Blake Lively’s “friends and sisters” America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel have publicly voiced their unwavering support for the actress amidst her ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni, director and co-star of the film It Ends With Us. They released a powerful statement via Instagram, expressing solidarity with Lively and condemning the alleged campaign aimed at damaging her reputation.
“We stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation,” the trio wrote in their Instagram post, emphasizing their longstanding friendship spanning over 20 years. “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.”
Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars join It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover, who also expressed support for Lively shortly after news of the lawsuit broke.
Lively’s lawsuit alleges sexual harassment, retaliation, and emotional distress stemming from her experiences on the film set. She accuses Baldoni and his colleagues of creating a hostile work environment and orchestrating a campaign to discredit her during the film’s promotional period.
“Most upsetting is the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivor stories to silence a woman who asked for safety,” the actresses’ statement continues. “The hypocrisy is astounding. 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.”
According to the lawsuit, after Lively raised concerns against Baldoni and lead producer Jamey Heath, a coordinated effort, described by Baldoni’s team as “social manipulation” designed to “destroy” Lively’s reputation, was initiated. Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, denies all allegations against his client.
“We are inspired by our sister’s courage to stand up for herself and others,” Ferrera, Tamblyn, and Bledel concluded in their statement, encouraging readers to delve deeper into Lively’s legal complaint, detailed in The New York Times.
Lively, in her statement to The Times, expressed her hope that her legal action would shed light on these retaliatory tactics, protect others facing similar situations, and empower those who speak up against misconduct.