing and sex
scenes and generally harassing Lively and her colleagues. All the while he is doing press,
pretending to be a stand up man and a vehement feminist. In an interview with Live Kelly and
Mark he is quoted saying “I have to find a way to make this into a movie”
, seemingly
championing the importance of speaking up about domestic violence, finding the strength and
courage to leave, all the while he is exhibiting concerning and inappropriate behaviour. It is
hypocritical and it is as though he is using a serious issue to further his production company
rather than actually believing in the message of the movie.
It Ends With Us:
When reading news outlets and consuming media, we must remember to apply critical thinking.
T oo many of us took those stories at face value and unknowingly ignored the warnings of the
victims of harassment. A deeper diver would have seen the negative media coming soon after
reports of harassment, we would have picked up on the cast distancing themselves from
Baldoni, we would have paid attention to the hiring of a crisis team and asked ourselves why?
Not only does it feel as though we have failed Lively but it also feels we have failed victims
everywhere who believe they will not be heard if they speak up, and if they do find the courage
to speak up there will be negative repercussions. If an A-list celebrity can fall victim to this
treatment and be ignored, think of everyone else who does not have the same resources. One
of the most disappointing parts of this are the roles Jennifer Abel and Mellisa Nathan played, as
women we should protect each other, and to knowingly and willingly attempt to sully the
reputation of a victim because she tried to speak out about harassment is a complete betrayal.
It takes a big story like this to remind us to practice caution when consuming media. Women
especially, so often fall victim to slander in the press and to workplace harassment. It is
important we do not accidentally bury their stories and pleads for help because we believe the
first headline we see. In the future we shall do better and smear campaigns against victims of
abuse can End With Us. By Imogen
