‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine

Private messages detail an alleged campaign to tarnish Blake Lively after she accused Justin Baldoni of misconduct on the set of “It Ends With Us.”

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Najeebah Al-Ghadban

By Megan TwoheyMike McIntire and Julie Tate

Dec. 21, 2024

Last summer, as the release of “It Ends With Us” approached, Justin Baldoni, the director and a star of the film, and Jamey Heath, the lead producer, hired a crisis public relations expert.

During shooting, Blake Lively, the co-star, had complained that the men had repeatedly violated physical boundaries and made sexual and other inappropriate comments to her. Their studio, Wayfarer, agreed to provide a full-time intimacy coordinator, bring in an outside producer and put other safeguards on set. In a side letter to Ms. Lively’s contract, signed by Mr. Heath, the studio also agreed not to retaliate against the actress.

But by August, the two men, who had positioned themselves as feminist allies in the #MeToo era, expressed fears that her allegations would become public and taint them, according to a legal complaint that she filed Friday. It claims that their P.R. effort had an explicit goal: to harm Ms. Lively’s reputation instead.

Her filing includes excerpts from thousands of pages of text messages and emails that she obtained through a subpoena. These and other documents were reviewed by The New York Times.

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There have long been figures behind the scenes shaping public opinion about celebrities — through gossip columns, tabloids and strategic interviews. The documents show an additional playbook for waging a largely undetectable smear campaign in the digital era. While the film, about domestic violence, was a box office hit — making nearly $350 million worldwide — online criticism of the actress skyrocketed.

“He wants to feel like she can be buried,” a publicist working with the studio and Mr. Baldoni wrote in an Aug. 2 message to the crisis management expert, Melissa Nathan.

“You know we can bury anyone,” Ms. Nathan wrote.

In the following weeks, Ms. Nathan, whose clients have included Johnny Depp and the rappers Drake and Travis Scott, went hard at the press, pushing to prevent stories about Mr. Baldoni’s behavior and reinforce negative ones about Ms. Lively, the text messages show. Jed Wallace, a self-described “hired gun,” led a digital strategy that included boosting social media posts that could help their cause.

An attorney for Wayfarer said in a statement to The Times that the studio, its executives and public relations representatives “did nothing proactive nor retaliated” against Ms. Lively, and accused the actress of “another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation.”

“These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media," the lawyer, Bryan Freedman, wrote.

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Mr. Freedman did not address her allegations about misconduct during the filming by Mr. Baldoni and Mr. Heath. He alleged that Ms. Lively planted “negative and completely fabricated and false stories with media” about Mr. Baldoni, which he said “was another reason why Wayfarer Studios made the decision to hire a crisis professional.”

The effort to tarnish Ms. Lively appears to have paid off. Within days of the film’s release, the negative media coverage and commentary became an unusually high percentage of her online presence, according to a forensic review she sought from a brand marketing consultant.

Ms. Lively — who is married to the actor and entrepreneur Ryan Reynolds of “Deadpool” fame, and is close with Taylor Swift — experienced the biggest reputational hit of her career. She was branded tone-deaf, difficult to work with, a bully. Sales of her new hair-care line plummeted.

“Is Blake Lively set to be CANCELLED?” read a Daily Mail headline one week into the attacks.

Mr. Baldoni, by contrast, emerged largely unscathed. This month, he was honored at a star-studded event celebrating men who “elevate women, combat gender-based violence and promote gender equality worldwide.” On Saturday, however, after this article was published, the talent agency William Morris Endeavor stopped representing Mr. Baldoni, said Ari Emanuel, chief executive of Endeavor, the agency’s parent company.

Image

Justin Baldoni, wearing a dark suit, stands behind a podium in front of a colorful backdrop.

Justin Baldoni received an award this month for being an ally to women. A legal filing has since accused him of harassment and retaliation against the actress Blake Lively.

Credit...

Jeenah Moon for The New York Times

Ms. Lively’s complaint — against Mr. Baldoni; Mr. Heath; Wayfarer; Steve Sarowitz, a co-founder of the studio; Mr. Wallace; Ms. Nathan; and Jennifer Abel, another public relations executive involved in the campaign — alleges sexual harassment and retaliation, among other claims. The complaint, filed with the California Civil Rights Department, is a precursor to a lawsuit.

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In a statement, Ms. Lively said, “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.”

She also denied that she or any of her representatives planted or spread negative information about Mr. Baldoni or Wayfarer.

‘We Should Have a Plan’

In May, several months after the filming wrapped, Mr. Baldoni realized that Mr. Reynolds had blocked him on Instagram.

“We should have a plan for IF she does the same when movie comes out,” Mr. Baldoni wrote of Ms. Lively in a text exchange that included Ms. Abel, a publicist who has long worked with him and Wayfarer. “Plans make me feel more at ease.”

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Mr. Baldoni, 40, and Mr. Heath, 55, had a lot riding on the film, which is based on a best-selling novel by Colleen Hoover.

Mr. Baldoni was best known for the CW satirical romantic dramedy “Jane the Virgin.” Wayfarer provided the resources for bigger ambitions. It was bankrolled by the billionaire Steve Sarowitz, who is co-chair of the studio with Mr. Baldoni. They and Mr. Heath, the chief executive, are all deeply involved with the Baha’i religious organization, which promotes unity, peace and gender equality. Mr. Baldoni has presented himself as an ally to women, writing books, co-hosting a podcast with Mr. Heath and giving talks on toxic masculinity.

Ms. Lively, 37, was by far the bigger star. The TV show “Gossip Girl” catapulted her to early fame, and she appeared in films ranging from “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” to “The Town.” She built businesses outside the entertainment industry, appeared on the covers of glossy magazines and amassed more than 45 million Instagram followers.

Ms. Lively had expressed concerns about Mr. Baldoni from the beginning, according to her legal complaint. Before shooting began, for example, she objected to sex scenes he wanted to add that she considered gratuitous.

In November 2023, as the cast of “It Ends With Us” was preparing to resume shooting after a monthslong writers’ strike, Ms. Lively went to Wayfarer with the side letter seeking safeguards.

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Image

Justin Baldoni, in a pink suit, stands smiling next to Jamey Heath, in a dark suit and flowered shirt.

Mr. Baldoni, co-chair of the film studio, and Jamey Heath, the chief executive, are alleged to have engaged in sexually inappropriate conduct.

Credit...

James Devaney/GC Images, via Getty Images

“Our client is willing to forego a more formal HR process in favor of everyone returning to work and finishing the Film as long as the set is safe moving forward,” her legal team wrote to the studio.

She detailed her complaints during a meeting with Mr. Baldoni, Mr. Heath and other producers in January, according to the legal filing. She claimed Mr. Baldoni had improvised unwanted kissing and discussed his sex life, including encounters in which he said he may not have received consent. Mr. Heath had shown her a video of his wife naked, she said, and he had watched Ms. Lively in her trailer when she was topless and having body makeup removed, despite her asking him to look away. She said that both men repeatedly entered her makeup trailer uninvited while she was undressed, including when she was breastfeeding.

In agreeing to the terms that Ms. Lively sought, Wayfarer acknowledged that “Although our perspective differs in many aspects, ensuring a safe environment for all is paramount,” according to her legal complaint.

By the spring, Ms. Lively told people she worked with that the men’s behavior had improved with the new protections.

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But she was now in a creative battle with them. With the support of Sony, the film’s distributor, she made her own cut of the movie, bringing in editors and a composer and adding one of Ms. Swift’s songs.

In the end, Sony and Wayfarer went with Ms. Lively’s cut, and she got a producer credit.

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Colleen Hoover, Brandon Sklenar, Isabela Ferrer and Blake Lively pose amid a display of flowers, under a sign that reads “LB Lily Bloom’s.”

The author Colleen Hoover and cast members Brandon Sklenar, Isabela Ferrer and Ms. Lively, promoting the film “It Ends With Us” without Mr. Baldoni.

Credit...

Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures

As the film release neared, Ms. Lively and other cast members informed Sony and Wayfarer that they would not do any appearances alongside Mr. Baldoni. So did Ms. Hoover, the author, who had her own dissatisfactions with him and had become more upset after he told her about Ms. Lively’s allegations, according to text messages from Mr. Baldoni and Mr. Heath.

‘Most Importantly Untraceable’

By the first week of August, Wayfarer and Mr. Baldoni had retained Ms. Nathan, who had worked with high-profile clients including Mr. Depp, whose ex-wife, Amber Heard, accused him of physical abuse.

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Mr. Depp successfully sued Ms. Heard for defamation, and the trial became a spectacle amid suspicions of an online campaign to damage her credibility.

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This year, after a decade at the New York consultancy Hiltzik Strategies, Ms. Nathan started her own firm, TAG PR. Its majority stakeholder is a company run by the entertainment industry executive Scooter Braun.

In an initial planning document sent to Wayfarer and Mr. Baldoni on Aug. 2, Ms. Nathan suggested media talking points, including that Ms. Lively used an imbalance of power to take creative control of the film.

But Mr. Baldoni wanted more.

“Not in love with the document they sent,” he responded in a text exchange that included Ms. Abel and Mr. Heath. “Not sure I’m feeling the protection I felt on the call.”

Ms. Abel relayed his frustration to Ms. Nathan: “I think you guys need to be tough and show the strength of what you guys can do in these scenarios. He wants to feel like she can be buried.”

“Of course- but you know when we send over documents we can’t send over the work we will or could do because that could get us in a lot of trouble,” Ms. Nathan responded, adding, “We can’t write we will destroy her.”

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Moments later, she said, “Imagine if a document saying all the things that he wants ends up in the wrong hands.”

“You know we can bury anyone,” she wrote.

Image

Melissa Nathan smiling at the camera.

Mr. Baldoni and Mr. Heath hired Melissa Nathan, a crisis P.R. expert whose clients have included Johnny Depp and Drake.

Image

Jennifer Abel, in a dark suit and red top, smiles at the camera.

Jennifer Abel was already working on public relations for Wayfarer when Ms. Nathan was hired.

Credit...

Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Alex And Ella

Three days later, Mr. Baldoni texted Ms. Abel, flagging a social media thread that accused another celebrity of bullying behavior and had generated 19 million views. “This is what we would need,” he wrote.

Ms. Nathan soon floated proposals to hire contractors to dominate social media through “full social account take downs,” by starting “threads of theories” and generally working to “change narrative.”

“All of this will be most importantly untraceable,” she wrote.

Jennifer Abel

I think we need to put the social combat plan into motion

Melissa Nathan

So do I

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Within days, the group was working with Mr. Wallace, whose company, Street Relations, offers services ranging from public relations to more opaque crisis management. He is a somewhat enigmatic figure with very little digital trail. But court records show that his clients have included Paramount Pictures and the YouTube personality Adin Ross.

And in a since-deleted LinkedIn profile, Mr. Wallace described himself as “a hired gun” with a “proprietary formula for defining artists and trends.”

‘That’s Why You Hired Me’

The Aug. 6 premiere brought the first wave of press coverage questioning what had happened during the filming. A Hollywood Reporter story speculated about a rift between Ms Lively and Mr. Baldoni, after TikTokers noticed that the two stars didn’t pose for photographs together and that Ms. Lively and other cast members didn’t follow Mr. Baldoni on Instagram.

Justin Baldoni

The unfollow situation is what everyone is pointing at. Seemingly that something is much bigger under the surface - as why would they all unfollow

Tag PR executive

Weve flagged to Jed and his team as well

Ms. Nathan had already been speaking to other journalists, according to text messages.

When Ms. Abel wrote to her Aug. 4 that “I’m having reckless thoughts of wanting to plant pieces this week of how horrible Blake is to work with. Just to get ahead of it,” Ms. Nathan replied that she had spoken off the record to an editor at The Daily Mail.

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“She’s ready when we are,” Ms. Nathan wrote.

A flurry of articles followed the Hollywood Reporter piece. Many made it seem as if the only rift was over creative control. Some journalists had gotten wind of complaints about Mr. Baldoni’s behavior, but none of the most serious ones were published.

“He doesn’t realise how lucky he is right now,” Ms. Nathan texted Ms. Abel.

In other exchanges, Ms. Nathan claimed that she had kept allegations against him out of stories, writing in one message that major news outlets were “standing down on HR complaint.”

Jennifer

So are we in the clear now?!

Did we survive

Melissa

We survived

ALL Press is so overwhelming Weve confused people So much mixed messaging It’s actually really funny if you think about it

Messages have been edited for length.

Meanwhile, an online backlash against Ms. Lively was underway. It is impossible to know how much of the negative publicity was seeded by Ms. Nathan, Mr. Wallace and their team, and how much they noticed and amplified.

On Aug. 10, Kjersti Flaa, a Norwegian entertainment reporter, uploaded to YouTube a 2016 interview in which Ms. Lively snapped back when Ms. Flaa commented on her baby “bump” and remained testy for the rest of the conversation. Ms. Flaa titled it “The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job,” and told The Daily Mail that “it’s time that people behaving badly in Hollywood, or anywhere else for that matter, gets called out for it.”

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It wasn’t the first time she had posted a video aligned with a client of Ms. Nathan. In 2022, in the midst of Mr. Depp’s legal battle with Ms. Heard, Ms. Flaa posted clips of her interviews with the actor, tagged #JusticeForJohnnyDepp.

Image

Kjersti Flaa gesturing with her hands and sitting in an armchair next to a table with books and a “Cafe Society” logo

A video still of Kjersti Flaa, a Norwegian entertainment reporter, from her 2016 interview with Blake Lively.

Credit...

via YouTube

During the film rollout, Ms. Lively was also accused of being insensitive about domestic violence. The official promotion plan instructed the cast to focus more on the uplifting aspects of the movie than on abuse, and to embrace a floral theme (her character has a flower shop). In several appearances, she never made reference to domestic violence at all. And she faced criticism when her Betty Booze beverage company was promoting the film, given the role alcohol can play in abusive relationships.

Seeing that blowback, the text messages show, Mr. Baldoni and his P.R. team decided instead to highlight survivors of domestic violence in his interviews and social media.

More criticism came when Ms. Lively said in an interview that Mr. Reynolds, who had no role in the film, had helped rewrite a scene, prompting snarky comments about the actress leaning on her husband and speculation that he had violated the writers strike.

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It is unclear exactly how Mr. Wallace operated. There are references in emails to “social manipulation” and “proactive fan posting,” and text messages cite efforts to “boost” and “amplify” online content that was favorable to Mr. Baldoni or critical of Ms. Lively.

“We are crushing it on Reddit,” Mr. Wallace told Ms. Nathan, according to a text she sent Ms. Abel on Aug. 9.

The next day, one of Ms. Nathan’s employees texted, “We’ve started to see shift on social, due largely to Jed and his team’s efforts to shift the narrative.”

Ms. Nathan wrote to Ms. Abel: “And socials are really really ramping up. In his favour, she must be furious. It’s actually sad because it just shows you have people really want to hate on women.”

When a TikTok sleuth started asking questions about Mr. Baldoni, Ms. Abel texted that “this girl is on a very dangerous crusade.”

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“We’ve flagged to Jed and his team for more serious action on the social side,” she wrote.

Throughout the text exchanges, Mr. Baldoni encourages the P.R. team, sometimes flagging social media posts for them to use. On Aug. 15, he proposes “flipping the narrative” on a positive story about Ms. Lively and her husband by “using their own words against them.”

Other times he appears to vacillate, seeking assurances about the tactics being deployed. When he notices a tabloid article critical of Ms. Lively, he sends a worried text: “How can we say somehow that we are not doing any of this — it looks like we are trying to take her down.” On another occasion, he wondered whether they were deploying fake “bot” accounts on social media.

“I can fully fully confirm we do not have bots,” Ms. Nathan wrote, adding that any digital team would be too intelligent to “utilise something so obvious.”

Mr. Wallace’s operation, she wrote, “is doing something very specific in terms of what they do. I know Jamey & Jed connected on this.”

Mr. Baldoni, Ms. Nathan and others on the team claimed in their text exchanges that Ms. Lively was using her own public relations team to create bad press about Mr. Baldoni but cited no evidence to support those claims.

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By mid-August, the team was reveling in the damage to Ms. Lively’s image.

Jennifer Abel

The narrative online is so freaking good and fans are still sticking up for Justin and there literally has been no pickup of those two articles which is actually shocking to me. But I see this as a total success, as does Justin.

You did such amazing work

Melissa Nathan

Narrative is CRAZY good So did you.

The majority of socials are so pro Justin and I don’t even agree with half of them lol

Messages have been edited for length.

On Aug. 16, Ms. Nathan shared the Daily Mail article headlined “Is Blake Lively set to be CANCELLED?” with references to ‘hard to watch’ videos and a ‘tone deaf’ promotional Q. and A.

“Wow. You really outdid yourself with this piece,” Ms. Abel responded.

“That’s why you hired me right?” Ms. Nathan replied. “I’m the best.”

‘We Men Have to Step Up’

A brand marketing consultant, Terakeet, produced a report in August for Ms. Lively that concluded she had likely been the object of a “targeted, multichannel online attack” similar to one against Ms. Heard, and that it was damaging her reputation.

The report did not identify who was behind the attack. But by analyzing “the entirety of Google’s search index” for Ms. Lively’s name, it found that 35 percent of the results also included a reference to Mr. Baldoni. This was highly unusual given the length of her career, the company said, and suggested that the media environment was being manipulated.

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A separate report, by Ms. Lively’s hair-care company, Blake Brown, concluded that the social media onslaught also had a negative effect on that business. Her product line, which had launched in August with record-breaking sales, estimates that it lost as much as 78 percent in sales.

With the recent arrival of “It Ends With Us” on Netflix, Mr. Baldoni has begun another round of promotion and messaging.

In an interview on “Access Hollywood,” he said “there is never an excuse” to “hurt a woman, physically or emotionally.” He added, “We men have to step up and figure out how we can be better allies.”

Produced by Leo Dominguez and Rumsey Taylor.

Megan Twohey is an investigative reporter at The Times. Her work has prompted changes to the law, criminal convictions and cultural shifts. More about Megan Twohey

Mike McIntire, an investigative reporter, has been with The Times since 2003. More about Mike McIntire

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NYTimes Reader commented December 21

N

NYTimes Reader

ConnecticutDec. 21

Buy her products: plain and simple. I watched those Justin Baldoni interviews with his wife: what?!! Baldoni, Jamey Heath, Melissa Nathan, Jennifer Abel are clearly bottom-feeders. Especially in light of the film's subject. CBS Mornings MUST have been aware of the controversy at the time: Gayle King and team need to fix that, post-STAT. Bravo for Ms. Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds!! Rooting for them to prevail: we got your six Team Lively. Carry on!!

1394 Recommend

Flag

Harlem commented December 21

H

Harlem

New York CityDec. 21

This to me sounds like a rich person‘s gun fight. One side pulled out their gun first and the other one pulled out their gun too late. Did he aim and fire first? Yes, and succeeded. She’s mad that she didn’t fire first and didn’tsucceed. Just sounds like one big gun fight to me.

572 Recommend

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sonawt commented December 21

s

sonawt

downDec. 21

not sure why the response to complaints of workplace misconduct was to put another employee in charge of what should have been an HR situation from the jump

260 Recommend

Flag

Julia commented December 21

J

Julia

New YorkDec. 21

People’s backlash was based on Lively’s attitude about domestic violence during her promotion of a movie…about domestic violence. She did that to herself by making light of such a serious issue and I hope she learns to take issues like that more seriously. A smear campaign seems unnecessary since absolutely no one made her say things that almost made fun of a story of domestic violence. If other things happened on set, it’s very unfortunate and I hope that, if these allegations are true, she gets the justice she deserves. It doesn’t change the fact that she insulted millions of victims but promoting the movie as essentially a romcom when it was such a touchy topic.

750 Recommend

Flag

Lloyd Little commented December 21

L

Lloyd Little

Troy, NYDec. 21

So this isn't about the $10 million dollar bounty on the rebel leader Sharaa of Syria being reversed because he's now a freedom fighter? Watching the next generation fail because influence based on pop culture is more valuable than this country's historically hard earned rights is a horror. Do that one.

217 Recommend

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Francis commented December 21

F

Francis

USADec. 21

The power of misogyny - a not so famous man being bankrolled by his billionaire bro to takedown a household name of an actress. Almost successfully.

1129 Recommend

Flag

Western liberal commented December 21

W

Western liberal

MontanaDec. 21

It’s been the playbook (for 2000 years) of powerful men against their accusers: character assassination. Why do we as a society continue to fall for it? It’s so maddening. We can’t say “this isn’t who we are” because it so clearly is.

1037 Recommend

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Charlotte commented December 21

C

Charlotte

New OrleansDec. 21

If they can achieve this level of manipulation in Hollywood, imagine what they can do in politics.

1522 Recommend

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Max O commented December 21

M

Max O

NMDec. 21

Simply: Woman pursues HR steps for sexual harassment. Man feels the need to hire a PR firm to make sure the public doesn’t like her. The more this kind of thing happens the more people fear to speak up. Infuriating.

1497 Recommend

Flag

Prof one commented December 21

P

Prof one

MADec. 21

Not buying the Lively “victim” here. Regardless of her initial complaints on set, which seem legit, Lively’s issues only arose after 1) how she promoted the movie (as a “love story”), 2) the conflict interest surrounding Reynolds script writing (defying a writers strike), and 3) her simultaneous promotion of her other business which was in bad taste. All bad public relations moves that she only has herself to blame . It was only AFTER the public pushback to these her team tries to rehabilitate her image by bringing up prior allegations on set that were 1) addressed to her satisfaction and 2) settled. So, now her team leaks subpoenaed documents, gets major outlets to try to win back support, and has an article written trying to compare it the Depp case as a woman victimized. Please. Be real.

704 Recommend

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Allecram commented December 21

A

Allecram

New York, NYDec. 21

Horrific to read about the harassment Lively went through on the set of a film *about* domestic abuse. The description of men barging into her trailer made my skin crawl, and then the social media abuse on top of that. Now I know why when I watched the movie, I felt a visceral dislike from the start for Mr. Baldoni. Apparently he wasn’t just playing the part of an abuser!

727 Recommend

Flag

Fiona commented December 21

F

Fiona

East CoastDec. 21

I've lived life with a narcissist. It would be second nature for him to star in a film virtue signaling against all of his most intractable faults.

670 Recommend

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Claire commented December 21

C

Claire

USADec. 21

I bought into the smear campaign and I feel silly. I don’t love Ryan Reynolds’s or Taylor Swift, and her proximity to them made me assume she was acting unreasonable. I will be skeptical of any attempt to smear a person with the media in the future - especially if it appears self-serving.

518 Recommend

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Kakashi commented December 21

K

Kakashi

CaliforniaDec. 21

Blake Lively said that working with Woody Allen was “empowering to women”. Her and Ryan got married on a plantation. Being a Black American, and the child to a mother who went through childhood SA, those two things are unforgivably tone deaf at best, and speaks to her poor character. These text messages don’t reveal much concerning the extent of Justin’s direct involvement. It also fails to address Blake’s actions through all of this. Having her own cut of the movie that included her husband rewriting some scenes, and adding a Taylor Swift song speaks more to Blake’s desire for control rather than Justin’s alleged abuse. This entire article can be looked at as something that contributes to Blake’s own smear campaign against Justin. If we’re talking about articles creating a false narrative, this one is tragically ironic.

545 Recommend

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A real sweetheart commented December 21

A

A real sweetheart

CanadaDec. 21

I’m scratching my head over why the reporters mentioned the religion of Baldoni and his pals. There was no context given and their religion seems unrelated to the article. Would the story have noted if they were all Anglican or Jewish? A solid piece from two great reporters. But highlighting somebody’s faith for no reason weirds me out a little.

325 Recommend

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Leslie commented December 21

L

Leslie

New Orleans, LADec. 21

Ms. Nathan wrote to Ms. Abel: “And socials are really really ramping up. In his favour, she must be furious. It’s actually sad because it just shows you have people really want to hate on women.” Women, getting paid to take down other women, and then marveling at how sad it is. Just amazing. Shame on them both.

1718 Recommend

Flag

Greg Smith commented December 21

G

Greg Smith

AustinDec. 21

How many men have had their careers and lives ruined because of allegations by women? And the men, whether guilty or innocent, can never apologize enough to clean their reputations. Come on, now. If you were a person looking ahead to see what would happen to you, what would you do? Stand by and be destroyed? Women are human beings too and they lie,make mistakes, and are vindictive, just like men.

116 Recommend

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Patrick Heron commented December 21

P

Patrick Heron

EugeneDec. 21

My mother, and her 5 siblings were all born and raised in Hollywood during the 1930s through the 1960s. The stories they told us about raunchy Hollywood personalities in those days were outrageous. These 30 and 40 somethings who run Hollywood now proved to be just as sick and depraved as they were back then. Cinema is an art, Hollywood is a business, and a wretched one at that.

192 Recommend

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VA commented December 21

V

VA

NYCDec. 21

I barely know who any of these people are, but I scroll through IG a few minutes every day. A couple months ago, the video of the Blake Lively interview with Kjersti Flaa showed up in my feed. I watched it (I just wanted a few minutes of mindless scrolling) and was disgusted with Blake Lively and then saw all the comments bashing her. I guess I was just one of many suckers for the smear campaign. And now I see the more complete and sordid story. The fact that women were taking down other women, and remarking about how easy it was to do, is reprehensible.

502 Recommend

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In Walked Bud commented December 21

I

In Walked Bud

TokyoDec. 21

One would have to be extremely naive to think that the Ayn Rand-loving Amber Heard didn’t herself hire a PR hit team. There was bad behavior on both sides of that relationship.

92 Recommend

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Art123 commented December 21

A

Art123

GermanyDec. 21

If the election proved anything, it's that not everyone can be buried by scandal.

117 Recommend

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Janet commented December 21

J

Janet

CanadaDec. 21

After reading this article, it struck me that it's pretty shocking, and interesting, that they hired a major PR firm to slander her reputation and all they could essentially come up with was that she was tone deaf. And that the real story appears to be that there was sexual harassment and bullying going on on the set, of which she was a victim. Wow. Just wow.

526 Recommend

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Terri commented December 21

T

Terri

Bethesda, MDDec. 21

Imagine being the kind of person who would make a career out of spreading anonymous falsehoods, innuendo and slander just to harm another person’s reputation. Despicable. It’s so disheartening to see women doing this to other women. How often have we heard a woman described as “difficult to work with” just because she stood up for herself or asked to be paid as much as her male colleague?

637 Recommend

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Ken K commented December 21

K

Ken K

EdmontonDec. 21

However this turns out, imagine being these social media manipulators, looking at yourself in the mirror every day, knowing what kind of work you are doing that day. I couldn't live with myself. But that's the difference I guess between human beings and vultures.

403 Recommend

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Stephen McMaster commented December 21

S

Stephen McMaster

Henrico VADec. 21

Ths is what comes from bros with arrested development being permitted to run a studio and direct movies. It is distressing that there are women out there who are willing to disparage and ruin the career of another woman. These miserable people made two basic mistake, don't pick on someone who is richer, by far, than are you and who can afford the resources necessary to ferret out this type of behavior, and whatever you you do, never ever put this kind of stuff in writing. Their consutant should have made that clear from day one. If they want to settle this before going to court and losing the trial, hand over the keys to the studio, liquify their personal assets to compensate for the lost revenue to Blake Brown, and leave the motion picture and marketing/crisis management/pit bull/gun for hire business. It is also an object lesson in how difficult it can be to be a success in the media. It wouldn't surprise me if the Lively/Reynolds family decides to retire from the media. They have 4 beautiful chldren to raise.

140 Recommend

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R commented December 21

R

R

not USDec. 21

I hope those two women are reading all these comments and report back to Justin how much people abhor him too now. What shameful women truly, they agree that internet loves to hate on women and how sad that is but still participate & encourage it. Jane the virgin cozy rewatch isn't going to besame anymore is it? The part where he texts a Hailey Bieber hate thread and tells his minions - "this is what we need" is enough to tell one that all that women empowerment schitck of his was mere virtue signalling. And the harassment complaint is just....pretty sure the cast and crew can attest to it and truth about whether he is a sexual harasser too will soon come out.

213 Recommend

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Larry Thiel commented December 21

L

Larry Thiel

IowaDec. 21

Good for her. Hope he loses everything.

291 Recommend

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Chaz commented December 21

C

Chaz

AustinDec. 21

Fortunate for Baldoni, Heath, and Nathan that Reynolds is just an actor that portrays Deadpool.

94 Recommend

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M Gregory commented December 21

M

M Gregory

Dharawal country, AustraliaDec. 21

This is like the plot of “Bosch” Season 3 2017.

18 Recommend

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Lori commented December 21

L

Lori

Des Moines,IADec. 21

My teen daughter was strongly influenced by the PR campaigns against both Blake and Amber, which was infuriating to watch because kids don’t always understand nuance. She repeated the narratives outlined in this article. As a victim of workplace harassment, I know how hard it is to speak up. If Blake’s allegations are proven (and they sound pretty damning in this article), I hope she sues the defendants to oblivion.

438 Recommend

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Jennifer Howell commented December 21

J

Jennifer Howell

AZDec. 21

I love strong women that refuse to take the blame for a man’s perversions and instead hold their ground, owning their truth and demanding accountability where it belongs. I hope you get vindicated Blake and that Justin feels the shame he deserves of pretending to be a champion of women at the same time he was trying to ruin one. It’s disgusting. As for me, I knew the minute Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher weren’t following and promoting this man, that something smelled bad as they’re some of the biggest champions of women there are. My heart goes out to all the women we know nothing about that have been the target of such men.

300 Recommend

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John commented December 21

J

John

San FranciscoDec. 21

I’m inclined to the believe the contents of Ms. Lively’s complaint and the narrative in this article. But I’m also not naive enough to believe that Ms. Lively herself hasn’t hired a high-powered public relations firm or representative that helped plant this article and steer its contents. We’ll likely never get a complete picture unless this turns into litigation.

175 Recommend

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Ms. Pea commented December 21

M

Ms. Pea

SeattleDec. 21

The emails seem pretty damning. How can they claim they didn't intend to damage Blake's reputation when the emails seem to indicate that's exactly what their aim was? I suppose some slick lawyer will argue that the emails don't mean what they seem to mean. I don't usually read this celebrity stuff, but for some reason this caught my eye. No one deserves to have their reputation deliberately smeared. Not even a celebrity.

177 Recommend

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Jill C commented December 21

J

Jill C

Hastings, NYDec. 21

I’m so glad to finally see these abusive PR firms exposed for the abuse they subject female actors through for daring to tell the truth against toxic men. I saw right through Johnny Depp’s lies and multi-million dollar hate campaign that destroyed Amber Heard’s life. Not all of us bought in to the expensive, relentless rebrand he concocted with this firm. I am enormously inspired by Blake Lively standing up for herself. She had no reason to make up anything against her much less accomplished coworker. Best of luck to you Ms. Lively - we are out here and we believe you. Sue the sewer pit that is this PR firm too.

229 Recommend

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SteHenm commented December 21

S

SteHenm

Washington, DCDec. 21

Thank you Blake Lively. Thank you New York Times. Your courage and strength just made the world a safer place for women. The hypocrisy and cynicism of these scuzzy men is chilling. To women with public voices: please keep pulling back the curtain.

228 Recommend

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Lynne Foster Shifriss commented December 21

L

Lynne Foster Shifriss

Bloomington, IndianaDec. 21

I would like to hear from Kjersti Flaa and Ms. Nathan as to whether any money or favors were given to Flaa in exchange for her posting the negative interview with Lively.

190 Recommend

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Judy C commented December 21

J

Judy C

SCDec. 21

I recall seeing so much of this on Daily Mail. Knowing the integrity of Daily Mail (which I no longer read), I concluded that it was a hit job on her at the time. Never considered that it was Justin behind it. Shame on him. He’s a hypocrite to the nth degree. No longer will I consider him worth watching in the future. I do give Blake credit for keeping this away from the press so as to build her case against these people. Her integrity should be commended and women will hopefully use her experience as a guideline for future complications.

165 Recommend

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Goodcaptain commented December 21

G

Goodcaptain

UKDec. 21

Just another day in Hollywood. It is no surprise that in that fever pitch world it is other women who are often willing and able to do the dirty work.

43 Recommend

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EGT commented December 21

E

EGT

New YorkDec. 21

Do not insult the public’s intelligence. We expect better due diligence from reporters who broke the Weinstein story for the New York Times. Her credibility and basic comprehension of what is being said to her or asked is scorched earth in resurfaced videos and his is stellar; both years in the making or in her case, unmaking. The timing of her proactive smear campaign beginning in the summer is odd. If anyone has been paying enough attention, his reputation is a fortress against her trumped up accusations at best and those resurfaced interviews of chronic consistent bad behavior. She doesn't know how to read a room or interpret innocent questions without turning them into something they are absolutely not. See interviews. Her actions and priorities to victims of DV was an afterthought in her Instagram stories 4 days later after the premiere and his was the entire point and mission from moment one. And that’s not new of him. That’s his M.O. when he takes on these projects. Blaming Sony months later is flimsy, lame and a poor excuse. If she cared, she would talked about it. Nonetheless, everyone deserves to be heard but this is more likely a slanderous campaign against the one very visible feminist ally, who has dedicated half of his life’s work to amplify women’s voices and detoxify parts of masculinity and open the conversation. Her team needs to be reorganized to say the least and her husband should be prepared for collateral damage.

81 Recommend

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Jacqui commented December 21

J

Jacqui

MichiganDec. 21

So Baldoni's PR used Blake's own bad behavior to smear her and that's lawsuit worthy? They didn't make up that horrible interview or the fact that her and her husband were super entitled and changed the film he was directing. First world problems.

120 Recommend

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Blue Flamingo commented December 21

B

Blue Flamingo

New YorkDec. 21

Important article. Not only does Blake Lively deserve justice, so does Amber Heard

147 Recommend

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SuzyQ55 commented December 21

S

SuzyQ55

Los AngelesDec. 21

It would appear that Mr. Baldoni and his team are pretty well busted. Interesting that Ms. Nathan also ran the highly successful campaign against Amber Heard. At the time I thought bots had to be part of that campaign. Based on how successful she is at smearing other women, I wouldn't believe a word that comes out of her mouth. Now we have written exchanges to prove just how dirty how dirty the whole business is.

166 Recommend

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Rob commented December 21

R

Rob

CADec. 21

I don't know who to believe. I am inclined to believe Ms. Lively, but it is difficult when she chose to promote her movie about intimate partner violence without addressing the violence at all, and instead promoted it with "grab your besties, wear your florals, buy my new hair care products, come see my movie".

107 Recommend

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chezjim commented December 21

c

chezjim

North Hollywood, CADec. 21

Of course, what's REALLY shocking here is that anyone still puts this sort of thing in writing at all. Like text chains have NEVER been revealed before. Seriously?

97 Recommend

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Livestock Sold with the Farm commented December 21

L

Livestock Sold with the Farm

SyracuseDec. 21

She should hire private detectives to follow the children and families of those men as well as the PR woman. Get the dirt in their families, ruin their lives. See how Wayfarer and the PR executives like the same things done to their loved ones.

18 Recommend

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Achilles commented December 21

Achilles

Achilles

ThessalyDec. 21

wow, just wow. This just shows you want a swamp of narcissists Hollywood is. Lively has always rubbed me the wrong way - my opinion here doesn't really change much - but Baldoni, boy, he comes out of this looking really bad. Of course, should be be surprised that this gaggle of marginally educated, mostly poorly raised miscreants are all now trying to tear each other down?

50 Recommend

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Frank commented December 21

F

Frank

New YorkDec. 21

Mr. Baldoni, by contrast, emerged largely unscathed. This month, he was honored at a star-studded event celebrating men who “elevate women, combat gender-based violence and promote gender equality worldwide.” Of course. Hollywood is a cess pit.

74 Recommend

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Adele commented December 21

A

Adele

MontrealDec. 21

I'd be more interested in The New York Times finding out exactly what was done to Amber Heard, but I guess with no lawsuit, there's no discovery to get text messages like this. I believe Blake Lively was targeted by this creep, but she's also such a jerk that it's hard to feel bad for her. No celebrity actor is owed a successful hair care company, and the terrible taste it takes to try and tie your hair care brand to a movie about domestic violence is beyond the pale. And she was very rude to that reporter. Boldoni's PR team may have influenced the reporter to release the video, but that was her choice to behave that way, on camera no less. Lotta creeps in this scenario.

103 Recommend

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A in commented December 21

A

A in

SeattleDec. 21

Everyone involved sounds terrible. Blake could use her wealth and influence to do good in the world rather than start hair care lines and tacky booze companies. The men involved should get a clue. The PR firms- gross. How do you all live with yourselves? To everyone in Hollywood- stop being such disgusting people or at the very least make some movies that are actually watchable.

83 Recommend

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Julia commented December 21

J

Julia

New YorkDec. 21

"Ms. Nathan wrote to Ms. Abel: “And socials are really really ramping up. In his favour, she must be furious. It’s actually sad because it just shows you have people really want to hate on women.” " And there you have it. People just really want to hate on women. The truly ugly misogynistic truth of life in America.

156 Recommend

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Mel Farrell commented December 21

M

Mel Farrell

New YorkDec. 21

Justin Baldoni and Jamie Heath are typical of the male dominated mindset in Hollywood - self-serving wholly unattractive creatures, bereft of any smidgen of decency, believing money, and the power it buys, can allow them to do whatever they wish, to whomever. Not anymore; these lowlifes and their kind are finding it more and more difficult to hide who they really are. Ms. Lively knows what she is doing; I wish her every success in her takedown of these two bums, and those who seek to protect them.

90 Recommend

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Ridgeley commented December 21

R

Ridgeley

Los AngelesDec. 21

Women denigrating other women, makes no sense. Thank you Blake Lively for not sitting back and just taking it, thank you NYT for the investigation and publication.

94 Recommend

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BLine commented December 21

B

BLine

Lake Orion, MIDec. 21

To me, the fact that Ms. Lively had to have a meeting during the filming to outline these requests trumps all. The document is included in her lawsuit. Among other things she requested: 1) no more showing nude videos or images of women to BL; 2) no more mention of Baldoni's and Heath's previous pornography addiction to BL; 3) no more descriptions of their own genitals to BL; 4) no more pressing by Baldoni for BL to disclose her religious beliefs or unsolicited sharing of his. The list has 11 items altogether that give a good representation about how awful it must have been on this movie set. And then for them to try to make her the one who is a problem?

252 Recommend

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Cooper commented December 21

C

Cooper

USADec. 21

I hope Ms. Lively does lasting damage to the team that orchestrated this, perhaps Amber Heard will get her day too.

210 Recommend

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Ohio commented December 21

O

Ohio

OHDec. 21

Everyone knows Blake Lively but who the heck is Baldoni? How does he expect to bury Lively when we don’t even know who he is? Good luck getting female stars to be in your movies.

146 Recommend

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Bodhisattva commented December 21

B

Bodhisattva

New MexicoDec. 21

Welcome, ladies, to the brave new world brought to you by all the misogynist threatened by empowered women. Ms Lively refused to be bullied and violated and a couple of bros decided she should pay for it. I'm not surprised they Depp's smear team. Watching Depp pass candies to his attorney and slyly smiling at the courtroom cameras was enough to tell me something was a foot. Same with Baldoni proclaiming to be a great supporter of women. It's akin to people who constantly talk about all the great sex they're having; if you're doing a lot of talking, you're likely not doing a lot of "doing."

157 Recommend

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Janet Miller commented December 21

J

Janet Miller

MichiganDec. 21

Yuck, as to all of them. This is all very seedy, manipulative and gross. Blake Lively has real issues (she literally had a wedding at a plantation), reeks of entitlement but really there are likely so many other Hollywood types just like her. This Justin person sounds similarly entitled but much more manipulative and very, very creepy. They both sound awful but he sounds worse.

89 Recommend

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Phryne commented December 21

P

Phryne

USADec. 21

I’m out of the social media world (such a counterfeit to make us “feel connected” to our loved ones — simultaneously scratches and feeds an itch to feel close to others, all the while keeping us physically distant) and hate the advertisements and click-bait headlines which accompany staying “caught up” with people I actually know. So all that to say, I had no idea any of this was stirring. Seeing it all from the back end, though, and having practically no knowledge of either major player Baldoni or Lively, makes me all the more opposed to social media as a way to collect information and to be influenced. If a PR firm can engineer this kind of destruction in a year for one person ‘just because,’ what other engineering are any of us undergoing without realizing it? What a hateful, spiteful PR firm this is. I read the complaint filed, and sympathize completely with Lively for the trauma and anxiety she documents. My impulse is to say “cancel Baldoni,” but I don’t actually believe in cancel culture — that’s the whole issue with what he did. Maybe just “cancel PR firms” and “cancel social media.” Ha! But how do you socially influence 25 million people to stop being socially influenced?! All my best to Lively and her family.

48 Recommend

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Kirsten N. commented December 21

K

Kirsten N.

CaliforniaDec. 21

Very disturbing how we the public is manipulated, but no surprise! These men are sleazy and believe their own greatness. I will make sure I never watch that movie.

66 Recommend

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Kenna R. commented December 21

K

Kenna R.

Washington, DCDec. 21

This is both disgusting and painful to read, but such powerful, incredibly important investigative journalism. Thank you NYT and Megan Twohey for the work you continue to do in this subject. #BELIEVEWOMEN

156 Recommend

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Vyann commented December 21

V

Vyann

EtemeDec. 21

This is immensely disappointing. As someone who grew up watching Justin Baldoni on "Jane the Virgin," avidly admiring is strides to defy tropes of "toxic masculinity,"and uplift women as an "ally," I am disgusted by this discovery. I'm not a major Blake Lively fan, nor I have I loved some of the things I've seen about her over the years in the news, but this article definitely proves that she was harassed, mistreated, and targeted by a pair of incredibly insecure, insincere, and cowardly men. Not to mention the team of ruthless PR "specialists" who essentially have proven that they have no moral compass whatsoever. I hope she gets the justice and peace that she deserves

149 Recommend

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Chester commented December 21

C

Chester

New OrleansDec. 21

This is first-rate reporting. It is journalism that reveals a truth that the public needs to know. To attempt to bury someone because she defended herself and her right not to be abused is simply as low as it gets.

140 Recommend

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Gata28 commented December 21

G

Gata28

West CoastDec. 21

The two PR women sound like absolutely terrible people. Yikes.

160 Recommend

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Joel commented December 21

J

Joel

MichiganDec. 21

After reading this article and then noting all the comments below that excoriate Baldoni and champion Lively, it occurs to me to wonder how many of them might be crafted by a crisis PR firm Lively hired to rehabilitate her own reputation.

83 Recommend

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MS commented December 21

M

MS

MassachusettsDec. 21

I was duped. I owe Blake Lively an apology.

112 Recommend

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Lee commented December 21

L

Lee

CanadaDec. 21

“That’s why you hired me right?” Ms. Nathan replied. “I’m the best.” Oh no dear, not really. Nathan expressed concern about putting her machinations in writing, while putting them in writing. What exactly does she think texting is?

98 Recommend

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EP commented December 21

E

EP

UtahDec. 21

As a man, I can comfortably say that men are disgusting. I hope these guys never work again.

104 Recommend

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Alex commented December 21

A

Alex

New MexicoDec. 21

Don’t believe everything you read. We don’t know anything except what she said and he said and what publicists say. Truth is somewhere in the middle.

57 Recommend

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Rita commented December 21

R

Rita

PlacesDec. 21

The only person to destroy Blake Lively’s image was Blake Lively herself. Her rudeness in the Kjersti Flaa interview sealed public perception of her (ignoring the interviewer and freezing her out of the conversation, while she was right there). Everyone could see it for what it was – mean girl bullying behavior. Her plantation wedding didn’t help her image either.

83 Recommend

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CFXK commented December 21

C

CFXK

NHDec. 21

Why do I feel like I'm reading about a a bunch of middle schoolers?

63 Recommend

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mh commented December 21

m

mh

MidwestDec. 21

Justin Baldoni etc. smear campaign backfired spectacularly.

42 Recommend

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melissa commented December 21

m

melissa

hawaiiDec. 21

Seriously? She is a much bigger star than he and her husband, Ryan Reynolds is a big star in blockbusters and has reqped hundreds of millions if not a billion from his cell phone venture. Methinx this is an engineered story as well

46 Recommend

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Bud McIntyre commented December 21

Bud McIntyre

Bud McIntyre

UtahDec. 21

Further proof of how fetid the Internet can be. Professional poison pen manipulators have companies designed to “bury” people.

31 Recommend

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Chuck Connell commented December 21

C

Chuck Connell

Bedford MADec. 21

Without knowing any of these people, I am inclined to believe Blake Lively's version of events. Why? She and her husband are very rich, successful, and on the Hollywood A List. She didn't even need this job. It makes no sense for her to invent falsehoods.

66 Recommend

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Madeleine commented December 21

M

Madeleine

EagleVail, ColoradoDec. 21

The absolute power of a well-funded, amoral campaign is absolutely chilling.

61 Recommend

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Frank commented December 21

F

Frank

New YorkDec. 21

Remember the smear campaign against Amber Heard? It was one of the most awful "blame the victim" efforts ever. Truly disgusting and now we can see that it had Melissa Nathan's fingerprints all over it.

119 Recommend

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Amanda commented December 21

A

Amanda

LongDec. 21

Thank the goddesses for Megan Twohey!

49 Recommend

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Independents commented December 21

I

Independents

USADec. 21

Everyone lives Blake Lively. Good luck with that

4 Recommend

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Rebecca Morrison commented December 21

R

Rebecca Morrison

ConnecticutDec. 21

Thank you, Blake, for your courage in exposing the sickening hypocrisy of men like Baldoni, who exploit the guise of being ‘allies’ to manipulate, silence, and harm women. I hope Amber Heard finds justice as well—enough of this systemic silencing. And thank you to the journalists behind this article for shedding light on these vile tactics and giving women like Blake a platform to speak the truth.

76 Recommend

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Polar Fleece Fog commented December 21

P

Polar Fleece Fog

TorontoDec. 21

Their smear campaign didn’t work on me! He gave off sketchy vibes, I’ve never understood the animosity towards her.

61 Recommend

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Abnyc commented December 21

A

Abnyc

UptownDec. 21

Same PR firm that represented Johnny Depp huh? Interesting. Also interesting, the comment that people are ready to hate on a woman.

76 Recommend

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Robert Sieviec commented December 21

R

Robert Sieviec

Burlington, VTDec. 21

Well from now on whenever a film comes out with Blake Lively in it I'll make sure and see it, especially if she has producer/co-producer credits. I can't write what I think about Baldoni, Heath and company but I think it goes without saying that all of them are/were less than candid and honorable and hypocritical to boot. Can't do anything about using her hair products (I'm just a scissor-cut sort of guy) but if any of her clients our there are listening BUY MORE OF THEM!

35 Recommend

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MH007 commented December 21

M

MH007

In the woods, CTDec. 21

It's ridiculous that these jobs even exist.

39 Recommend

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Kristin H commented December 21

K

Kristin H

New York, NYDec. 21

So disgusting. I hope Mr Baldoni's career suffers as a result of his despicable actions. It makes me sick that people devote their lives to "bringing down" women who have been abused and are strong enough to speak out. I hope karma comes for them in the long term, as well as the legal system. I was married to an abusive man, and this is right out of the abuser playbook--cover up your abuse with more abuse.

66 Recommend

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hop sing commented December 21

h

hop sing

SF, californiaDec. 21

Does anyone not think this is business as usual in the US entertainment racket?

31 Recommend

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Ashley commented December 21

A

Ashley

NYCDec. 21

The most grotesque part of this deeply upsetting story is the way this was done to a woman BY women (Nathan, Abel, best in the biz, according to herself!) who knew it was wrong. Women: we are so much better than this (aren’t we?)

84 Recommend

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Peter D. commented December 21

P

Peter D.

PortlandDec. 21

And their smear campaign seems to be continuing as we speak. Just look at the comments on his Instagram posts. People are delusional or easily manipulated. Just sickening.

47 Recommend

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BBerton commented December 21

B

BBerton

Portland ORDec. 21

I was pretty much forced to work with dozens if not hundreds of 'publicist' types over my 30-some years as a (mostly) business reporter. Not a shred of decency among them. Nothing more than professional liars-for-hire.

55 Recommend

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Jonathan commented December 21

J

Jonathan

SeattleDec. 21

This is going to make a heck of a movie script. Hope she wins multiple Oscars for it.

33 Recommend

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K commented December 21

K

K

DCDec. 21

I’m curious about a couple things this piece doesn’t detail: how did The Times obtain these subpoenaed documents? It says some were disclosed in a legal filing, but not all. And how was Lively able to produce her own cut of a film she didn’t direct or edit, including at least one scene rewritten by her husband? I think there is a more interesting business/creative dispute story behind all of this. But Lively is as cutthroat as Baldoni, and because Baldoni didn’t keep his own side of the street clean either, she is able to leverage this version of the story to try and recover her reputation. I just wish The Times had looked a bit deeper than one side of document discovery.

108 Recommend

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Morgan commented December 21

M

Morgan

Alberta, CanadaDec. 21

I remember the whole Depp and was very suspicious. Well these guys got a whole lot of money, so no surprise. I guess #Metoo movement was probably buried the same way. No wonder Hollywood movies are so incredibly lame and boring. Now I got a great reason to see even less of them.

34 Recommend

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Amy bown commented December 21

A

Amy bown

RochesterDec. 21

While I usually believe the woman, I would be skeptical of Lively's claims against Baldoni. He has had a sterling reputation with his female co-stars before this (even officiating at Gina Roderiguez' wedding). There were intimacy coordinators on set, and the crew has supported Baldoni. Lively, on the other hand, has a longstanding reputation of feuding with co-stars. The point is these are celebrities who have ulterior motives to save their reputations and their multimillion dollar careers. Baldoni's big mistake may gave been in hiring Depp's vile PR hit squad, who were able to smear Heard despite Depp being proven as an abuser in the UK. (In that case, I believed the woman.) Or maybe he's a creep and she's a narcissist, and they brought out the worst in each other, just like in the Depp case. Who knows?

63 Recommend

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LLRS commented December 21

L

LLRS

CaliforniaDec. 21

Seems the men used suggestion and gender bias to manipulate opinion about Lively. When did collaboration with one’s spouse become a weakness?

39 Recommend

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Will Hogan commented December 21

W

Will Hogan

WashingtonDec. 21

Social media is just an unhealthy non-accurate gossip mill. The fact that we are stuck with it makes our lives worse.

36 Recommend

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Clare commented December 21

C

Clare

The WestDec. 21

This….industry… Being off any social media, this is the first I have heard of any of this. When their days are done, the attention economy manipulators and influencers will have little to show for all these efforts. But I look forward to Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit.

27 Recommend

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Kayel commented December 21

K

Kayel

Washington, DCDec. 21

“ALL Press is so overwhelming. We’ve confused people. So much mixed messaging. It’s actually really funny if you think about it.” Yeah, haha, so funny. Many of us saw through it and weren’t confused. We may not have known the extent of the campaign, but the you aren’t that clever.

29 Recommend

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Sonia commented December 21

S

Sonia

EarthDec. 21

I don't care about the alleged smear campaign. Blake did enough on her own to sink public opinion of her. But if Mr. Baldoni and others sexually harassed her in the workplace she deserves justice. Yes, even unsympathetic victims deserve justice.

61 Recommend

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Geo Van commented December 21

Geo Van

Geo Van

VancouverDec. 21

I hope that there is a follow up article describing how the offending parties were found.

8 Recommend

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Tabi S commented December 21

T

Tabi S

Nashville, TNDec. 21

It’s depressing to see that the mastermind of the most impressive smear campaign I’ve seen in a long time was a woman. I don’t understand how a woman could write these kinds of things about another woman, another professional like her in a male dominated field, and be able to sleep at night. Chills.

74 Recommend

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George commented December 21

G

George

CobourgDec. 21

It's hard to separate what "normally" goes on in the film, from what is considered "objectionable". It all sounds pretty objectionable to me!

20 Recommend

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J W commented December 21

J

J W

CADec. 21

One thing that is truly tragic and disgusting is how these PR people spend their lives weaponizing social media and other tools. It may seem exhilarating to them to take down people, but what a terrible way to focus your energy in life. Also, it’s clear that for all the artistry Hollywood claims to pursue, it’s really just about power, influence, and money. No surprise.

84 Recommend

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Eileen Neill commented December 21

E

Eileen Neill

Los AngelesDec. 21

What I found most reprehensible in this article was the girl on girl hate from the PR team of Abel and Nichols towards Ms. Lively on top of the behavior of the obviously guilty director. Women should always support each other in circumstances that involve sexual discrimination or abuse.

96 Recommend

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Cristin commented December 21

C

Cristin

ColoradoDec. 21

Wow. Blake is a hero. I'm so excited to see her star rise even more after this. Those two women who were hired to take her down are no better morally than hired assassins. I hope this ruins them.

131 Recommend

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Dave commented December 21

D

Dave

BrooklynDec. 21

Hey, nothing personal, it's just business. On both sides.

14 Recommend

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JC commented December 21

J

JC

DallasDec. 21

This is why celebrity culture is losing steam to more authentic content creators. We are fatigued by rich-people problems. This is an ego war led by amoral, greedy low lives who are all too willing to trade ethics and humanity for money and access to fame. No wonder it’s the same people behind the Depp/Heard trial. Life is too short to be that gross.

36 Recommend

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Frea commented December 21

F

Frea

MelbourneDec. 21

I think the accusers already have a smear machine going for them, with the news media which often crucifies celebrities accused of any sexual misconduct. So it’s sort of deceptive to say the other side has a smear machine! The accusers already have their one!

10 Recommend

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Neena commented December 21

N

Neena

BostonDec. 21

Holy cow! Sickening behavior by men who portrayed themselves as allies to women. This seems to happen whenever even a powerful woman stands up for herself. When will it end?

123 Recommend

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El Jefe commented December 21

E

El Jefe

BostonDec. 21

Shocking to hear this movie made money. Couldn’t watch more than 10 minutes of it. The dialogue is asinine, characters cringeworthy. Baldoni’s script depicts a bro-centric view of female behavior, which makes Lively’s allegations all the more plausible. And what’s the worst she’s done? Get testy with an interviewer? Those trying to claim some false equivalence with the allegations of what amounts to sexual assault by Baldoni are only playing into his narrative. That he orchestrated a smear campaign against her because her husband unfollowed him on IG looks like a tacit admission of guilt. Her only mistake was agreeing to work with this D-list group based on a preposterous script.

118 Recommend

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Dennis Martin commented December 21

D

Dennis Martin

Tolland, CTDec. 21

I believe Blake.

144 Recommend

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jordan commented December 21

j

jordan

houston, txDec. 21

this is very disturbing information but blake has also had problems on most of the sets she works on. her haircare line also was garbage quality which is why the sales dropped so drastically once people started using it. i am sure their work definitely increased the online frenzy but i think they were ultimately very lucky like they said because of blake's racist past and long trail of unlikeable behaviour. i do wonder if baldoni will face a more intense scrutiny if it does play out in court

37 Recommend

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JT Sawyer commented December 21

J

JT Sawyer

Madison, WIDec. 21

Misogyny in the digital age. Hiding behind ‘anonymous’ posts, amplifying negative content, misrepresenting past interviews, and outright lies. The male ego is a frighteningly fragile thing and a coordinated campaign like this highlights just how dangerous that can be. Nothing so dangerous as a woman scorned? Check out the misogynist rebuffed.

150 Recommend

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AJD commented December 21

A

AJD

BrooklynDec. 21

Well, I hope this article buries the director and the PR firms that led this coordinated attack to manipulate public opinion

168 Recommend

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lizzie commented December 21

l

lizzie

nycDec. 21

We all need to get off social media. It's so manipulatable. These awful PR execs and Hollywood power players may have wanted to bury her but they couldn't have done so without hundreds of thousands - maybe millions - of ordinary people, with every "like" and "share" and click, shoveling some dirt.

112 Recommend

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Lee commented December 21

L

Lee

CaliforniaDec. 21

Interesting that the PR firm is owned by Scooter Braun, Taylor Swift's nemesis, given that Taylor and Blake are friends.

118 Recommend

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BabbleFish commented December 21

B

BabbleFish

OregonDec. 21

We can bury anyone? You make the world a worse place for everyone, even yourself as you surrender pieces of your humanity and soul for power and wealth. If the goal is to be a soulless husk wandering around a palace you are doing all the right things. As Epicurus said 2,300 years ago, the person who cannot be happy with enough will never be satisfied by more.

107 Recommend

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Austin commented December 21

A

Austin

NYCDec. 21

Most disappointing here is the fact that two women are part of the masterminding group behjnd this smear campaign, all the while apparently aware of the misogyny driving attacks against women. Yet they are more than happy to utilize it to earn their huge paychecks and maintain their reputations.

125 Recommend

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Suzanne commented December 21

S

Suzanne

CaliforniaDec. 21

Men deliberately lying and shaming a star for standing up for herself and registering complaints against men’s salacious offensive behavior. Misogyny is a deeply pervasive persistent problem, in Hollywood, everywhere. And this story only proves how right, and much needed, MeToo still is. Kudos to Ms. Lively for being so strong and standing up for herself, over and over. Hope Baldoni ends up in the dustbin of has-beens.

116 Recommend

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bdesign commented December 21

b

bdesign

ManhattanDec. 21

Let's not lose sight of the fact that the primary architects of this smear campaign were WOMEN. So many 'mean girls' are completely able to participate in this type of activity while simultaneously complaining about the actions of men. It's sad because the PR/crisis management biz is full of them. As women we should do better and have some integrity in the business we participate in. The old adage about throwing stones while living in a glass house rings true.

70 Recommend

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Marie commented December 21

M

Marie

OaklandDec. 21

Even before PR firms women usually lost, think Lewinsky, and Hill. This is not new. Ironic though, that the movie was about overcoming domestic violence, and the director signaled out the main actress in his movie and essentially abused her. Also that his image is perfectly fine now. I remember when the Depp trial was going on I tried to convince my then 3 teens that maybe Depp was an abuser. They would not budge. I was in tears. It seemed so horrible what Amber faced, and even the feminist teenagers sided with a (to me) creepy Depp.

72 Recommend

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Larryr commented December 21

L

Larryr

Redding, CADec. 21

This article shows a plot to smear Blake Lively. Having been a fan since Gossip Girl, I have always been impressed with her work ethic and the use of her voice (and pocketbook) in advocating for issues of injustice. It telling that the cast and writer of the material stood by Blake while shunning Justin as he tried to "take Blake down". I had hoped that this ugly tabloid flavored episode was over, but certainly do not blame Blake for standing up for her rights!

58 Recommend

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Raincoaster commented December 21

R

Raincoaster

Vancouver, B.C.Dec. 21

I'm so taken aback by how sympathetic this piece is to Blake Lively. True, she had concerns about the unsafe set behaviour -- and according to this story, they were addressed to her satisfaction. However, a lot of the negative online publicity for her DID stem from how tone-deaf she was. This story doesn't even mention her Instagram post about (paraphrasing) donning your best florals and seeing this movie with your girlfriends -- this, for a movie about domestic abuse. And, imagine working with her and having her bring in her famous husband to add lines to, and recut the movie. What a nightmare diva. As an onlooker I feel like there's wrong on both sides, but there's no way BL is as innocent as this story would have you believe.

100 Recommend

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Christina Ramón commented December 21

C

Christina Ramón

ChicagoDec. 21

The clubbish, tribal behavior is what scares me most. I like Steve Sarowitz and his goals for Wayfarer but any groupthink and any exclusionary behavior…it reeks. It’s dangerous. It is unnatural for people to be in lock-step with each other on beliefs and opinions - it’s impossible - unless there’s some kind of dogma or agenda.

10 Recommend

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lmr commented December 21

l

lmr

los angelesDec. 21

To want her "buried.." To "bury" her. This was said about a woman with a long-standing career who delivered the emotional performance at the heart of the film, who is also a mother and was breastfeeding at set while shooting a portion of the film; the sheer ugliness of that... that basic decency was not granted Ms. Lively and her fellow cast (who also notably unfollowed Baldoni and refused to do press photos with him at the time of the film's release), the malignant performative allyship; and that Sony, when given the choice to use Blake's cut, did so, and that on a pure art/business level, she was right, and Baldoni profited from that... Applauding Ms. Lively's strength in standing up to the ruthlessness of Baldoni and Tag PR. (The funding of Tag PR/Melissa Nathan by Scooter Braun is also notable).

88 Recommend

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Possible worlds commented December 21

P

Possible worlds

PossibledDec. 21

As a man who, through the generosity of forgiving teachers, learned that Feminism offers some of the most profound social critique of our contemporary lives, I’m disgusted by this (yet again, very common) scenario, but not surprised. Controlling male, insecure personalities, threatened by Feminist criticism, seek to twist it into a tool of abuse. Its a shame they can’t see the humanity of their sisters, daughters, mothers, and how, as men, living the hard truths of Feminism liberates them too.

45 Recommend

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Chris G. commented December 21

C

Chris G.

Tewksbury Township, NJDec. 21

This makes a lot of sense. Thought the backlash in August was a bitter over the top. The Kjersti Flaa interview didn't show Ms. Lively in the best light, but the timing did feel a bit fishy (yes, that's self-serving of me to say now, but I'm being honest). Let this be a lesson for people not to engage in online mobs. Always reflect on how the media may be manipulating you into hating someone.

38 Recommend

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Kevin C commented December 21

K

Kevin C

Portland, ORDec. 21

From People magazine: The complaint, which is a precursor to filing a discrimination lawsuit in California, states there was a meeting held to address Baldoni's alleged actions and "the hostile work environment that had nearly derailed production." It was attended by various figures, including Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds. Some of the demands that were addressed included safeguards such as a full-time intimacy coordinator, "no more showing nude videos or images of women to Blake, no more mention of Baldoni's alleged previous 'pornography addiction,' no more discussions about sexual conquests in front of Blake and others, no further mentions of cast and crew's genitalia, no more inquiries about Blake's weight, and no further mention of Blake's dead father." "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," were other requests the complaint alleges that Baldoni and the other filmmakers agreed to.

56 Recommend

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Karen commented December 21

K

Karen

PennsylvaniaDec. 21

This was an obvious campaign and now I know why. I hope revealing this will discourage targeting others in this way.

33 Recommend

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Bruce commented December 21

Bruce

Bruce

TorontoDec. 21

The activities and manipulation outlined in this article are at the "retail" level of deceit. Imagine the alteration of public opinion that occurs when the full weight of Russian and Chinese media manipulation is focussed on a presidential candidate. Perhaps we are experiencing this now.

43 Recommend

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Denise commented December 21

D

Denise

IllinoisDec. 21

Please remember that all of this is brought on by men behaving badly. All women want is to be left alone. It's a sad state of affairs when we can't do our jobs without unwanted advances and intrusions and then pay for it with our reputations. Unfortunately, that's far from the worst that can happen to women. Why in the world don't people believe women and protect them better? Because the very men who should who are in government are busy hurting them and doing the same or don't care.

53 Recommend

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Cee commented December 21

C

Cee

FloridaDec. 21

No surprise how Hollywood PR can spread false and vile stories especially about women and be believed. Look at what happened with Pitt and Jolie. He was the abuser but portrayed as a victim. Look at Amber Heatd. She may not have been perfect but neither was Depp but who got all the negative press. No wonder many stars want out of Hollywood .

29 Recommend

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RQ commented December 21

R

RQ

CaDec. 21

“Mr. Baldoni, by contrast, emerged largely unscathed. This month, he was honored at a star-studded event celebrating men who “elevate women, combat gender-based violence and promote gender equality worldwide.” Who nominated him for this? Melissa Nathan should be super proud of herself.

40 Recommend

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Simon UK commented December 21

S

Simon UK

BostonDec. 21

Great article! This is a good piece of analysis on how people can manipulate the public narrative on a person or issue. It's sad that people allow themselves to be manipulated. Too few people actually even read beyond headlines when forming an opinion on a subject, and even fewer ask themselves why the article is being written or published at that time.

26 Recommend

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Claire commented December 21

C

Claire

USADec. 21

I started having a negative opinion of Blake Lively myself this summer. For no reason! Now I know I was being influenced especially by the clip of the reporter asking her about her baby bump. It was relentless. I feel badly now and will do better. We all need to look at our own misogyny. Especially women.

67 Recommend

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mike commented December 21

m

mike

San FranciscoDec. 21

Sounds like a snippy, celebrity dust-up (with plenty of behind the scenes back-stabbing & fake smiles). And of course, social media and the throngs who are slave to it... are at the center of the tawdry episode.

10 Recommend

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JaneBee commented December 21

J

JaneBee

Den HaagDec. 21

If this happened to Blake Lively from within her enormous cocoon of privilege, I can only imagine what else would have occurred to a lesser known, less powerful actress. To those of you dismissing this as 'Hollywood power games' and PR wars, the evidence supports that Ms Lively was subjected to sexual harassment in the workplace - where just like every other workplace, she had a right to safety. This is not okay. Good for her. I hope Ms Lively has engaged Taylor's lawyer from the latter's own similar suit against the disgusting radio DJ groping incident.

60 Recommend

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Jen commented December 21

J

Jen

San FranciscoDec. 21

Massive implications for women and people everywhere. If this is how easy it was to take down an extremely well-known and successful/well-resourced woman in power, can you imagine how easy it is to take down a new congresswoman, or founder of a company, or sexual assault defendant of a high profile trial? We need to ask ourselves why we are all so quick to believe a negative or salacious story about a woman— especially one in power. Why we delight in a takedown and click and read more and spread the story and celebrate a woman’s fall from grace. Critically, we need more protections and policy aimed at stopping this kind of cyberattack— which one can easily imagine being used for nefarious social, political and economic agendas from far more powerful people than the extremely pathetic Justin Baldoni and having far broader impact than just Hollywood reputations. If it’s happening here, imagine all the other places it’s already happening. Market manipulation. Elections. Legal proceedings. Call your representatives and demand better policy and justice in these cases.

41 Recommend

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JJ commented December 21

J

JJ

MidwestDec. 21

Kudos to the reporters and editors behind this piece and kudos to Blake Lively for taking a stand. As someone who did not follow the Depp case at all, but who has worked deeply with domestic violence situations, I always believed Amber Heard. What was shocking to me was how many feminists and liberal friends didn’t. I hope Blake Lively’s deep Deadpool pockets (an inside joke Ryan Reynolds deploys frequently on his show Welcome to Wrexham) and billionaire friends (never forget Swift’s lawsuit against a groper) help her fight the good fight and teach all of us a lesson on media consumption. And may history be corrected when it comes to Depp (a likely criminal abuser) and Heard.

38 Recommend

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Lily G commented December 21

L

Lily G

MarylandDec. 21

I'd recommend that high schoolers read this piece to understand how information can be so easily manipulated. (Go Blake!)

49 Recommend

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Casual Observer commented December 21

C

Casual Observer

Los AngelesDec. 21

The gossip columnists since Hearst was so powerful have been as slanderous as the people described here. The power of money has prevented law suits that could have moderated the outright lies for a very long time. It's one thing to express one's worst feelings but another to just spread lies with the deliberate purpose of slander, which is what these people are doing. Look up the legal definition of slander.

12 Recommend

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Kathryn commented December 21

K

Kathryn

ColoradoDec. 21

I remember noticing these articles and wondering what made some unknown Scandinavian reporter repost a 2016 interview, and thinking that I couldn't believe all the negative publicity about Blake Lively who is about as non-controversial a figure as there is. Now learning that these creepy guys were watching her unclothed and trying to add nudity, while posing as allies to women, and then deliberately and secretively trying to ruin her reputation in order to take the focus off themselves, it's beyond belief. I hope popular opinion buries these two guys, and their hired PR guns. Those PR women should be ashamed of themselves. What an awful way to make a living. Not too pleased to learn my opinion of Johnny Depp has also been manipulated by the way.

46 Recommend

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Sjsocon commented December 21

S

Sjsocon

VADec. 21

This story points out a lot of strange vindictive people but none of them are Blake Lively. Look at the depths all these desperate people went to smear an actress who was just asking her co-workers to respect her! The women who were paid to ruin Blake, says more about them and they both should be embarrassed at how money was more important to them, then their ethics. Sometimes people behave like they were raised by wolves. And that applies to this entire group who tried to smear Blake Lively.

33 Recommend

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Keith commented December 21

K

Keith

Los AngelesDec. 21

The miracles of science and technology deployed to magnify old-time character assassination, slander, and crimes, in this instance against a woman, although plainly it can be turned on men, too, on anybody somebody wants to ruin. It is bound to heat up, too, what I'm beginning to suspect may be another battle between the sexes--who do not appear to be on the same page anymore about a lot of things--in this nation. What a wonderful world.

5 Recommend

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Sonya commented December 21

S

Sonya

HKDec. 21

My mind is all over the place. I ignored negative posts or videos about BL as they quoted the same old old stories. Nobody is perfect I thought. However, I was liking his interviews when he spoke of the movie or anything else. He was well prepared. I do not think any campaign was even needed as her own words did not help her. I think to protect himself by hiring a PR manager with such a skill set looks like JB was overreacting and afraid. Well, it did not help him. The texts between his team sound really bad. A while back I heard BL speak about abuse of children. Impressive. But still why everyone jumps to conclusions again just like it was with the negative press towards BL? What are the facts? We do not know what really happened on set. One side of the story again. I like that women set boundaries. But what if she overdoes it this time? I wish they would just meet and talk it out and work on big problems using their vast resourses.

8 Recommend

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JW commented December 21

J

JW

MinneapolisDec. 21

This is absolutely wild. This information seems well researched and supported, so assuming it’s true until proven otherwise, it’s scary what a few PR teams can do to manipulate public sentiment.

116 Recommend

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Ruth commented December 21

R

Ruth

TorontoDec. 21

Interesting and educational but also so sad. Another reason I wish we could turn back the clock to that time before the Internet exploded.

48 Recommend

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Kris commented December 21

K

Kris

New JerseyDec. 21

So if Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, with all of their resources, can be subjected to this, what chance does an average person have if they were to be subjected to a smear campaign. This reminds me a bit about the concerted effort made to destroy Christine Blasey Ford after she spoke up regarding Brett Kavanaugh.

319 Recommend

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M-in-Vegas commented December 21

M

M-in-Vegas

Las Vegas, NVDec. 21

100% of film sets now have an Intamacy Coordinator if there's a sex scene (or a shower scene, or anything remotely intimate). The fact that she had to request one on this set is really all one needs to know. Baldoni chose to eschew standard practice, and is now getting sued for it. Good.

119 Recommend

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Christine commented December 21

C

Christine

KentuckyDec. 21

Great article. To Mr. Baldoni, Mr. Heath, Ms. Nathan and Ms. Abel: This is what you did to Blake Lively, and this is where you are now- My enemies have set a trap for me. I am weary from distress. They have dug a deep pit in my path, but they themselves have fallen into it. Psalms 57:6-7

50 Recommend

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Sruli Fruchter commented December 21

S

Sruli Fruchter

New York, NYDec. 21

I don’t really know Blake Lively, nor am I familiar with the Colleen Hoover franchise. What I do know is that victimizing women and then orchestrating vicious campaigns against them for speaking out is unconscionable. This is the most important story to read today. It’s a blessing that the NYT reported it so thoroughly.

118 Recommend

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SaraTor commented December 21

S

SaraTor

TorontoDec. 21

I really enjoyed Jane the Virgin, so I've followed Justin Baldoni probably longer than most people. He did a great job advocating for #metoo and against toxic masculinity. It's unnerving to think he took on that crusade, when in reality he is the walking definition of toxic masculinity, given to the behaviour towards Blake Lively described here. I'm surprised she didn't bring the sexual harassment protection letter she got from the studio setting up the protections she needed on set to the attention of the media when all this was first coming out. I think that might have spared her reputational damage. But maybe she was in shock, or she didn't want to give the tabloid stories about her more oxygen, or hurt the film. I'm sorry she endured this and it's a fascinating insight into the new PR machinations on social media.

54 Recommend

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Noah commented December 21

N

Noah

CanadaDec. 21

I can already see the writing on the wall, unfortunately no one is going to take Blakes side. It's going to be Amber Heard 2.0 and will perpetuate the fears women have in speaking up against abuse and harassment.

34 Recommend

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A commented December 21

A

A

CaliforniaDec. 21

I remember thinking the cancelling of Blake was incredibly suspicious and didn't make any sense. Wow. This is a devastating report. I hope Blake gets her justice.

73 Recommend

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Inquisigal commented December 21

I

Inquisigal

Kingston, NYDec. 21

Great reporting, and a huge eye opener on how today’s social media landscape can be professionally weaponized. It is sad and shocking. No matter who you are, if someone expresses to you that they feel really uncomfortable with your behavior, and ask you to change it - and that request is wholly and logically reasonable - why is the response not a simple: “I’m really sorry. Yes, of course. I’ll stop doing that. I get why that would bother you.” The irony that the female lead in a film about domestic violence, which included themes of sex and power, would ask for better working conditions so she could do better WORK was then met with an eventual narcissistic projection blame by the male co-star/director, complete with a paid smear campaign - shows you how far so many people still need to go in learning to say they’re sorry. Why is it so hard for people to listen, talk to get to a place where everyone is in equal places & understanding, and agree to do better? Men in particular often seem so afraid of “rejection” and their ego/reputation being affected, they can’t see the incredible damage and unkindness they do when they deny the reported effects of their behavior, then blame the victim. Supporting Blake Lively in this case, and the work of her legal team.

53 Recommend

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Michelle commented December 21

M

Michelle

AustinDec. 21

Wow, thanks for this in-depth article and setting things straight! This portrays an industry which is so devious and cunning! I don't read much celebrity news, but it was successfully communicated, even to me, that Blake Lively was shallow and insensitive to domestic violence, and concerned primarily with promoting her products. Poor Justin Baldoni seemed to be a sincere guy who's focus was on helping the victims of domestic violence, and who was bullied by the powerful Lively/Reynold duo. It was all a manipulation!

36 Recommend

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Jane G commented December 21

J

Jane G

NYCDec. 21

The publicist women, Nathan and Abel should now hire their own Crisis PR Firm. Hard to recover from what is revealed in this excellent article. And it seems like Amber Heard was a victim of similar PR strategy. I remember there was so much negative press about her during the time of the trial. All the media and social media coverage was mostly pro Johnny Depp during Depp's lawsuit.

44 Recommend

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Lou commented December 21

L

Lou

PADec. 21

If this is the level of sophistication of a battle between two Hollywood figures can you imagine the kind of machinery that perpetuates the constant confusion and dissemination of misinformation in politics?

40 Recommend

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Kim commented December 21

K

Kim

MIDec. 21

Commenting solely to show support to Blake amidst the onslaught that she has received this year. It takes courage to stand in the face of that. Let’s listen when women tell us.

46 Recommend

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At commented December 21

A

At

LouisianaDec. 21

The PR people, Abel and others should be investigated. They can do anything to smear someone and thats not good. These behavior should stop now. Its frightening that these type or campaings went on for years. Thanks NYTIMES for this report. Please follow on the report.

29 Recommend

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secret commented December 21

s

secret

agentDec. 21

in 10 years with advanced CGI all we'll have are digital avatars instead of actors and all of these problems will seem outdated and even quaint...

2 Recommend

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LGM commented December 21

L

LGM

NYCDec. 21

Shame on Mr. Baldoni for subjecting Ms. Blake to this dehumanizing, deliberate cruelty. I, too, wish Ms. Lively well in her lawsuit.

42 Recommend

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Susan Smith commented December 21

Susan Smith

Susan Smith

Odessa, FLDec. 21

The attacks on her were so obviously orchestrated. I’ve been waiting for this shoe to drop. Thank you, Blake Lively.

38 Recommend

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TL commented December 21

T

TL

GeorgiaDec. 21

Some really unsavory people highlighted in this article. I recently watched “It Ends with Us”. Enjoyed the movie, based on a topic that frankly needs more spotlight. If everyone in this case trying to “bury” Lively spent more time building people up —the world would be a better place. Thank you Blake Lively for pursuing the truth at all costs.

21 Recommend

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Colin commented December 21

C

Colin

CaliforniaDec. 21

Congratulations Ms. Lively and everyone else on her side and in the know about the pernicious reality. And what a class act. Despite the abuses of Baldoni and Heath, Ms. Lively had ensured the project stayed on track, that is, everyone on production could keep getting paid: “Our client is willing to forego a more formal HR process in favor of everyone returning to work and finishing the Film as long as the set is safe moving forward,” her legal team wrote to the studio.”

37 Recommend

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Seth commented December 21

S

Seth

salt lake city, utDec. 21

Let me get this straight: This PR lady basically wrote "It would be awful if all the terrible stuff we're doing were in writing." So besides being a reprehensible amoral mercenary she's also rock stupid.

163 Recommend

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Stacey d commented December 21

S

Stacey d

AtlantaDec. 21

Nothing is real anymore in this era we live in. Before the internet, SM, and Rupert Murdoch, you always knew where to find the lies - on Page 6 and among the tabloids at the supermarket checkout line.

34 Recommend

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Joy commented December 21

J

Joy

USDec. 21

#BigBusinessAsUsual? A. *Allegation *AnyProof? *Coverup Result: works - then done B.Doesn't work- then next steps *Deny *Create Doubt *Pay off non- disclosure *Done

8 Recommend

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brupicken commented December 21

b

brupicken

nara/greensvilleDec. 21

given who ms lively is married to, i'm surprised he didn't seem to have a role in getting this problem settled more quickly.

11 Recommend

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true dat commented December 21

t

true dat

nyDec. 21

Never put that trash talk in an email or other recoverable document. Baldoni and Nathan are going to pay a huge settlement.

44 Recommend

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quid pro quo commented December 21

q

quid pro quo

NYCDec. 21

At my age my mom was forced out of a job when her supervisor shut her in his office and offered her a promotion in exchange for sex. She was afraid that no one would believe her, or would even blame her for inviting the harassment. She never returned to the workforce. I worry that the backlash to Me Too is going to create a world where my daughter will be in the same situation. shame on these disgusting people

80 Recommend

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Raeden commented December 21

R

Raeden

USADec. 21

How absolutely sick and twisted that it is TWO WOMEN who did the bidding for these men. Shameful.

120 Recommend

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Zoe commented December 21

Z

Zoe

North AmericaDec. 21

This reminds me of how Ted Bundy worked at a rape crises line. This guy sounds like a serial offender who is hiding behind his supportive of women image. Thank God Blake Lively is well-resourced. I hate to admit it but it even worked on me. Wishing her the best in fighting this fight for everyone maligned on social media.

83 Recommend

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My Three Sons commented December 21

M

My Three Sons

Los AngelesDec. 21

Something never jived when It Ends With Us appeared and Blake Lively and other female cast mates were not photographing with the male lead, Justin Baldoni and the Blake bashing began. After living very adjacent to the intricacies of the industry for so long, I thought that I smelled a rat. Kudos to Blake Lively for putting this abusive treatment on the front pages of The New York Times. If women of means, like Blake Lively don’t stand up, most women don’t stand a chance. Time to delve into a smear campaign against Amber Heard….

94 Recommend

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Bev commented December 21

B

Bev

MidwestDec. 21

Not surprised that Ms Nathan represented Johnny Depp, too. He exudes narcissistic abuser, and yet he was made to look like a victim.

59 Recommend

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Lynne Foster Shifriss commented December 21

L

Lynne Foster Shifriss

Bloomington, IndianaDec. 21

I would also be interested in knowing if there is any connection between PR “crisis expert” Melissa Nathan and the writer of a positive article about Baldoni and his wife which appeared in People Magazine in December.

38 Recommend

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Shanti commented December 21

S

Shanti

MDDec. 21

This is so cruel and evil. These men are monsters and the women they hire to do the smear campaign need to assess their self esteem and morals.

43 Recommend

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Casper commented December 21

C

Casper

HawaiiDec. 21

No woke utterance is more cringey than the word “ally”. This is a lovely example of why.

22 Recommend

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Joey Sacamano commented December 21

J

Joey Sacamano

USADec. 21

Excellent article on how easily public opinion today is shaped and manipulated by social media. Nefarious behind the scenes campaigns are brutally effective in damaging careers and companies, according to the article. Imagine if the same tactics were being used to shape our opinion of political leaders and issues! That would be dangerous to our Republic.

48 Recommend

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ZW commented December 21

Z

ZW

SeattleDec. 21

Excellent reporting. Text messages don’t lie. How gross and pathetic of Baldoni to imagine he could elevate his status by inserting gratuitous sex scenes in a movie with a more prominent female celebrity. Oh, we see you, Baldoni, and it’s a very bad look.

68 Recommend

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LI commented December 21

L

LI

LADec. 21

Also can we talk about Ms Nathan and Ms Abel, the “enigmatic” Mr Wallace, arrogant character assassins who get paid obscene amounts of money to manipulate the public? Gross

56 Recommend

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SteHenm commented December 21

S

SteHenm

Washington, DCDec. 21

And if you really want to be repulsed: click on and read the actual complaint.

38 Recommend

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Scott commented December 21

S

Scott

ArizonaDec. 21

These people are truly disgusting. They need to take a long, hard look in the mirror and ask themselves if this is the moral rot they not only want to spread throughout the world, but ultimately inject straight into their withering souls. The lying, hypocrisy, power games, manipulation, it’s all just a horrible veneer for an incapacity to be truly, deeply and maturely human. I have new admiration and sympathy for both Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds and the nastiness they must endure as a regular part of their industry.

44 Recommend

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Malcolm commented December 21

M

Malcolm

Bay AreaDec. 21

To purposefully try to destroy a woman because she didn't want to be harassed on the job is the definition of gross. That Baldoni and crew did it while claiming they were advocates for women takes the hypocrisy to a new and disgusting level.

85 Recommend

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Casual Observer commented December 21

C

Casual Observer

Los AngelesDec. 21

W.C. Fields was a highly gifted writer, juggler, actor, comedian, and personality. There was renewed popular interest in him beginning in the late 1960's. His humor seemed timely, at that time. Then there was a movie made about him featuring his relationship with his girlfriend, W. C. Fields and Me, which disclosed how abuse he had been with him and how addicted to alcohol he had been. Suddenly, his popularity vanished, and has not ever been restored. That is how important popular feelings can be with respect to famous entertainers. Once they are perceived negatively, all other things about them are disregarded.

4 Recommend

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Blue Lips commented December 21

B

Blue Lips

EarthDec. 21

I remember all of the negative comments about Blake Lively because I responded to some of the posts. And to learn now that the vitriol surrounding her was staged because she spoke out against inappropriate behavior makes sense because what didn't make sense was the backlash from the media. Blake Lively will land on two feet. She has a support system and money. What the public needs to understand is it is extremely difficult for the average citizen to speak out against wrongdoing in the workplace and that should scare all of us.

80 Recommend

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jrsherrard commented December 21

j

jrsherrard

seattleDec. 21

Seems to me that the "difficult" smear used mostly against assertive women (and echoed here by multiple commenters) is today's version of "uppity."

58 Recommend

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Tish Wells commented December 21

T

Tish Wells

Washington DCDec. 21

Well done investigative piece! I have always liked Blake Lively. I hope her stock rises now.

53 Recommend

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Arthur Larkin commented December 21

A

Arthur Larkin

Chappaqua, NYDec. 21

These PR people are disgusting. Imagine choosing to spend your time on earth trashing the reputations of others by disseminating lies in the media. Says a lot about who they are.

117 Recommend

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Kathleen commented December 21

K

Kathleen

OhioDec. 21

Wow. Another case of ABB... Adults Behaving Badly... in this case Baldoni and his hired guns. What a bottom feeder world they inhabit. So juvenile, petty and destructive. If only Baldoni could have owned his behavior, learned from it, grew from the experience and channeled it into his creative work. His hired guns of smear crow about their supposed victories and cash their pay checks. Earth School Hollywood on this level really seems stuck in junior high. And one day, when they all graduate Earth School, this will be in Baldoni's obit and maybe in those of his hired guns as well if by then anyone cares to waste words on their destructive and toxic life choices. Instead of putting your time and energy into a smear campaign, get some counseling so you can all figure out how to be better humans.

25 Recommend

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John commented December 21

J

John

MADec. 21

Abusive men pretending via PR tactics to be feminist allies. Autocrats pretending via PR tactics to support elections and the rule of law. Sound familiar?

69 Recommend

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TD Bradley commented December 21

T

TD Bradley

ConnecticutDec. 21

I hope The Times goes deeper with this story. Were journalists bribed to write, publish and spread negative stories? If so, who? What does it take, in terms of money, people and resources, to plant negative content on social media at a level high enough to have such negative impact? (My guess is less than you might think.) What other agencies and consultants are making big money trashing people’s reputations and calling it “crisis communications?” Since the social media platforms have no intention of editing content themselves, the only check on professional “reputation trashing” becomes traditional news media exposing the perpetrators. Social media - the “people’s media” - has become a junkyard, a Tower of Babble.

76 Recommend

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CBT commented December 21

C

CBT

Boston, MADec. 21

All this firepower brought to bear just to make an actor look like a jerk. And it worked. Imagine what’s being brought to bear against truth and democracy.

79 Recommend

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David A. commented December 21

David A.

David A.

BrooklynDec. 21

What a sewer. Hollywood, social media. The only reason I’m reading this rubbish is I want to ace next weekend’s News Quiz and for some mysterious reason the quizmakers always have some question about inconsequential Hollywood nonsense.

17 Recommend

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2 Replies

CSz commented December 21

C

CSz

ILDec. 21

@David A. So you subject yourself to "news" you don't care about so you can ace a quiz that is designed to make you read more stuff. The gamification of everything proceeds apace.

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hop sing commented December 21

h

hop sing

SF, californiaDec. 21

@David A. The reason? The entertainment industry cranks out too much dreck, and would die if its reputation had to rest only on its output. Hence the shill-industrial complex.

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M commented December 21

M

M

NYCDec. 21

Any specific thing you want to cite? On an article basically exonerating Blake Lively and detailing WITH receipts a coordinated effort to take her down, it's so bizarre to throw shade with a throwaway comment. Not accusing you of being part of the smear campaign, but what separates you from that campaign if you're just gonna say she's awful too? A fine opinion to have, but how did you get at that after reading this article??! Maybe men really do need to step up because they seem to love hating on beautiful women....

15 Recommend

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Dasty Chumbardi commented December 21

D

Dasty Chumbardi

CaliforniaDec. 21

Hollywood has seduced, chewed up and spit out women for over 100 years. This story is no surprise at all.

32 Recommend

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Ferdy commented December 21

F

Ferdy

New MexicoDec. 21

With Baldoni and especially Nathan being dumb enough to put their smear campaign communications in writing, pretty safe to say their careers are over as well as any high bank account balance.

43 Recommend

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1 Reply

DW commented December 21

DW

DW

CaliforniaDec. 21

@Ferdy We can hope. It’s the least they deserve, along with a big defamation suit.

11 Recommend

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Christy commented December 21

C

Christy

Los AngelesDec. 21

The fact that Ms. Nathan's firm has Scooter Braun as the majority stakeholder says it all.

50 Recommend

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Ashley commented December 21

A

Ashley

San DiegoDec. 21

This book was ridiculous in it’s almost glamorization of intimate partner violence. A love story coated in IPV is just gross. This being said, clearly this director and his cronies are awful.

15 Recommend

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Jojojo commented December 21

J

Jojojo

NevadaDec. 21

I remember someone dragged my name through the mud because he couldn't be king of all mankind. I was disheartened that after all I had done for society my reward was someone spewing lies about me, even giving updates to his viewers. This was all in an email account. We didn't have facebook yet. To think that your friends may think that now you have suddenly become a cad. Your name is all you have in society.

11 Recommend

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Matt R commented December 21

M

Matt R

CaliforniaDec. 21

This is why investigative journalism matters.

51 Recommend

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Johann commented December 21

J

Johann

HoustonDec. 21

Justin Baldoni, Steve Sarowitz, and Jessica Sarowitz have carefully cultivated a public image as champions of faith and social change, but behind the scenes, their actions reveal a different reality. Reports from former employees at Wayfarer Studios and Wayfarer Entertainment show a troubling culture marked by greed, power, religious manipulation and control. Many have described a toxic environment under Justin Baldoni’s leadership, leaving them emotionally and professionally scarred. Steve Sarowitz, as a key figure in the organization, is accused of enabling this toxic behavior, further exacerbating the harm—pushing religious manipulation on employees and creating a cult like environment around Justin Baldoni. One notable law suit involves Shane Norman, a respected executive at Wayfarer who was discriminated against by Justin Baldoni—google Shane Norman vs Wayfarer Entertainment. The company ultimately settled with Mr. Norman, a Black man, avoiding public scrutiny of these allegations and the broader oppressive practices within Wayfarer. This is just one example of the challenges employees have faced while navigating what is publicly branded as a “change-driven” organization. The recent attention brought to these issues by individuals like Blake and Ryan is a positive step toward accountability—it’s hoped that others with firsthand knowledge within Wayfarer will also have the courage to speak out.

36 Recommend

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A Citizen commented December 21

A

A Citizen

South CarolinaDec. 21

These people sound pretty unsavory.

13 Recommend

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Kelly Sargent commented December 21

K

Kelly Sargent

Des Moines, IADec. 21

Absolutely infuriating!! Women, let us push back collectively in defense of another woman being smeared for speaking up’

25 Recommend

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Steve B commented December 21

S

Steve B

MarylandDec. 21

I don’t care about any of the people in this story. Didn’t see the movie, don’t plan to. What greatly concerns me is how easily social media is used to smear someone by using innuendo & rumor. There are literally no safety rails that protect society from manipulation by social media falsehoods. It’s not sustainable.

25 Recommend

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Matt commented December 21

M

Matt

PhiladelphiaDec. 21

Looks like the PR team needs a PR team

38 Recommend

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Marjorie commented December 21

M

Marjorie

PhiladelphiaDec. 21

Surprise, surprise. You can’t believe what is posted on social media. Still, as a society we persist in believing false narratives and lies. We are a society of bullies. I am glad Amber Heard has moved away from the US and forged a new path and life for herself. I always felt that whether or not her narrative was true, she was the victim of a vicious campaign to “bury her” in favor of Johnny Depp and his Jack Sparrow cult.

41 Recommend

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Rick Wayne commented December 21

R

Rick Wayne

CADec. 21

Yawn. Egos and rich people problems.

7 Recommend

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1 Reply

C commented December 21

C

C

TexasDec. 21

@Rick Wayne Not really. These tactics are being used against our democracy.

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Ashley commented December 21

A

Ashley

USADec. 21

Depp and Drake were clients of Nathan’s?? Both such suspicious men and now I’m more certain the allegations against them are true

29 Recommend

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HSK commented December 21

H

HSK

New OrleansDec. 21

When will people learn that it’s not advisable to write anything in a text that you wouldn’t be comfortable reading on the front page of your local newspaper.

18 Recommend

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Perfect commented December 21

P

Perfect

Blue BuildingsDec. 21

Sad, truly pathetic. There was enough stink on this from the beginning to indicate someone was out to sink her and the movie.

15 Recommend

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Karen_B commented December 21

K

Karen_B

CaliforniaDec. 21

I believe Ms. Lively.

34 Recommend

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M Maitland commented December 21

M

M Maitland

Southeastern CTDec. 21

A minor detail I also find telling in this story is the presumed absence of social media presence for Melissa Nathan, which I glean exclusively from the old, shadowy picture used to identify her. And wasn’t lack of SM participation by another of the PR execs also mentioned? Whether they have the tightest of privacy controls, use false names, or are indeed absent, to me, this indicates a general mistrust of these communities, a recognition of the risk of their being counter-targeted, and/or some lack of regard for the upsides of the tools— which are surely diminished by their odious manipulations.

24 Recommend

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Kevinlarson commented December 21

K

Kevinlarson

Ottawa CanadaDec. 21

Such despicably people. I hope this destroys the careers of Baldoni, Nathan, and Abel among others involved.

32 Recommend

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MT commented December 21

M

MT

West coastDec. 21

Those texts between Baldoni and his PR hired guns are damning. I’m glad their ugly, cynical machinations are now being revealed. The sheer glee in their texts as their covert social media manipulation campaign began to work—it’s disgusting. I’m neutral about Blake Lively as an actress but she’s 100% right to pursue legal action re: this very disturbing campaign against her.

76 Recommend

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Regina commented December 21

R

Regina

Washington DCDec. 21

Fabulous reporting by the NYT. Sinister men who inauthentically align themselves with women’s issues only to boost their own social standing are a dime a dozen.

87 Recommend

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Katie commented December 21

K

Katie

PortlandDec. 21

This disgusts me. I remember this whole smear campaign against Lively. So Justin Baldoni, her co-star, and the director James Heath are FURIOUS because Blake Lively did not let Baldoni sexually abuse her in scenes - scenes where the sexual action was prescribed and agreed to and should have STOPPED as to that agreement - and Heath won't leave her dressing room when she's half naked and continues to sexually harass her. She has to get the studios involved to protect herself in this miserable situation and that ticks off these two narcissistic, dangerous men, as they want to continue manhandling Blake and sexually assaulting her as if she is not a person but their PROPERTY, and so they retaliate against her. What? You won't let me assault you - well then, I will attack you and try to ruin you and your career. I have a RIGHT to your body. Dear God. They pay hundreds of thousands to "bury her," and Ms. Nathan happily accepts their money, knowing it's wrong, to "bury" Blake Lively. Nice job you three. Two horrible men and one horrible woman. I will never watch anything with either of you in it. I hope you don't work again. More broadly, Justin should be arrested for sexual assault. Lively has a case against both of them - criminal and civil. And, ironically, it's a film about sexual assault!! Sick. Truly, utterly, sick. Keep shining, Blake!

87 Recommend

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GDK commented December 21

G

GDK

BostonDec. 21

Why didn’t she walk off the job?

17 Recommend

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10 Replies

Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@GDK We should be asking why someone in her position had to choose between enduring inappropriate behavior or risking her career, rather than focusing on why she didn’t take the extreme step of leaving altogether.

57 Recommend

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NM commented December 21

N

NM

NYDec. 21

@GDK why many of us don't walk off... YOU love your job and deserve to have a healthy environment in which to do it...so she demanded change. I commend her

28 Recommend

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K. LaCroix commented December 21

K

K. LaCroix

Cambridge, MaDec. 21

@GDK There's this thing called a contract. Lawsuit.

24 Recommend

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NA commented December 21

N

NA

NycDec. 21

@GDK this is what people say to women who have been raped:”why didn’t she go the police right away?”, “why did she return to the workplace”. This was as much her project as his. She made an attempt to shift the workplace environment.

22 Recommend

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Linden commented December 21

L

Linden

San JoseDec. 21

@GDK Why weren't they kicked off the job? Reminds me how in Israel, decades ago, women were told to curfew while authorities tried to apprehend whoever was attacking them at night. Golda Meier said curfew the men since it wasn't women doing the attacking. Makes sense to me...

24 Recommend

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Michelle commented December 21

M

Michelle

CaliDec. 21

@GDK She shouldn’t have to. Why is always the woman’s responsibility to remove herself from a job or situation she has every right to be in because a man is being inappropriate or abusive? When will we as a society remove the abuser? These people should be banished from Hollywood and I hope they are.

18 Recommend

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U.N. Owen commented December 21

U

U.N. Owen

NYCDec. 21

@GDK - Why he didn't just not sexually harass her? Why is it on women to forfeit paid work just because men can't control themselves? And if she hypothetically had walked off the job, she would've been smeared as an unprofessional diva. The game is rigged against women.

11 Recommend

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N.D. commented December 21

N

N.D.

DetroitDec. 21

@GDK Actors sign contracts. Walking away is career suicide.

8 Recommend

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JimmyMac commented December 21

J

JimmyMac

Valley of the MoonDec. 21

@GDK She would have been under contract.

8 Recommend

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Barb commented December 21

B

Barb

AZDec. 21

@GDK Yes, exactly! That is what we should all do if men are inappropriate in our work place -instead of making a fuss!

4 Recommend

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Pennchick commented December 21

Pennchick

Pennchick

PhillyDec. 21

I'm not sure why she was making a movie about domestic abuse with a guy that she didn't get along with, who wasn't that famous either. The whole movie premise was stupid and "wear your florals" to a movie about domestic abuse is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. I'm sure that guy's a jerk. I'm sure she's a jerk. I think everyone who name you know is probably a jerk because they have to be to get that level of fame. But maybe you shouldn't make a movie And then get involved with doing an alternative cut of the film with Taylor Swift, your best friend? (which is also kind of hard to believe) and tie it to hair products and booze. And then her husband also has a booze company and everything else and blah blah blah. They don't seem like nice people. Taylor Swift is a client of Ryan Reynolds' marketing firm. So when you get into bed together trying to make more mllions of dollars when you're already all so very very rich, I think you all come off as unlikable.

43 Recommend

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4 Replies

Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@Pennchick This isn’t just about whether Blake Lively, Taylor Swift, or Ryan Reynolds come off as likable or relatable. It’s about the fact that Blake raised serious concerns about inappropriate behavior, only to face a deliberate, documented smear campaign designed to destroy her professionally. That kind of retaliation shouldn’t be dismissed, even if the people involved aren’t perfect.

113 Recommend

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Rose Ann commented December 21

R

Rose Ann

ChicagoDec. 21

@Pennchick I tend to agree with all your opinion, especially Ryan Reynolds. and hair products. What is the point of what people are doing, except of course, to make money.

5 Recommend

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tullymon commented December 21

t

tullymon

SmithtownDec. 21

@Pennchick just because you don't like her doesn't make her case false...

7 Recommend

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Pennchick commented December 21

Pennchick

Pennchick

PhillyDec. 21

@Claus I think it's the only thing that it's about. It's a battle to see who is better liked all under the guys of helping domestic violence victims. They all come off as unlikable. She's been through a lot in her life like we all have and I'm sorry if someone sees you breastfeeding, that is not sexual abuse. The other stuff all seems pretty tame. I'm not sure why she was doing it in a place where he could see it or whatever, but like I said, I'm sure he's a jerk. And we know she is so. It's really just people trying to stake out how they're perceived by the media in terms of making even more money in the future.

3 Recommend

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AD commented December 21

A

AD

CaliforniaDec. 21

Ms Lively. May your tribe increase. Stand your ground.

64 Recommend

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No One You Know commented December 21

N

No One You Know

ArizonaDec. 21

What’s really terrible about this situation is that these two women were hired to smear and destroy another women. It’s like the mean girl clique in high school - only now they’re getting paid to do it.

134 Recommend

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SK commented December 21

S

SK

SeattleDec. 21

to the authors of this article, how were you able to access private messages? amazing reporting!!!! thanks to you for bringing truth to light

34 Recommend

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3 Replies

SC commented December 21

S

SC

SeattleDec. 21

@SK it says at the beginning of the article

18 Recommend

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chezjim commented December 21

c

chezjim

North Hollywood, CADec. 21

@SK The article says clearly that Lively subpoenaed them.

8 Recommend

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David commented December 21

D

David

Rochester, NYDec. 21

@SK I have done document review for law firms in the past. Just last year I was reviewing WhatsApp texts between former Trump officials and a large “news” org. Nothing is private, even if WhatsApp says they’re private…

7 Recommend

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Jim commented December 21

J

Jim

OlympiaDec. 21

Haha, and any comments here saying things like “But she had a reputation for being difficult even BEFORE this movie…” could be from that PR firm the article exposes. It’s turtles all the way down, people!

48 Recommend

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Freed commented December 21

F

Freed

SeattleDec. 21

The rich irony here is that Baldoni just destroyed his own career. Lively didn’t start a social media campaign to smear him. She handled his creepy behavior professionally and quietly. She didn’t want to pretend they were friendly, but she would have let this go. But HE had to take her down pre-emptively, and now everyone knows he’s both a creep and a hypocritical bully.

175 Recommend

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D commented December 21

D

D

CADec. 21

Who will Baldoni hire to BURY the truth this time?

29 Recommend

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1 Reply

Rebecca commented December 21

R

Rebecca

GrossmanDec. 21

@D it’s already playing out on Reddit forums…bots and fake accounts writing that they don’t believe Lively

4 Recommend

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Dear Prudence commented December 21

Dear Prudence

Dear Prudence

ChicagoDec. 21

“Ms. Nathan wrote to Ms. Abel: “And socials are really really ramping up. In his favour, she must be furious. It’s actually sad because it just shows you have people really want to hate on women.”… Because of YOU, Ms.Nathan! “On Aug. 16, Ms. Nathan shared the Daily Mail article headlined “Is Blake Lively set to be CANCELLED?” with references to ‘hard to watch’ videos and a ‘tone deaf’ promotional Q. and A.” “Wow. You really outdid yourself with this piece,” Ms. Abel responded. “That’s why you hired me right?” Ms. Nathan replied. “I’m the best.” Ghastly, ghastly people.

118 Recommend

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1 Reply

C commented December 21

C

C

TexasDec. 21

@Dear Prudence And this gem from Nathan: “The majority of socials are so pro Justin and I don’t even agree with half of them lol”

21 Recommend

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Bob commented December 21

B

Bob

Nashville, TNDec. 21

I hope the sneakers get thoroughly smeared.... Especially legally. #teamlively

24 Recommend

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JaneEyre commented December 21

J

JaneEyre

BronxDec. 21

All he had to do was acknowledge his mistakes and move on. Now he has dug such a hole for himself. Saying your sorry and meaning it. Was that so hard? I guess so,. He would rather spend money on lawyers....Sound familiar....??

33 Recommend

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Sandy commented December 21

S

Sandy

Springfield, IllinoisDec. 21

Dear Blake, thank you for going public with this story, and getting the goods on the smear campaign against you. than you, NYT, for publishing irrefutable communications proving the smear campaign. If women in Hollywood aren't protected, what of the rest of us?

53 Recommend

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Uli commented December 21

U

Uli

Chicago, ILDec. 21

Terrific article. This is a good example of why journalism is so important. Shine the light of day on subterranean machinations. I always operate by the old-fashioned maxim, don't write it if you'd be embarrassed to see it on the NYTimes front page. Seems these guys didn't heed that useful maxim. Oops. And the sexism! The sheer male viciousness and hurt ego! I hope this article will help bury that whole crowd. Where is your crisis management now, guys?

50 Recommend

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Alex commented December 21

A

Alex

N.Y.Dec. 21

I have friends and family whose primary news/information sources are social media platforms including TikTok and Instagram. You may think this is an entertainment biz nothingburger. But replace this dispute with Ukraine, Gaza, immigration, the global economy — “mysterious” lights over New Jersey. Bad actors are steering mass opinion on a scale that was previously impossible, and it’s only going to get worse going forward. Eventually it’s going to rip free society apart.

57 Recommend

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1 Reply

Cassandra commented December 21

C

Cassandra

VirginiaDec. 21

@Alex Yep. I’m increasingly suspicious that this is what happened to Kamala.

7 Recommend

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LC commented December 21

L

LC

VCDec. 21

Reminder that the folks whose texts were described in this article are likely actively at work in these comments spinning their PR. Note the number of comments about Lively being “tone deaf” and the comments about how “what happened in the article was wrong but Lively brought it on herself by being a terrible person.” That’s a PR campaign at work.

49 Recommend

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1 Reply

Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@LC That’s an excellent point. The patterns in some of these comments do seem suspiciously aligned with the strategies described in the article—emphasizing Blake Lively’s supposed faults while downplaying the deliberate retaliation against her. It’s a textbook way to shift the narrative and muddy the waters.

17 Recommend

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DM commented December 21

D

DM

Nashville, TNDec. 21

Remember when you were in junior high and your teacher was like “listen guys, one day your generation is going to be in charge so it’s time to grow up”? This is that.

15 Recommend

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John commented December 21

J

John

Baldwin, NYDec. 21

Does anyone still care about this stuff? I thought this kind of thing disappeared with Hedda Hopper, who's career was ended after she published some nonsense about Stewart Granger and Michael Wilding. Mr. Wilding sued her, won, and that was the end of Ms. Hopper.

2 Recommend

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2 Replies

Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@John Unlike Hopper’s era, today’s smear campaigns use digital strategies to shape narratives in ways that are harder to detect and counteract.

7 Recommend

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S.Wil commented December 21

S

S.Wil

NYDec. 21

@John Oof there’s that PR team at work again

3 Recommend

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Carmen commented December 21

C

Carmen

SomewhereDec. 21

A similar campaign against Amber Hurd is described in this podcast. You really can bury anyone. https://www.tortoisemedia.com/listen/who-trolled-amber/introducing-who-trolled-amber

17 Recommend

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Tevvy Ball commented December 21

T

Tevvy Ball

Santa MonicaDec. 21

This whole story is sickening. Don't people have anything better to do with their time than spend it on social media??? What a sewer...

11 Recommend

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jb commented December 21

j

jb

‘Virginia BeachDec. 21

Women have to work twice as hard to avoid being a target of any kind. If you are a non white woman and/or LGBTQ , quadruple it.

16 Recommend

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Belloc Boyd commented December 21

Belloc Boyd

Belloc Boyd

MontereyDec. 21

Can women be misogynistic? Or is there another word for women who knowingly lie and use power to help misogynists publicly slime an innocent woman? Is it something nice like a ‘professional?’

18 Recommend

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1 Reply

S.Wil commented December 21

S

S.Wil

NYDec. 21

@Belloc Boyd it’s called internalized misogyny and while even other women’s power is limited in its own capacity, if used as an agent to uphold that misogyny, oof the reaches it has, ie the permission it’s given to operate. It’s why people of color who uphold racist ideals are described as having internalized racism. Learning -isms is not something only one demographic is exposed to, it’s just that only those demographics in power truly benefit from them. Whereas, those who aid in it can reap benefits but would likely fall or fail if they exited those institutions thinking they’ll have the same amt/quality of resources available to them. It’s the power at the top that inevitably makes those final decisions. Unfortunately.

6 Recommend

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d of the desert commented December 21

d

d of the desert

Palm SpringsDec. 21

The defendants should quickly and quietly settle the lawsuit. Caso cerrado.

5 Recommend

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GH commented December 21

G

GH

USADec. 21

This is why we need to figure out how to address the root causes of sexual harassment, abuse, and sexual violence towards women. Baldoni and Heath “positioned themselves as feminist allies in the #MeToo era”. It is not enough to ask men to speak out out about it. That is one important step, but not enough. Some men can say they support women and #Metoo and then go behind closed doors and still harass and take advantage of women, even their own dates, girlfriends, and spouses. I think we need focus on root causes. And one thing I think may surface is how we raise our boys. This is NOT to excuse actions. But I do know if we don’t start young in educating and taking care of our children, bad stuff will happen. We need to stop the men vs women stuff and start looking at root causes, which may involve taking better care of and educating our children. This is NOT to excuse harasser or abusers, but to help future victims from falling prey to future perpetrators who are just kids now. Here’s a quote from an article where Justin is quoted: “Proving himself to be a longtime activist, Justin spoke about the problem with his introduction to pornography when he was 10 years old on Aussie mindset coach Sarah Grynberg's A Life of Greatness podcast.” Why was a ten year old boy having access to porn? https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-13767669/amp/Blake-Lively-Justin-Baldoni-unhealthy-relationship-porn-resurfaced-Ends-controversy.html

11 Recommend

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Ugly and Fat Git commented December 21

Ugly and Fat Git

Ugly and Fat Git

Boulder, CODec. 21

Johnny Depp's trial pretty much showed how things are manipulated by Hollywood and the Lively episode is no different.

26 Recommend

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Bob G. commented December 21

B

Bob G.

San FranciscoDec. 21

Amazing article! Ms. Nathan and Ms. Abel must be absolutely beside themselves about now. I frankly feel most bad for Amber Heard, who had nowhere to turn when Ms. Nathan and others were hired to support Johnny Depp.

55 Recommend

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DotsHija commented December 21

D

DotsHija

OregonDec. 21

The smear campaign worked, in so far as super on line connected people I know. The evidence certainly lends itself to a different narrative. Too bad the men involved couldn’t have listened and changed behavior. It’s not that hard, dudes, to treat a fellow professional with respect.

57 Recommend

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Maxb commented December 21

M

Maxb

CaliforniaDec. 21

I, a man, against my female family, never believed Depp, to this day. I do believe Blake.

91 Recommend

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Erin commented December 21

E

Erin

CTDec. 21

Last fall I was baffled by this sudden and fairly obvious campaign against her. None of the "gotchas" seemed all that bad, and were clearly cherry-picked to damage her reputation. Thanks for reporting on this - perhaps this kind of reporting should be more common, as I suspect Ms Lively is far from the only celebrity to be assaulted in this way.

129 Recommend

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Alan Einstoss commented December 21

A

Alan Einstoss

Pittsburgh PADec. 21

Having only just viewed the film ,the finished product ,without getting enlightened as to effects listed in this article,I can say the actress exhibited a masterful work.If manifesting more control in the filming procedure ,by the actress was the key factor in the success of this film and story ,I would agree with the decisions which completed that equation.Stepping back a second ,my opinion of the Depp/ heard controversy still stands as a strategic catastrophe ,especially when in comparison to what this legal affair is becoming.Having become familiar with a few of the artists films there doesn't seem to be some history of difficulty in other productions with other directors or such ,which leads to the significance that maybe there is credibility to the charges of impropriety concerning the male counterparts.

10 Recommend

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Thomas Westgard commented December 21

T

Thomas Westgard

Bloomington, IndianaDec. 21

Things like this make me physically ill and not want to engage with the entertainment industry at all. I seriously don’t understand how people read Hollywood gossip and feel good about themselves. It’s all exploitation and very little is true, and from the cheap seats, we can’t tell the difference. All we know is that innocent people get hurt in the process, and when we feed into it, we add to the severity of the injury. Assuming this article is true and fair, and that Ms. Lively was unfairly targeted, I hope she’s successful in her recovery. I question the value of media coverage of these cases. It just feels like gasoline being poured into random places, hoping one flares up profitably.

43 Recommend

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1 Reply

Ruby commented December 21

R

Ruby

New YorkDec. 21

@Thomas Westgard There’s evidence in the article and the complaint. Articles like this are necessary because even with them, people always question the woman and defend the man. Imagine what would happen to women without them.

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Mrs H commented December 21

M

Mrs H

FLDec. 21

The most unfortunate part is this sage is that lives, businesses and reputations were ruined for what was a very mediocre movie.

10 Recommend

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2 Replies

Steph commented December 21

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Steph

MichiganDec. 21

@Mrs H exactly. I read the book and thought it a sorry excuse for “a piece about domestic abuse”. It was trash. I refuse to watch the movie because the book glorified sexual assault IMO. It was a sex book. Not something to raise awareness.

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L commented December 21

L

L

SDec. 21

@Mrs H That’s the most unfortunate part? So it’d be a little more ok for them to smear her reputation because she pushed back against his gross behavior if the movie was good? Smh

7 Recommend

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Harlem Hopeful commented December 21

H

Harlem Hopeful

HarlemDec. 21

Shame on Baldoni and Heath. But, as importantly, shame on those publicist women, Nathan and Abel, who only value money, and show the despicable nature of humans. These women undermine women everywhere who are trying (and in Ms. Lively's case succeeding) to make a dent in a man's world. Kudos to the two Times reporters, including Ms. Twohey (who helped bring down the predator Harvey Weinstein) for doing true investigative journalism. Let's hope these perpetrators are held accountable.

189 Recommend

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1 Reply

L commented December 21

L

L

SDec. 21

@Harlem Hopeful Yeah, the fact that they even admitted the damage they were doing to all women by drumming up hate and doubt is disgusting. They know that sexual harassment is a plague and they make it more socially acceptable by spreading it anyway. And for what? A inflated paycheck. Statistically speaking, they all have women in their lives, who they may even claim to love, who’ve been damaged by sexual harassment I hope they what they get what they deserve n the form of lost wages. That’s all they care about. Shame on them.

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Jonathan T. commented December 21

J

Jonathan T.

Philadelphia, PADec. 21

If I ever do something really terrible, I’m hiring those spin doctors. Clearly they can turn water into whine.

20 Recommend

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Haley commented December 21

H

Haley

VirginiaDec. 21

I’m glad to have read this. My opinion of Blake was certainly impacted by all the online coverage perpetuating her alleged creative power grab. I looked at the launch of her hair line with interest to perhaps buy a product, was interested in the movie…and then never saw the movie or bought product, based on my new negative perception of her, which previously had been very positive as I have really enjoyed her ever since Gossip Girl. I also loved Jane the Virgin. I’m sad I allowed myself to be swayed…but it’s not surprising, as it feels impossible to know who is telling the truth, across a spectrum of industries, these days. And I’m a journalist…thought I never looked into this story or covered it in anyway, just saw the negative social ground shift happening and felt my perspective on Blake and Ryan shift in turn.

59 Recommend

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KB commented December 21

K

KB

WashingtonDec. 21

Disgusting behavior by Mr. Baldoni and the PR firm. Another illustration of how easily lies are spread via social media, especially when it involves taking a successful woman down a peg or two. It also saddens me how many women seem to jump on any effort to criticize other women - that's one reason the social media campaign was so successful.

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Plimania Vermaar commented December 21

P

Plimania Vermaar

PADec. 21

Social media is sick. I wish it would go away. Its only purpose is either to manipulate people to vote the way the powerful want or to manipulate people to consume more stuff they don’t need.

58 Recommend

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ZlatanfromLA commented December 21

Z

ZlatanfromLA

TorranceDec. 21

Seems very similar to how Joss Whedon presented himself as an ally of women and then turned out to be an abuser. At least he had the wherewithal to admit his faults, unlike the “men” involved here.

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Dpete commented December 21

D

Dpete

Washington, DCDec. 21

Most of the Internet problems with social media would be solved if anonymous or untraceable posts were eliminated and if all posts charge a small fee. Sunlight and opportunity cost will work wonders.

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1 Reply

Dave L commented December 21

D

Dave L

WashingtonDec. 21

@Dpete The anonymity of the Internet is a curse on all. If you have something to say and that is your right in this country, have the courage to put your name to it.

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Emma commented December 21

E

Emma

USADec. 21

We know the media can be, and is, manipulated. Did he hire a team to do that? Sure. Honestly, it seems pretty commonplace in Hollywood. Is she ALSO could be doing that RIGHT NOW. This article could be a part of her campaign. Even so, what I just read doesn't really seem to implicate him as being some sort of evil player. Literally everything listed as an accusation against him in this article could be misinterpreted or twisted. What I'm saying is: We don't have facts. What we have is two rich celebrities going at each other using their money and influence to try to adjust public perception. In this scenario, we have a billionaire woman with more power and influence going after a millionaire man with less power and influence. We have no idea who was "the bad one" and who is not. As with most things, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

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10 Replies

Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@Emma This situation isn’t just about two wealthy individuals feuding—it’s about the tactics revealed in the article. The text messages and strategies described go beyond the usual PR maneuvers and point to a deliberate effort to smear Blake Lively’s reputation after she raised concerns about misconduct. While it’s possible that both sides are managing their narratives, the documented evidence of untraceable smear campaigns and social media manipulation is alarming. This isn’t about whether she’s a billionaire or he’s a millionaire—it’s about the power dynamics at play and how retaliation can silence voices and shift accountability.

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L commented December 21

L

L

SDec. 21

@Emma So despite the historical prevalence of unprovoked sexual harassment against women just trying to go about their lives; something especially common in the film industry, the damage it does to all parties, and your point that she doesn’t have any motive for making this up; her being more successful and all, you’re going to play the “fine people on both sides card”. Thanks for being part of the problem.

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Tricia commented December 21

T

Tricia

New YorkDec. 21

@Emma this is a lawsuit for retaliatory behavior. Hiring a PR machine to "bury" her is probably aligned with retaliatory behavior. The studio and the producers agreed to Lively's terms upon resuming the shoot. They clearly and maliciously violated those terms. Whatever arguments they want to make now about the truth of what happened prior to her requesting changes... are moot.

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Dave L commented December 21

D

Dave L

WashingtonDec. 21

@Emma The answer is in the facts presented in the actual messages between the production company and the attack dog publicity firm. They aren't trying to only support those men but are overtly trying to harm Ms. Lively.

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Morgan commented December 21

M

Morgan

Alberta, CanadaDec. 21

@Emma The bad one is the one unwilling to comply with workplace boundaries and paying an actual business to smear the whistleblower. It's pretty simple unless you're invested in ensuring that sexual harassment and sexual assault and bullying can still take place in the workplace. Interesting that there's a business specific to protecting lawbreakers.

8 Recommend

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B Dawson commented December 21

B

B Dawson

Commonsense, USADec. 21

@Emma Well said. The re-release of that snarky interview might have been engineered, but certainly the way in which Lively responded and came off as mean girl wasn’t faked.

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Sebastian commented December 21

S

Sebastian

basking ridge, NJDec. 21

@Emma, good points, but there seem to be plenty of facts showing misconduct from Baldoni and the PR agency orchestrating a smear attack. I don't think the NYT is going to be part of a PR stunt like that. This is why credible journalism is important. The reputation of the NYT is at stake when publishing this article. They do mess up sometimes but overall they have standards which social media does not.

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NM commented December 21

N

NM

NYDec. 21

@Emma The ENTIRE cast "unfollowed" him and would not take pictures with him... Facts - it can't be everyone else.

8 Recommend

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Kate commented December 21

K

Kate

UkDec. 21

@Emma Well. There are the clear messages threads. They are facts. It’s interesting that you find it so easy to dismiss clear evidence. I just wonder though. How many women’s voices does it take to equal one man’s voice for you?

8 Recommend

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Peter D. commented December 21

P

Peter D.

PortlandDec. 21

So the proof with literal text messages in this article and the lawsuit aren’t enough?

8 Recommend

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TB commented December 21

T

TB

ArizonaDec. 21

One of those days, so frequent now, when I wonder if there are any decent people anywhere.

20 Recommend

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KateR commented December 21

K

KateR

Overland Park, KSDec. 21

Does anyone else wonder what text messages from Blake and her PR team might reveal? Baldoni and team is despicable and it’s clear that Hollywood is horrible. Everyone involved in this should be ashamed of their behavior. Glad everyday humans are much much better than this.

17 Recommend

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1 Reply

C commented December 21

C

C

TexasDec. 21

@KateR The problem is every day humans are not better than this. They get swayed by these hate campaigns.

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Donna commented December 21

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Donna

New YorkDec. 21

This is appalling. Mr Baldoni and everyone else involved in this smear campaign need to be severely punished. Especially those woman!!! I hope they all go to jail. Let’s see how they like that. I hope he never gets another acting gig again.

31 Recommend

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Robbie commented December 21

R

Robbie

Los AngelesDec. 21

Funny, I wondered why Ms. Lively would do some of the things I heard.

14 Recommend

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Vero Cobb commented December 21

Vero Cobb

Vero Cobb

PhoenixDec. 21

Interesting to see what is behind the curtain on social media.

17 Recommend

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DMG commented December 21

D

DMG

NCDec. 21

I'm not surprised at all to read any of this. I was bewildered at the massive amount of vitriol she received on social media for what I thought were a few minor incidents of less-than stellar behavior. What kind of a person launches a career-destroying campaign like that as retaliation for wanting to be treated with respect at work? It's disgusting.

63 Recommend

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Katie commented December 21

K

Katie

LADec. 21

We have learned that the systematic manipulation of social media can elect a President, so why wouldn't it succeed in destroying a Hollywood star who is the victim of abuse?

51 Recommend

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Briana commented December 21

B

Briana

CaliforniaDec. 21

I wonder what their texts look like today.

28 Recommend

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2 Replies

NM commented December 21

N

NM

NYDec. 21

@Briana NO texts... They speak in person now

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Stephen McMaster commented December 21

S

Stephen McMaster

Henrico VADec. 21

@Briana No different, this type never learns.

7 Recommend

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Matt commented December 21

M

Matt

MontrealDec. 21

This article not so subtly suggests that Jonny Depp somehow used PR unjustly in his defence against Amber Heard's allegations of domestic abuse. Lest we forget, it was Heard who set a PR machine to destroy her ex husband and was found to have defamed him.

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2 Replies

Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@Matt The question isn’t whether PR machines are new or unique to this case, but whether we’re willing to accept calculated smear campaigns as just another part of the industry, especially when they target someone for speaking out about alleged misconduct.

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Jonny Walker commented December 21

J

Jonny Walker

SwitzerlandDec. 21

@Matt I agree. Somehow connecting heard to this story is unfair. Heard tried to ruin Depp and then at trial produced evidence of her violence against him and of his violence against a kitchen cabinet. Amber Heard was the villain in that story and always was. Lively was wronged here and it looks like she is about to be vindicated.

2 Recommend

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William Wenthe commented December 21

W

William Wenthe

Lubbock, TXDec. 21

What was so attractive about middle school that makes social media addicts want to live there forever?

33 Recommend

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Lily, Charlston commented December 21

L

Lily, Charlston

Bay Area, CADec. 21

Thank you for this reporting. Without knowing any of this background, the sex scenes in the movie irked me. They reeked of male sexual fantasy, porn and a male perspective on sex and intimacy. Even when there isn’t explicit violence, Lively’s character’s approach to sex and allure objectified and fetishized women.

26 Recommend

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Aimee commented December 21

A

Aimee

PhoenixDec. 21

This is a very interesting behind the scenes glance at the mechanics of seemingly organic social media that elevate and destroy public figures. I hope we see more legal action like this to expose the kind of payola that occurs in secret and drives enormous social trends that are now infused into every aspect of culture, commerce and even politics.

23 Recommend

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Bob Trosper commented December 21

B

Bob Trosper

Ferndale CADec. 21

None of this came across my “feeds” because i don’t have them. One should consider the word itself. Do you want to be FED news or go find it? I had no opinion about any of these persons before reading the article. Didn’t follow them or the movie. Based on the facts from the article it appears there was a coordinated smear campaign. I hope Ms. Lively prevails in her quest for justice if it proves out in court.

20 Recommend

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in ny commented December 21

i

in ny

nycDec. 21

Remember that she used the film to market her new hair care products instead of using the platform to advocate for victims of domestic violence!

21 Recommend

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5 Replies

Ryan commented December 21

R

Ryan

New York, NYDec. 21

@in ny what they missed in the article is that many of the videos posted to social media from the press tour snipped the full conversations where lively DID discuss DV and advocate for victims. That was intentional to build the narrative that she was completely avoiding the topic alltogether and promoting a different kind of movie.

32 Recommend

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Jackcoby commented December 21

J

Jackcoby

Elephant IslandDec. 21

This very article does cover that. Doesn't mean she deserved any of this.

4 Recommend

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C commented December 21

C

C

MADec. 21

@in ny I’m don’t mind. What I dislike is people generalizing in order to badmouth people. Do you advocate for victims of violence? It’s not up to her to do what you want her to. If you don’t advocate for victims that’s on you. Why is it necessary to badmouth her?

5 Recommend

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B Dawson commented December 21

B

B Dawson

Commonsense, USADec. 21

@Ryan Your comment suggests you have seen the unedited versions. Where are/were the full interviews available?

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Randolph Dabrowski commented December 21

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Randolph Dabrowski

Portland, ORDec. 21

@in ny And it looks like a terrible film from the trailer I watched on YouTube - more like a Hallmark Channel film.

1 Recommend

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Mrs Me commented December 21

M

Mrs Me

CADec. 21

“We can bury anyone.” Such chilling words. I’m sure Amber Heard is no saint (are any of these people?), but my heart went out to her after seeing how she was dragged through the mud during her fight with Johnny Depp. This story just validates that feeling. Someone (i forget who) once said, “Hollywood is like high school, but with money.” That about sums it up.

60 Recommend

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1 Reply

John commented December 21

J

John

Lake Placid, FLDec. 21

@Mrs Me You should go to YouTube and listen to the full recordings of Amber bullying, demeaning, insulting and gaslighting Depp. Meanwhile he is throughout the relationship begging her stop insulting and hitting him. -By the time it's over, you'll want to drag her too. Especially if you're an abuse survivors.

1 Recommend

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Ecne Inacanw commented December 21

E

Ecne Inacanw

Southwest USDec. 21

Why can’t men in Hollywood simply behave? Just knock it off! If this guy considers himself an ally to women, why is he yet incapable of thinking through the obvious bad behavior he engaged in and not do it in the first place?? Who proclaimed him an ally? Himself. And these women who sell themselves to be men’s fixers at the expense of another woman, look at yourself! Shame on you.

84 Recommend

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Kerin commented December 21

K

Kerin

OrlandoDec. 21

And people wonder why women would rather choose a bear in the woods. Even the "good men" can tear you apart.

51 Recommend

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2 Replies

DuckSoup commented December 21

DuckSoup

DuckSoup

AnatidaeDec. 21

@Kerin What good men? Where?

5 Recommend

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Laura Robinson commented December 21

L

Laura Robinson

Carrizozo, NMDec. 21

@Kerin If you read the article, you know that two women were involved with tearing apart another woman here. So maybe we should pick bears over humans, not just men?

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Apricot commented December 21

A

Apricot

Bloomington, INDec. 21

It was interesting to me to see the references here to Kjersti Flaa’s interview with Blake Lively. I remember reading about this in the NYT in October: “Has a Celebrity Interview Made You Cringe? It Was Probably Hers. Kjersti Flaa’s awkward interviews with Blake Lively and Anne Hathaway from years ago blew up online.” Seems like the Times may need to use some additional skepticism & critical thinking before so quickly amplifying whatever is (seemingly organically) “blowing up online.”

66 Recommend

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Greg Faulkner commented December 21

G

Greg Faulkner

UtahDec. 21

So Baldoni and his team of mud throwers were too clever by half. Let's hope is career is ruined and Wayfarer is finished. What a dirty ugly business Hollywood is and the people it attracts and enables.

58 Recommend

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Yes, And commented December 21

Y

Yes, And

Wakeman, OHDec. 21

What will be interesting: the pr resurrections for Jennifer Abel and Melissa Nathan. Who do they call for their rehab blitz?? Live by the sword…

30 Recommend

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1 Reply

Patrick Heron commented December 21

P

Patrick Heron

EugeneDec. 21

@Yes, And hopefully they are now radioactive and no one will get near them, except of course Scooter, who has his own stash of kryptonite, or whats left of it after TS worked him over.

5 Recommend

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The Irony commented December 21

T

The Irony

Front PorchDec. 21

Here is actress Blake Lively, known in the business to be as kind as she is smart and beautiful, on the set of a movie that particularly shows how men abuse women throughout generations ... and she has to keep asking her costar - who plays her abuser - to stop sexually harrassing her, stalking in her trailer, adding gratuitous sex scenes, showing her his wife nudes, talking about sex - I mean WTH. When he doesn't stop she has to call in her own husband and ask for protection from outside helpers. How messed up is that? I saw the smear campaign against Blake Lively very clearly as it appeared in Reddit and YouTube in an unusually vicious and aggressive manner. Even in the comments people are blaming Ms Lively because she has the temerity to use her beverage company to promote *gasp* a movie that speaks out against violence against women and the connection to alcohol abuse - something all major brands should be supporting!

74 Recommend

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Mrs Edith Furman commented December 21

M

Mrs Edith Furman

Bay AreaDec. 21

It’s astonishing what people will do for money. And disgusting. How do these sharks sleep at night?

25 Recommend

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J commented December 21

J

J

not hereDec. 21

When you read a phrase like “a forensic review she sought from a brand marketing consultant,” do you ever imagine what our ancestors, on their ships to America dreaming of a better life, would have thought of it?

15 Recommend

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Jennifer S commented December 21

J

Jennifer S

New YorkDec. 21

This is simply disgusting behavior-- and I'm sorry now that I read articles in reputable publications and came away from them thinking less of Ms Lively. And the fact that they were successful in part due to Ms Lively's gender makes this all so much worse. I'm glad she used her resources the right way to expose what truly happened here. These messages are so incredibly damning, these men should never work in Hollywood again.

60 Recommend

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gary commented December 21

g

gary

santa monicaDec. 21

Wish i could muster a tear or two for any of these people. Unfortunately, I am otherwise consumed by a recent article that pointed out the 100,000 students in the NY school system who are homeless. Personally i am a 60 something without a fortune, with a disability hoping i don't end up living on the streets some day in a wheelchair. But hey, I'll try ta work out some sympathy for these poor millionaires and their unfortunate lives. Poor things.

42 Recommend

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2 Replies

Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@gary This isn’t just about the personal drama of millionaires—it’s about how power dynamics and retaliation play out in high-profile industries. The same kinds of tactics used to silence someone like Blake Lively can—and often do—affect people with far less power or resources in other fields.

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L commented December 21

L

L

SDec. 21

@gary Sexual harassment is never ok. It’s damaging to the victim, all victims, and all perpetrators, regardless of income. It’s likely happened to someone you love. You can be concerned and sympathetic for more than one thing at a time if you choose to be. I do, others do too. I doubt anyone has pushed aside all other world problems so they can focus on this one. If you can take the time to tell us all how much you don’t care, you also have it in you to care.

14 Recommend

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RB commented December 21

R

RB

San FranciscoDec. 21

I remember this smear campaign well, as someone who read the book and watched the movie. I wasn’t sure what to believe though I refused to watch the interview clip of Blake that was widely circulated, as it seemed odd to me that it was suddenly emerging. (To be totally honest, I was a bit skeptical of the allegations because, as a fan of Taylor Swift, who is known for her generosity and kindness, it seemed strange that she’d be best friends with someone allegedly awful.) But the internet and social media were very harsh with Blake. This article is very scary and chilling. Kudos to Blake for coming forward. I’m sad that she experienced the violations described in the complaint. Godspeed, Blake.

89 Recommend

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2 Replies

Kristin commented December 21

K

Kristin

Seattle, WashingtonDec. 21

Sounds like you’re threatened by women telling the truth. Sounds like want them to shut up and sit down, and capitulate to any threats that happen when they speak out. That’s not a good look, @RB. Blake Lively wants to make sure other performers are aware of how this works, so that if they find themselves at the center of overblown bad publicity, they can take a closer look at what might be happening behind the scenes (pun intended). And rightly, Ms. Lively wants justice for these men’s (and their PR reps’) bad behavior. She did NOTHING wrong except stand up for herself and her desire not to be sexually objectified, and THIS happens? With this article, the truth is out and justice is served.

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Kari M. commented December 21

K

Kari M.

MinnesotaDec. 21

@RB FWIW, I did watch that interview clip and my only reaction was, "Well, that was a goofball headline. If the interviewer can't handle something that mild, she needs to get into a different line of work."

8 Recommend

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Julia commented December 21

J

Julia

NY,NYDec. 21

It appears she's trying to save her reputation. The movie was a success, people would forget the complaints about her now she brings it all up again.

12 Recommend

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10 Replies

Mark Graham commented December 21

M

Mark Graham

Auckland, New ZealandDec. 21

@Julia While there’s always the risk of a Streisand Effect happening against you, it would seem on the face of it that her allegations of manipulated media put against her are true. If that is the case, then surely it’s a good thing that she’s been able to call it out, not only for reputation, but also for her businesses, which appear also to have taken a hit. It’s entirely possible (probable?) that this is a retaliatory media hitjob, too, but should this go to court, then the truth will out.

9 Recommend

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Janet commented December 21

J

Janet

CanadaDec. 21

@Julia first The movie was a success. And second, that appears to be why they took their time amassing all the evidence they have. That they engaged a high powered PR firm that was intent on damaging her reputation and then all they could come up with that was that she was "tone deaf" says a lot.

13 Recommend

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Cindy commented December 21

C

Cindy

ArizonaDec. 21

@Julia did you actually read the article?

9 Recommend

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C commented December 21

C

C

MADec. 21

@Julia Yeah!! She brought it all up again and now the sleazy jerks who tried to cancel her are in the spotlight. Is that what you are bothered by? Because of her some people who pretend to be on the side of all women are outed. Thank you Blake Lively! She deserves to both save her reputation AND put nasty people on the hook for their nefarious activity. Is that what bothers you? Good for Blake for not letting people forget that they bought lies and defamation so easily. Maybe there’s something in that for even you to consider.

10 Recommend

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Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@Julia The evidence in her complaint reveals a calculated effort to destroy her reputation, even after the film’s release. By taking legal action, she’s not simply reopening old wounds—she’s fighting back against ruthless tactics that silence and harm others.

9 Recommend

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Tina commented December 21

T

Tina

BoiseDec. 21

@Julia Read the article. Reading is a good thing. There is literal documentation of a planned smear campaign against Blake. It’s pyschotic and evil when you read through their texts and messages. I’m glad they’re going to court.

8 Recommend

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stonymilovsky commented December 21

s

stonymilovsky

new yorkDec. 21

@Julia sounds like you're saying, "shut up and act!" Exactly why should she not respond to someone who is orchestrating a nefarious campaign against her that damages her career, reputation and business?

6 Recommend

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Ethan Franklin commented December 21

E

Ethan Franklin

Los AngelesDec. 21

@Julia And then, there are the people who read about mistreatment of women...and still blame the woman afterward.

6 Recommend

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Michelle commented December 21

M

Michelle

AustinDec. 21

@Julia Well yeah, they destroyed her reputation and businesses! Good for her for fighting back!

6 Recommend

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Kathryn commented December 21

K

Kathryn

ColoradoDec. 21

@Julia Why wouldn't anyone try to save their reputation if they've been savaged unfairly and damaged economically by creepy guys who were trying to hide their own bad behavior? It's unjust and it needs to be fixed.

8 Recommend

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Matt Carey commented December 21

M

Matt Carey

chicagoDec. 21

So weird. They embark upon a sophisticated and covert effort to trash a celebrity online, but it doesn’t seem to occur to them that it might be problematic to lay out the whole scheme in their texts. Come on kids, the internet is forever!

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Jen Brown commented December 21

J

Jen Brown

New JerseyDec. 21

I don't think we need to apologize to an incredibly fortunate person. She's empowered and taking action against the smear campaign with all the resources she has. Good for her, but let's keep perspective. Her life will go on and it will be a life greater than most humans could ever imagine. She doesn't need our apologies.

42 Recommend

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9 Replies

Ruth Heller commented December 21

R

Ruth Heller

Albany NYDec. 21

@Jen Brown neither she nor this article are asking for your (or anyone else’s) apology… it’s journalism - illuminating the facts of a situation.

15 Recommend

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Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@Jen Brown This case isn’t just about her. It’s about exposing how smear campaigns are used to silence people who speak up. While she can defend herself, many others can’t. Calling out these tactics matters for everyone, not just the rich and famous.

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C commented December 21

C

C

MADec. 21

@Jen Brown is it about need yet again? Rich versus poor? That’s a whole other discussion. This one is about something, many things, very wrong happening to a woman. How about it being about the bloodsuckers who love to read and believe lies and defamation? Maybe some of you stone cold celebrity eaters will take a millisecond to reconsider your greed at watching people being publicly mocked for no reason. Or maybe it won’t fix that very big problem

6 Recommend

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Zydeco Girl commented December 21

Z

Zydeco Girl

Boulder, CODec. 21

@Jen Brown - Rich or poor, abuse hurts.

5 Recommend

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Harriet Vane commented December 21

H

Harriet Vane

NJDec. 21

@Jen Brown She’s doing it in part because others who go through this *don’t* have her resources. For every rich/powerful woman this is done to who can weather the storm, hundreds of regular women who have suffered sexual harassment in the workplace are just destroyed.

5 Recommend

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Chris G. commented December 21

C

Chris G.

Tewksbury Township, NJDec. 21

@Jen Brown Maybe not, but it would show a mature spirit to do so, especially if you participated in piling on Ms. Lively' online back in August.

2 Recommend

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Shel commented December 21

S

Shel

Los AngelesDec. 21

@Jen Brown The apologies she needs are from the media outlets who were duped into being part of the smear campaign.

3 Recommend

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Brigette C commented December 21

B

Brigette C

Ashland OregonDec. 21

@Jen Brown "She doesn't need our apologies" Where does it say she asked for our apology? She didn't bring allegation of the abuse public, until they (the perps) ruined her reputation. She has every right to fight back! I too knew something fishy was going on, just couldn't put my finger on it. The use of social media by unappealing people can ruin us. I appreciate the times setting the record straight. Thall shalt not bear false witness on thy neighbor...

5 Recommend

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SML Global Citizen commented December 21

S

SML Global Citizen

Planet EarthDec. 21

@Jen Brown I think you're missing the bigger point. A man who claims to help women to advance his Persona and his businesses- berates, bullies and lies about a professional woman in order to destroy her reputation and businesses. The financial wealth of the victim should never matter. It's about a fraudulent and abusive man controlling a woman with lies and damage to her reputation. It's about men using the same tired tropes against women to smear them in public . I will admit that I heard much of the slander against her and I am ashamed that I believed it. No woman deserves this sort of abuse from a man or any other person. The fact that two womens' livelihoods depend upon socially crucifying women into professional bankruptcy is Sleazy and Despicable. While you believe Blake Lively doesn't need our apologies she certainly deserves them. Same with Amber Heard. How can one not see that she was telling the truth after seeing the videos of Depp drunk and abusive. To this day I refuse to watch anything he is associated with. That will now be the same with Baldoni. Any empathetic human being should find this disgraceful.

7 Recommend

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Will Hogan commented December 21

W

Will Hogan

WashingtonDec. 21

It always seemed like Amber Heard's situation was manipulated as well and that she was surprisingly tried mainly in the court of public opinion rather than in the more appropriate court of law. That always seemed fishy to me. Now it makes far more sense.

179 Recommend

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3 Replies

magicisnotreal commented December 21

m

magicisnotreal

earthDec. 21

@Will Hogan I get that she was vilified in the Press. But how did that affect the Jury's decision? I don't recall but weren't they prohibited from following the news?

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nyprof commented December 21

n

nyprof

New York stateDec. 21

@Will Hogan check out the podcast Who Trolled Amber, which is extremely revealing about how she was targeted

5 Recommend

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Monica commented December 21

M

Monica

NYCDec. 21

@Will Hogan she was tried in a court of law, for many weeks, with many witnesses called to the stand, and lost. After spending 7 millions dollars her lawyers didn’t manage to find a single instance of domestic violence from Johnny Depp, when she was recorded confessing to hitting him. As a female survivor of domestic violence, I can assure you that she was an abuser. The thousands of people online criticizing her were DV survivors who were disgusted that a rich woman was pretending to be one of theirs, when in fact she was a multiple times abuser. She even spent a night in jail for being violent with her first wife!!

4 Recommend

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Victoria commented December 21

V

Victoria

NYCDec. 21

This makes so much sense! I thought at the time there’s SO MUCH negative press it must be coordinated in some way. Great article!

129 Recommend

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RL Sidebotham commented December 21

R

RL Sidebotham

MTDec. 21

Why is this article published? Why is it of interest? Why did I read it? In a world of billions, why should we care about two people that cant behave like our expectation of adults or be professional enough to get along enough to just do their job without controversy? Why are we intrigued by their supporting cast of parasites? Because we are voyeuristic to the core and love the schadenfreude. So good for them for manipulating us.

29 Recommend

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18 Replies

KB- El Paso commented December 21

K

KB- El Paso

TexasDec. 21

@RL Sidebotham You realize this could happen to you if this kind of planned, coordinated hate campaign becomes something we all can use. Maybe now it's something that only people with money can deploy, but stuff trickles down, and someone will create software that can do this easily by anyone. It also shows unethical behavior that we should all condemn. Society needs standards of behavior to preserve comity in our relationships with others, something that seems to be lacking right now. Good for Blake Lively for fighting back.

78 Recommend

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SteHenm commented December 21

S

SteHenm

Washington, DCDec. 21

@RL Sidebotham. It’s not about what happens to the extremely fortunate on movie sets. It’s about raising awareness for those of us working in male dominated professions where the same type of behavior goes on. This article makes it more likely we’ll be believed.

62 Recommend

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WomanfromSF commented December 21

W

WomanfromSF

San FranciscoDec. 21

@RL Sidebotham I can speak for myself. I read stores like this because they inspire me as a woman as I continue to understand myself in a world where men retain more legal and monetary power than women. I had heard negative stories about her and they seemed far fetched. I’m glad to know my suspicions were founded. I am happy to be a „we“ with people who make room for and are interested in my perspective. I found this story valuable.

46 Recommend

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magicisnotreal commented December 21

m

magicisnotreal

earthDec. 21

@RL Sidebotham 1. To inform us of the fact that such things as these people who manipulate media to spread lies exists. It also informs us that some who work in media will spin their articles for the right price from people other than their employer. The subject here is the criminally degenerate system of PR people who do this for a living as if it's just a job and no big deal they lie to so many people n a regular basis.

19 Recommend

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TD commented December 21

T

TD

FloridaDec. 21

@RL Sidebotham I think it's an important reminder that these smear campaigns can be so effective (even when done by random PR firms...think about how much of our important beliefs might be due to carefully manufactured stories we read online). If nothing else, I will try to keep this in mind whenever I form opinions based on things I read. Also, a good reminder of the existence of cold calculating people to whom fooling public is like a sport to excel at. Very scary!

16 Recommend

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Rachel Amaru commented December 21

R

Rachel Amaru

BoulderDec. 21

@RL Sidebotham or because you care about women and power and it being twisted? And aren’t snobby enough to think pop culture lacks meaning?

5 Recommend

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DJ commented December 21

D

DJ

TexasDec. 21

@RL Sidebotham I’m going to guess you’re male. The story matters to women.

10 Recommend

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John Shade commented December 21

J

John Shade

MontreuxDec. 21

@RL Sidebotham If you think this was an example of bad behavior, lack of professionalism and manipulation of public opinion, pull up a chair! Have I got a story for you about politics since the beginning of time...

4 Recommend

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3steps commented December 21

3

3steps

New EnglandDec. 21

@RL Sidebotham Because this could happen to you for any reason. These guys run companies who job it is to destroy other people's reputations on social media and the internet. Just because this time it happened to some woman you hate doesn't mean it won't happen to you or someone you love tomorrow.

7 Recommend

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up north commented December 21

u

up north

MNDec. 21

@RL Sidebotham because this article shows how easy it is to manipulate public perspective for even the most mundane concerns. Imagine how much deeper the motivation, pockets and organization are for issues of actual concern.

6 Recommend

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Tina commented December 21

T

Tina

BoiseDec. 21

@RL Sidebotham It’s about the manipulation of news and messaging on social media. How does that NOT apply to everyone? Literally everyone. Mainpulation of media is one of the biggest of all societal problems. They brag at one point “we’re crushing it on Reddit.” And at another point they’re figuratively high-fiving each other at getting certain articles published. We as humans need to get discerning about this stuff, and this court case could potentially be huge in its impact.

7 Recommend

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Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@RL Sidebotham Beyond the spectacle, this case reveals deeper issues: how power is wielded, how narratives are controlled, and how retaliation silences people. It’s not just drama—it’s a look at the systems behind it. So how is that not of interest?

8 Recommend

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Mild-Mannered Economist commented December 21

M

Mild-Mannered Economist

MontrealDec. 21

@RL Sidebotham Of course we should care. Truth matters, regardless of which domain we work in. That there is such blatant lying and manipulation in this particulr industry is a reflection of the illness of the society as a whole.

8 Recommend

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C commented December 21

C

C

MADec. 21

@KB- El Paso Good point! When AI gets going more we shall see who survives the bullying.

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AJWoods commented December 21

A

AJWoods

New JerseyDec. 21

@RL Sidebotham It is published and is of interest because it is another case of a woman being abused. Something that happens much too often. It is good to call it out, leaving it in the shadows would be the worst thing that could happen. Let all abusers be called out and dealt with, civilization demands it.

8 Recommend

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Anne commented December 21

A

Anne

PortlandDec. 21

@RL Sidebotham: Because it’s about men behaving in sexually inappropriate ways and—when women speak up—they are punished. Even wealthy successful women shouldn’t have to put up with this.

9 Recommend

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Jane Smith commented December 21

J

Jane Smith

BostonDec. 21

@RL Sidebotham An angry vengeful paid disinformation campaign by Mr. Baldoni to deliberately damage Ms. Lively's business/reputation to hide his unethical dishonest behavior isn't scary? This wasn't a both sides situation, reread the article.

9 Recommend

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Imperato commented December 21

I

Imperato

NYCDec. 21

@RL Sidebotham you’re missing the much more important lesson in how easily public opinion can be manipulated via the tactics described.

8 Recommend

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Linda Rosenthal commented December 21

L

Linda Rosenthal

Lafayette, CADec. 21

While there is discussion of misogyny and toxic masculinity, I’d like to call out Ms. Nathan and Ms. Abel as some serious agents of chaos. Such a business. Just awful.

246 Recommend

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GDH commented December 21

G

GDH

NYDec. 21

I hope everyone who is criticizing Blake and suggesting her lawsuit is just a way to revive her reputation reads this. I didn’t see the movie, I’m more of a fan of Justin’s than Blake’s as I loved Jane the Virgin and haven’t really watched anything of Blake’s - but I’m so dismayed by the public’s reaction to her, especially that of other women. People apparently think they know her because of what they see in the media - well, 1, it’s obviously manipulated and 2, even if it wasn’t, you can’t know someone from video clips! It sounds like a lot of the cast had an issue with Justin. Whether there’s validity to the claims is not really the point (though I bet there is), I just can’t believe people are rushing to condemn her when they know nothing about what happened, they weren’t there. This is why women don’t speak up.

74 Recommend

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1 Reply

3steps commented December 21

3

3steps

New EnglandDec. 21

@GDH I know right... most of these comments are about how it was all her fault. Can they even read?

8 Recommend

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Valerie commented December 21

V

Valerie

PhiladelphiaDec. 21

As one of the paid "hired guns" to destroy Lively's reputation observed, people are really ready to hate women. We've certainly seen enough of that this year. Comments in response to an article in which Lively complains about pretty grotesque sexual harassment and retaliation end up focusing on the ugly half-truth talking points of Mr. Baldoni, the sexual harasser. As right-wing extremists and sexists are learning, Americans are extremely easy to manipulate. You can even tell them to their faces they're being manipulated and they will wave that away to repeat the lies and hate that they're being fed.

243 Recommend

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Rebecca commented December 21

R

Rebecca

OaklandDec. 21

It is crazy how some of these comments seem to continue the smear campaign. I would be zero percent surprised if these same people/organizations from the article are in these comments trying to “spin” the narrative. This story is wild. Women should be able to report sexual harassment in the workplace without retaliation. Period. The fact that other women help take down a woman in these circumstances is disgusting. This is a perfect example of why women do not report sexual harassment at work.

358 Recommend

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2 Replies

Tina commented December 21

T

Tina

BoiseDec. 21

@Rebecca There’s the intentional smear campaign and then there’s the people who obviously don’t even read the article but feel compelled to share their two cents. What a world.

31 Recommend

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Kathryn commented December 21

K

Kathryn

ColoradoDec. 21

@Rebecca Brilliant point. I expect you are right and these hired guns are working the comments trying to salvage what they can. The texts are pretty damning though. I hope everyone who smeared Blake Lively lives to regret it.

32 Recommend

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PNW commented December 21

P

PNW

U.S.Dec. 21

Their treatment of her is despicable. The fact that these predators are promoting themselves as 'protectors' of women is abhorrent. As a woman who was a recipient of domestic violence I don't care if Ms. Lively brought up that the movie was about it in interviews or not. The studio made the call, end of story. When I read what these two men did to her, walking into her private space while she was undressed, or feeding her child, set off all kinds of alarms with me. These are acts done with purpose to exert power over her, and they continued to do so even after being told to stop. She was forced to put it in writing. I hope that she continues the process and files. All of the things they wrote and everything that they did to "bury" her. The message to women in abusive situations? Stand up and fight those abusers. It is FAR easier to tell yourself that it is your fault, or that it will not happen again, and then it does. It is HARD to say 'no more'. Blake Lively has every right to stand up to them and what they did. Whether her personal wealth is a billion dollars or a hundred, that makes no difference. I hope any woman who thinks that they are safe around these men will know that they are not. This kind of behavior doesn't happen in a vacuum.

228 Recommend

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Grace commented December 21

G

Grace

Philadelphia, PADec. 21

This piece has me thinking about so many things — Did Mr. Baldoni start getting involved in the #MeToo movement to bury past misdeeds? What happened before the writers strike to make Ms. Lively seek those protections? And perhaps the most jarring thing: If someone as famous, well-resourced, and well-liked as Blake Lively can have her life torn apart by a man who harmed *her,* who is safe?

161 Recommend

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Hunter commented December 21

H

Hunter

Los AngelesDec. 21

Anytime a person all of a sudden comes out for a cause like standy by women & against domestic violence is a huge smoking gun to cover their own tracks. Its like when the cheating spouse is extra nice to their partner to over compensate and cover thier guilty misdeeds.

44 Recommend

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Henry commented December 21

H

Henry

San Jose, Ca.Dec. 21

First, let me say that I'm with Blake Lively. The problem is that the vast majority of Americans believe everything they read on all social media platforms (or maybe I should say anti-social media platforms). If it's on the internet, it must be true. They take it as bible. The vast majority have forgotten how to use their critical thinking skills. Add to that the fact that 54% of American adults are only able to read BELOW a sixth-grade level. 54% !!!!!! This means that about 130 million Americans (130 MILLION!!! - that's more than 1/3 of the US population) between the ages of 16 to 74 have low literacy skills. Maybe America is becoming more stupid. Maybe the American experiment is starting to fail because more and more Americans are lacking intelligence or comprehension resulting in making unintelligent decisions.

56 Recommend

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2 Replies

Stacey P commented December 21

S

Stacey P

CanadaDec. 21

@Henry Not maybe You’ve nailed it there

8 Recommend

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Amy bown commented December 21

A

Amy bown

RochesterDec. 21

@Henry The irony is you're with Blake Lively because of what you've read on the internet.

3 Recommend

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James commented December 21

J

James

SeattleDec. 21

If you read the book then you know that it’s very much about partner abuse, which is a fact. There is something very suspicious about Lively promoting her libations brand in a flowery fashion to launch this movie as a rom-com. So to anyone looking from the outside in there is obviously a difference of opinions on how this movie was produced and who has the most power. From reading this article it looks like someone from the power couple or FOF scored these very confidential texts. Who’s the mean one now?

18 Recommend

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9 Replies

S commented December 21

S

S

VirginiaDec. 21

@James if you read the article, then you'd note that the actors were originally instructed to promote the film without focusing on DV. She did that, as was instructed. HE doubled down on the DV narrative when it became clear it would make him look good, even though the production company had asked that not be the focus of interviews. So yes, she followed instructions and he didn't, but by all means that must be her being "mean." And these "very confidential" texts were recovered via subpoena, a legal means of gathering information relative to a lawsuit.

61 Recommend

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Eggplant commented December 21

E

Eggplant

ParmesanDec. 21

@James think you missed the crux of the article?

7 Recommend

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3steps commented December 21

3

3steps

New EnglandDec. 21

@James I didn't read the book.. or watch the movie. I did however read the article. Perhaps you should too.

9 Recommend

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chezjim commented December 21

c

chezjim

North Hollywood, CADec. 21

@James The article states clearly that she got them by subpoena. Nothing underhanded about that. And what is "mean" about revealing people's own (very incriminating) words?

6 Recommend

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Bonnie commented December 21

Bonnie

Bonnie

West CoastDec. 21

@James They "scored" these texts by getting a judge to issue a subpoena which means they had to show a legitimate reason for getting the texts--that there was a conspiracy happening.

6 Recommend

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Imperato commented December 21

I

Imperato

NYCDec. 21

@James the studio instructed the actors to downplay the domestic violence aspect of the film. It’s stated right in this article.

6 Recommend

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magicisnotreal commented December 21

m

magicisnotreal

earthDec. 21

@James None of that is the topic. Those are the attacks launched by the men whom she was secure enough to set boundaries with before they made the sexual advances their behaviour telegraphed was coming.

5 Recommend

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DJ commented December 21

D

DJ

TexasDec. 21

@James You’re suggesting it’s “mean” to use legal process ( a subpoena, per article) to do litigation discovery? She has every right to do that. It’s not mean

7 Recommend

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Liz commented December 21

L

Liz

Pasadena, CADec. 21

@James the very beginning of the article explains that all of the messages were obtained via subpoena. Not sure what you mean by “scored” them. Following legal processes is not mean…

7 Recommend

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JD commented December 21

J

JD

Long IslandDec. 21

And it worked. Everyone on social media was dragging Blake Lively.

39 Recommend

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2 Replies

Liz commented December 21

L

Liz

Pasadena, CADec. 21

@JD they still are unfortunately.

7 Recommend

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Patrick commented December 21

P

Patrick

New YorkDec. 21

@JD but they were dragging her based on video evidence of her tone deafness in interviews. Pretty sure she would have got dragged even if they didn’t try and smear her. Also what do y’all think a crisis PR team does?

3 Recommend

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Mr J commented December 21

M

Mr J

OhioDec. 21

Hollywood seems to be populated with people who went through middle school and thought, “this is how everything should be all the time.”

57 Recommend

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1 Reply

magicisnotreal commented December 21

m

magicisnotreal

earthDec. 21

@Mr J You ever wonder why the Romans had so much sexuality in the public sphere and seemed to emphasise the trivial in so much of life in spite of how sophisticated people must have been to do all the things they did? This is our version of those Bread & Circuses.

1 Recommend

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Vera commented December 21

V

Vera

CTDec. 21

My guess is that disrespect and messy unprofessional stuff went down from both sides. Just another reason why some of us avoided the biz and stuck with performing in small theater productions: less politics and the backstabbing is not as severe. We are definitely poorer for it, but having less stress means our internal payoff is a bit more accessible.

15 Recommend

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2 Replies

C commented December 21

C

C

MADec. 21

@Vera Bothsidism. Way to avoid the hard work of thinking about and considering the facts. Your guess may be totally incorrect only you smugly say things, without shame. When will people learn to think and process information?

7 Recommend

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KB- El Paso commented December 21

K

KB- El Paso

TexasDec. 21

@Vera I didn't read anything about Lively going into the men's trailers while they were nude or doing something as private as pumping baby's breast milk. So it's not a two-sided problem; it's a one-sided situation of workplace abuse and harassment.

7 Recommend

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Brian commented December 21

B

Brian

hereDec. 21

This is all quite interesting, especially as the NYT itself highlighted Ms. Flaa's interviews in a piece back in October, focusing on the one with Ms. Lively, as discussed here. Perhaps the Times should look into its own process for sourcing stories if, in fact, it turns out that the revisiting of that interview all stemmed from a preventative PR smear effort. Also, I just noticed that there was a recent online pile-on against Ms. Lively based on something her husband said about their class roots -- she said nothing, mind you, but still came in for criticism and a misleading headline. All of this is especially interesting as I have no interest in this actress, or her Marvel movie husband -- yet the negative press is reaching even me. Those crisis pr people's texts quoted in this article seem quite true then -- they are very good at what they do.

89 Recommend

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1 Reply

Ree commented December 21

R

Ree

Bay AreaDec. 21

@Brian While reading this article I was racking my brain as to why I'd watched Ms. Flaa's interview - Oct NYT article! Based on the interviews I've watched with Blake Lively and others, I believe that while Ms Lively has beauty, money and privilege she lacks the knack of connecting with people in a genuine manner. I guess you can't have it all.

3 Recommend

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Ken commented December 21

K

Ken

BronxDec. 21

The number of people who will sell their souls for a living must be remarkably high. A six figure salary for smearing the reputation of a victim of sexual harassment? Where do I sign up, all too many ask.

42 Recommend

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Cammy commented December 21

C

Cammy

San FranciscoDec. 21

Why anyone would believe anything they read on socials is beyond me. Hollywood, politics, “influencer” drivel, it’s all fabricated and paid for. Wake up.

28 Recommend

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1 Reply

Ruth commented December 21

R

Ruth

TorontoDec. 21

@Cammy I don't read those stories, there is nothing that would bore me more. However, somehow I became aware that Blake Lively was "difficult" a few months ago. I must have picked up this info subliminally by scrolling news sites, pop-ups, etc. They really know how to influence us.

7 Recommend

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Kent commented December 21

K

Kent

CanadaDec. 21

The Hollywood elite live by their own rules clearly. Disturbing to know these sick individuals control the media and film industry.

23 Recommend

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Cynthia commented December 21

C

Cynthia

IndianaDec. 21

Unbelievable. I am so glad you have exposed this shameful activity and the shameless characters who engaged in it. May Blake Lively's career blossom and outlive this event. And may she win in court and obtain full apologies from those who sought to derail her career. What a phony-baloney is Justin Baldoni.

89 Recommend

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Stargazer commented December 21

S

Stargazer

CascadiaDec. 21

A tale as old as time….a woman being smeared and, in some cases, burned and buried when she stands up for herself.

98 Recommend

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1 Reply

Beth commented December 21

B

Beth

desertDec. 21

@Stargazer Lines are crossed. There's no such thing as a woman anymore. Can't use gender as a defense to this story. This is what happens when blurring occurs. Women lose their rights to privacy.

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PEP commented December 21

P

PEP

HoustonDec. 21

Gossip about celebrities was always a given, especially about film personalities. A whole media ecosystem used to thrive on this. Everyone knew what those "certain types" of magazines or broadsheets were and anything printed in those was all gossip and good for a couple of chuckles and nothing more. What I found scary after reading this is the weaponization of gossip through social media to the extent of destroying lives or livelihoods. Looks like this can happen to anyone. A business rival can utterly destroy his/her opponent without having to invest in anything other than manipulating social media.

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Jessica Lanier commented December 21

J

Jessica Lanier

Rockport MADec. 21

Gross just gross. Social media is a scourge.

46 Recommend

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PW commented December 21

P

PW

Fort MyersDec. 21

How do you know this wasn't a publicity stunt cooked up by all parties concerned just to gin up interest in the movie?

7 Recommend

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2 Replies

Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@PW Fair question, but the detailed evidence—texts, PR strategies, and legal filings—suggests this wasn’t staged. These tactics point to real power struggles, not manufactured drama

8 Recommend

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Imperato commented December 21

I

Imperato

NYCDec. 21

@PW umm….those quoted texts were from legal discovery.

6 Recommend

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JJD commented December 21

J

JJD

Ever Ever LandDec. 21

I think Justin is thinking twice and having regrets

12 Recommend

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DM commented December 21

D

DM

Washington, DCDec. 21

How many of these comments fall from the poisonous tree of that smear campaign? Is the smear campaign even over? You would think Blake was a political or religious figure, and not just an entertainer, with the money and energy put into this. Absolutely disgusting.

37 Recommend

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Michael commented December 21

M

Michael

San FranciscoDec. 21

What a nasty industry! The PR shills and worse yet the people that hire them.

32 Recommend

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1 Reply

magicisnotreal commented December 21

m

magicisnotreal

earthDec. 21

@Michael These are the same sort of people who brought us reagan and the monstrosity he turned the republican party into.

3 Recommend

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David commented December 21

D

David

Los AngelesDec. 21

Wow, how fascinating, and what a mess. The only winners here seem to be “brand marketing consultants.” As an outsider to all these people, it appears everyone involved is a publicity grabber and acted stupidly. Same with Depp/Heard, even going back to Farrow/Allen. No one telling the truth, both unreliable and throwing mud. Sad. Makes money, though, so keep it coming.

9 Recommend

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1 Reply

Stephen commented December 21

S

Stephen

San FranciscoDec. 21

@David It surprises me that your response to this article is to fall for the exact game these crisis management teams are playing. Drown the system in noise, so rather than see the obvious distinction (between the rapist, the domestic abuser, the vindictive weasel with a Napoleon complex & the women who respond angrily to them), you just see “Everyone is awful.” No one cited in this piece seems to have set out believing they could make Baldoni look good, only that they could obfuscate negative press about his HR scandal into some both sides nonsense, so he wouldn’t look uniquely bad. Turning Lively into a villain and him into a martyr was a cherry on top, and one that they seem surprised (/giddy) over in their texts. This article has (hopefully) undone that bonus perk, but your comment tells me that Baldoni and his team have still achieved exactly what they wanted.

7 Recommend

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Lee D. commented December 21

L

Lee D.

ParisDec. 21

Though Ms Lively has more celebrity, it seems like actor/director hats for one of the men and a producer hat for the other man tipped the on-set power balance in the men’s favor. The text messages are quite damning. This situation is similar to the smear campaigns against actress Katherine Heigl starting back in 2009.

58 Recommend

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1 Reply

Imperato commented December 21

I

Imperato

NYCDec. 21

@Lee D. Yes….a similar stench.

4 Recommend

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Blue commented December 21

B

Blue

New York CityDec. 21

Yeah, Blake Lively ain’t no angel and no victim. Just watch the interview with Flaa. Maybe the video showed up as part of some smear campaign but the content speaks for itself— Lively’s behavior (and Parker Posey’s in another video) was so gross I lost all respect for her.

28 Recommend

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4 Replies

Kathryn commented December 21

K

Kathryn

ColoradoDec. 21

@Blue Not sure what you're talking about. I watched the interview with Flaa when it came out again, and was baffled about all the fuss. I remember thinking the whole thing seemed manufactured even back then.

12 Recommend

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M commented December 21

M

M

PADec. 21

@Blue so one bad interview ruined her for you but you have no sympathy for her in this completely unrelated event? That is an extreme position.

7 Recommend

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nyprof commented December 21

n

nyprof

New York stateDec. 21

@Blue I haven’t seen them but the Who Trolled Amber podcast uncovers how video can be manipulated—quite alarming to read about.

4 Recommend

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Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@Blue Even if she’s not perfect, deliberate retaliation crosses an ethical line, don't you think?

5 Recommend

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Hiker commented December 21

H

Hiker

CaliforniaDec. 21

This story is like high school but with bigger budgets and professional marketing departments. Especially the part about who unfollows who.

44 Recommend

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Airat commented December 21

A

Airat

DenverDec. 21

I cannot get past the irony of a man playing a controlling abuser, and then in real life, being one. I know there are differences here, but here is where they connect. Some men who control and abuse their partners can be very outwardly likable and charming--this helps to further isolates their victim and make sure no one listens to them when they look for help or support. This emotional and psychological abuse effectively beats down the victim and destroys their sense of self. Abusers are great at controlling the narrative since they think about it all the time and are consumed by appearances. These two men hired a hit team and then authorized attacks on a woman to remove her agency and voice. That is abuse.

314 Recommend

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2 Replies

Jezzy commented December 21

J

Jezzy

CADec. 21

@Airat I agree with your response. While watching the movie, I had a creepy feeling about him. There's a saying " What's done in the dark is always exposed to the light." Now Baldoni and his co conspirators are exposed. They are sickening in their ruse.

24 Recommend

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Moi commented December 21

M

Moi

ParisDec. 21

@Airat Thank you, your comment is so important.

8 Recommend

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Justine commented December 21

J

Justine

ConnecticutDec. 21

The narrative from the beginning of time has been that women who are assertive, aggressive, and even unpleasant in their demeanor are not worthy of respect and decency. Men are very rarely held to the standards of women in any way so when a serious serious allegation having to do with sexual misconduct arises the narrative always goes back to pointing out behaviors or character flaws in women. Bottom line is that women and all people regardless of their demeanor should be safe from being harmed or violated through sexual violence. Period.

85 Recommend

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John commented December 21

J

John

Lake Placid, FLDec. 21

Whatever point you have is wrecked by comparing this case to Depp v Heard. - The in-court evidence alone made it gut-wrenchingly obvious that Amber Heard was the abuser in that case, and that she has leveled false allegations. -No social media campaign needed. Her own recorded words and manner of speech in the relationship were familiar, and triggering, to many abuse survivors. Your comparison can only hurt Ms Lively.

14 Recommend

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1 Reply

Sbv17 commented December 21

S

Sbv17

Medford, MADec. 21

@John Did you miss the part of the article that said the same firm who vilified Blake Lively also destroyed Amber Heard’s reputation during Johnny Depp’s civil suit? Don’t you think you should examine where your views of Amber Heard came from and whether you are being manipulated??

13 Recommend

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Choosing to evolve commented December 21

C

Choosing to evolve

BostonDec. 21

I remember watching an interview with Baldoni in the summer about the making of this movie. I could tell what was going without knowing anything that happened- just by the things he said about Blake in the interview- his comments were passive aggressive against Blake and her husband and stood out to me immediately. He called her a "marketing genius" which is not an actual compliment in the context of that movie. He was setting her up to be seen as a manipulator. It was so obvious to me. The irony was that I knew nothing of what was happening. I was watching the video thinking he was such a great guy. Until he talked about Blake and her husband. I knew instantly what he was doing.

94 Recommend

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Diane commented December 21

D

Diane

DenverDec. 21

I was not familiar with Jason Baldoni when I recently watched the movie on Netflix, but got a real creep vibe from him immediately. It’s another tale of men saying they support women, etc., while their actions suggest the exact opposite. Will it ever end?

65 Recommend

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Don'tTrustAtoms commented December 21

D

Don'tTrustAtoms

ColoradoDec. 21

Go Blake! I am sorry for what you had to endure. The amount of proof you have is impeccable. Baldoni deserves every ounce of what is coming to him. He made his own bed, now he can lie in it.

67 Recommend

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1 Reply

Eric commented December 21

E

Eric

New YorkDec. 21

@Don'tTrustAtoms glad someone is thinking of the rich, privileged celebrity

1 Recommend

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Chris Williams commented December 21

C

Chris Williams

ChicagoDec. 21

Can we agree that all of us, we NYT subscribers - unless someone here was involved in this situation - really don't know the true reality of all this? Does anyone wonder about PR professionals trying to manipulate and shape reality for people who can never really accurately discern that reality? Isn't this the way of our modern world in general - a lack of humility concerning what we know and don't know? None of us really know the nuances of this situation. Maybe all the parties were worthy of some criticism? Maybe we should all step back from a manufactured reality, and admit that in the end, we are all clueless and unable to make a moral judgment about who is in the right and wrong? Maybe we should reject this whole process?

33 Recommend

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6 Replies

J Norris commented December 21

J Norris

J Norris

FranceDec. 21

@Chris Williams Yes, and I will venture further to ask ( as I am now ) why on earth we even care. But this has always been an effective yet insidious tool of the fourth estate.

3 Recommend

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Harriet Vane commented December 21

H

Harriet Vane

NJDec. 21

@Chris Williams There is a paper trail of her Lively immediately going to the studio to complain, then agreeing to new protections on set after the writers strike rather than go through HR/trying to get Baldoni replaced because she was worried about so many under the line staff/crew having been out of work so long and not wanting to hold up them returning to work. It says Baldoni when to Coleen Hoover, writer of the book, to diss Lively - and Hoover instead siding with Lively *based on how Baldoni was behaving*. We may not know the nuances, but there’s more than broad strokes and rumors here, there’s a paper trail on both sides that shows what Baldoni did.

22 Recommend

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3steps commented December 21

3

3steps

New EnglandDec. 21

@Chris Williams She has the evidence in the form of text messages.. But you still want to say that it's all in her head? Honestly.. you are part of the problem. You are why these smear campaigns work so well.

12 Recommend

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Mm commented December 21

M

Mm

Los AngelesDec. 21

@Chris Williams the evidence of misconduct on the part of the director and the “hit people” he hired were obtained legally and are damning. Why equivocate? Seems like just more misogyny honestly.

8 Recommend

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Imperato commented December 21

I

Imperato

NYCDec. 21

@Chris Williams those texts quoted in the article are from discovery. You can bet if there was similar material on the other side, they would be plastering it everywhere. Instead they just issued a lame denial.

8 Recommend

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Chris Williams commented December 21

C

Chris Williams

ChicagoDec. 21

@3steps as I said, it may be, or maybe I should say likely, that there was bad behavior on the part of everyone - that includes the bad men. I don't know what your experience is, but let me tell you that in my career as an attorney, and having inside knowledge of a story that garners some media attention . . . the media version of reality is almost never entirely accurate. Maybe you're part of the problem when you assume you have it figured out, and then insult the person who is trying to warn other people to be humble and understand the limitations of their knowledge? Bad behavior by men should be punished, proportionate to the offense, I believe that strongly. But honestly . . . maybe it's your misguided sense that you have all this figured out that is really part of the larger problem.

1 Recommend

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Jan commented December 21

J

Jan

CopenhagenDec. 21

The sad story here is: Blake Lively didn’t take him down for sexual inappropriateness when she could - instead, she decided to use it as leverage in a power game. One interview where she states the facts could ruin him. If the facts are there. She chose the box office and the hair care line. That’s why it’s hard to root for her.

32 Recommend

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3 Replies

M commented December 21

M

M

PADec. 21

@Jan She lawyered up and got control of the movie which did great. It was then that the men got truly scared and angry that she got control so they created a smear campaign against her in order to regain control. It isnt hard to not sexually harass anyone. Maybe start there.

20 Recommend

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John commented December 21

J

John

British ColumbiaDec. 21

@Jan So she was suppose to take him down in the middle of making a movie. Break her contract and be sued for millions of dollars. Your are too far from Hollywood to know enough about it.

13 Recommend

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RB commented December 21

R

RB

LADec. 21

@Jan sounds like she wasn’t trying to take him down at first, but when the smear campaign against her started she felt she had to come forward with her side of the story as what he and his team did could be considered “retaliation.”

6 Recommend

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lfkl commented December 21

l

lfkl

los ángelesDec. 21

Putting things in print/texts is saying the quiet part out loud.

24 Recommend

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athena commented December 21

athena

athena

Charlottesville VaDec. 21

Unfortunately, it sounds like another attempt to use attention-getting negative publicity to get eyeballs. Yes, it was started somewhat by our POTUS, but then Hollywood has been doing the salacious routine for years, fostered by the PR agent of choice. If you snooze, you lose eyeballs on your movie. Maybe. As Norma Desmond said, any publicity is good publicity. We are sifting through fake news at this point, granted a little sauciness on the set is o well...it goes on.

2 Recommend

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Laura commented December 21

L

Laura

LondonDec. 21

Who exactly made the decision that the stars focused on promoting the more upbeat / floral elements of the film? We need names, and a chain of command. For surely this was a decision borne out of self-interest; a pre-agreed strategy whose aim was to maximise box office sales and swell the coffers of both Blake and Justin. Fine - that's the game - but if it was the game, the belated flip-flopping and cod-sympathy towards victims of DV is utterly abhorrent. I can't be alone in feeling quite depressed that so many of us revere these people, when they so clearly have nothing but disdain for us. Be careful who you worship. And be careful what you text.

11 Recommend

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Will commented December 21

W

Will

CaliforniaDec. 21

I don’t know why anyone takes these selective outrage cancel campaigns seriously anymore.

6 Recommend

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Betty commented December 21

B

Betty

USADec. 21

Perhaps the most impactful part of this article to me was the fact Mr. Baldoni & team used Domestic Violence survivors as a talking point for a marketing strategy, as if to claim moral superiority over Ms. Lively’s perceived lack of interest in DV. Survivors and their stories aren’t marketing tactics or PR stunts. Shameful.

62 Recommend

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Olga commented December 21

O

Olga

New YorkDec. 21

For anyone who watched this film it becomes obvious that the main character of the movie is the one portrayed by Ms Lively. And yet this article refers to the main male lead as the star and the main female lead as the co-star. When will this bias end? The movie is about a woman overcoming a cycle of abuse. She is the star. He is the co-star. Why is NY Times, while talking about the horrible treatment that Ms Lively received on set, promoting her abuser. Watch the way you write and give women the credit that they so rightfully deserve.

29 Recommend

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1 Reply

Kate commented December 21

K

Kate

93465Dec. 21

@Olga That's because the only people *ever* to refer to Baldoni as the lead and Lively as the co-star are the authors of this article. Careful what you read.

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Philip commented December 21

P

Philip

San FranciscoDec. 21

This has gone on since Hollywood began. Both sides. Right or wrong. It's showbiz. Nothing to see here folks, move on.

9 Recommend

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1 Reply

Shel commented December 21

S

Shel

Los AngelesDec. 21

@Philip Yes. You are right. Women have been treated this way since Hollywood began. The difference is now women push back.

7 Recommend

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Rafael R commented December 21

R

Rafael R

Coos BayDec. 21

I feel empathy for Blake Lively, though her suffering is fairly confined and personal. When Trump and Musk gaslight the public with one lie and falsehood after another—for example, concerning the negative portrayals of Hillary Clinton or Kamala Harris that had little connection to reality—then we all suffer the consequences.

23 Recommend

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NA commented December 21

N

NA

NycDec. 21

This is so disturbing. It seems that she went easy on JB and the studio after being harassed by them. The grotesque irony of men who claim to be feminist behaving like women haters. It seems everyone is desperate to salvage their reputations but no woman should be harassed in any workplace. She doesn’t have to be nice or likable to have basic human rights.

33 Recommend

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Joe M commented December 21

J

Joe M

Out WestDec. 21

It would do our society justice to teach media critical thinking in elementary schools! This level of manipulation, disguised as anonymous everyday citizens, fuels the internet. Times: Please expose more. Especially in the political arena.

22 Recommend

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Christina commented December 21

C

Christina

Santa FeDec. 21

I turned off the movie when Mr. Baldoni took off his shirt and then went on to take off Ms. Lively's clothes. I didn't need facebook or anyother social media to tell me that Mr. Baldoni was manipulating the story and Ms. Lively. I am a strong believer in believing what I see.

17 Recommend

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1 Reply

Amy bown commented December 21

A

Amy bown

RochesterDec. 21

@Christina Don't believe what you see in movies. They are meant to appear realistic, by definition. Those scenes were supervised by intimacy coordinators. If anything untoward were happening, they would have been stopped.

3 Recommend

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Love commented December 21

L

Love

TexasDec. 21

It is horrible to read how intentional it was to shadow a woman who was merely asking for fair working conditions with hate and bad publicity. It is even more horrible that the person is Blake Lively, mostly because she has been tone deaf in the past. It makes her an easy target - and that is horrible. I want to see the studio pay for what they did to her, but I really hope she sees the position of power she has a white woman with money and personal backing. How she is also using the current system to win but many other women even with her exposing these tactics do not have the ability to win and never will in our lifetime. In order for the system to change we need to acknowledge the advantages we have, and empower others by changing the system. Lobbying for change. Blake Lively, you can be an ambassador for change and also start the change.

15 Recommend

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Tiddle commented December 21

T

Tiddle

SomewhereDec. 21

These guys are picking the wrong target in Lively as if she can be bullied and buried. She's the other half of the current It-couple in Hollywood, with her husband flying high both in movies and in side-business deals. (Even Reynolds' unfollowing Baldoni is worth mentioning in this report.) She also has powerful high-profile allies like Taylor Swift who could very likely jump in, write a song against the pig of a man Baldoni and Heath has been, and the guys will watch the table turning on them in a hurry. I have no interest in chicken flicks like "It Ends With Us," but knowing now how this male lead has been harassing Lively, I for one will definitely NOT this movie.

10 Recommend

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Marty commented December 21

M

Marty

JacksonvilleDec. 21

I remember reading the sudden onslaught against Blake Lively and thinking it had to be a smear campaign. It seemed kind of obvious. But the real amateur-hour part of it is the text messages detailed in this article. Anyone should know that text messages can be subpoenaed. So not only did they carry out an obvious (at least to me) smear campaign, they failed to cover their tracks!

37 Recommend

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1 Reply

Imperato commented December 21

I

Imperato

NYCDec. 21

@Marty they clearly felt invulnerable as they felt Blake bringing a lawsuit against them was outside of possibility because it could be career ending in Hollywood.

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Ella commented December 21

E

Ella

NMDec. 21

Just one more example of how the media is constantly being manipulated because so very few of you perform true journalism. As a result the odds that the average person is being lied to on any given story are roughly 50/50. This was about one actress and one movie. She’ll be fine and no one is going to suffer if they didn’t watch her movie because of a smear campaign. Now think what all of you have allowed to happen with the 2024 election. Safe-space lazy stenography, rather than fearlessly fact checking and seeking truth so that readers get the real story, may have brought about the downfall of a once great Democracy.

12 Recommend

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1 Reply

D.R.S. commented December 21

D

D.R.S.

Washington, DCDec. 21

@Ella Actually, if she develops a "reputation" for being, say, tone-deaf or difficult, despite how successful she has been she may find it hard to get cast, or get projects green-lit.

2 Recommend

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westland commented December 21

w

westland

ChicagoDec. 21

Hollywood Drama? Who would have thought? Of course, Hollywood is a cesspool. Give that much power to a group of juvenile misanthropes and drama queens, and abuse and misinformation will flourish. It's literally built into the reviews of film critics and promoters, making it hard for filmgoers to find out if a film is any good. However, the situation is probably much better than in the past because it is easier in the age of social media to find out the truth. The algorithmic approach to making movies on Netflix and Amazon has marginalized the traditional Hollywood gossip machine.

5 Recommend

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SBL commented December 21

S

SBL

Los AngelesDec. 21

My mother always said, “A reputation is like a piece of china: one crack, and it stays forever.” The abuse Lively endured is far more insidious and pervasive to women in Hollywood than sexual abuse. They wanted to destroy her reputation. As a successful woman in Hollywood, I angered the wrong man (10 years ago) and was slandered so severely by this influential man that my career was stopped almost overnight. To this day, my representation has to fight to get me out for job interviews. If I get in the room for a meeting, the feedback is always the same, “She’s so nice. How could she be that person so and so described?” Misogyny allows people to think the worst.

43 Recommend

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mike commented December 21

m

mike

Cleveland HtsDec. 21

Good for Blake Lively. Time to shine a light on the chain of texts sent to destroy 'her brand'. I don't 'follow' Blake or anybody for that matter, but you dish it out, then be prepared for the blowback. I suggest Times readers watch one of my all time favorites, "Sweet Smell of Success" with Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

13 Recommend

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calea commented December 21

c

calea

ColoradoDec. 21

Ms Lively worked within the system to resolve issues on the set. And, even according to her, things got better until she came up with her own cut of the film. Perhaps Mr. Baldoni was angered by that and this was coupled with his growing fear that he would be seen as less than he purports to be due to his and others misogynistic and sexist behavior on the set especially entering unannounced while Ms Lively was nude. So the smear campaign began against Ms Lively. What is also appalling is that women [Ms Abel et al] should have paused [first as women knowing the victimization of women] before taking the hatchet job. They did not and they should have paused as human beings as well as their behavior was unethical and should be recognized as such. Further, Ms Flaa was told very specifically by Ms Lively in her interview that very often many people in and out of show business assume they ‘know’ her [Ms Lively] and, despite, that Ms Flaa went past Ms Lively’s aforementioned personal boundaries and made more of it than necessary. PR is one thing. Covert weaponization is quite another and should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

27 Recommend

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Mark B commented December 21

M

Mark B

San FranciscoDec. 21

The irony that this film was about ending the pattern of men abusing women in a patriarchal system, and then it turns out the villain of the film was a villain in real life, and the actress was abused by the actor alongside their characters. Incredible. And sad.

32 Recommend

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Paul commented December 21

P

Paul

Anchorage AlaskaDec. 21

I'm not sure why I ready this but I did. All I can say is that it's really just tragic and terrifying what these people choose to do with their lives.

13 Recommend

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BFF commented December 21

B

BFF

SFODec. 21

Now it makes sense why Blake Lively pops up online. I read medical peer-reviewed journals, research papers, listen to classical music, shop online, read the news. There is no reason she should pop up for me, I still don’t even know who she, but I’m piecing together she is an actress being attacked by a predatory man who hates women. I’m taking the side of the book author.

25 Recommend

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Michael Green commented December 21

M

Michael Green

Kingston, OntarioDec. 21

Poor Blake, I noticed tens of thousands of people falling for this smear campaign on X. The place is an additional filter through which powerful men malign their victims.

23 Recommend

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Kate commented December 21

K

Kate

BrooklynDec. 21

Go, Blake! It’s a high stakes decision to take this battle public, but she has the power and resources—and the evidence—to return this poison to sender.

15 Recommend

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Adult commented December 21

A

Adult

New EnglandDec. 21

Everyone involved deserves all of this. Both sides.

7 Recommend

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1 Reply

John commented December 21

J

John

British ColumbiaDec. 21

@Adult Huh - and why is that?

7 Recommend

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SED commented December 21

S

SED

NYCDec. 21

These are all people living their lives on the internet. That never ends well.

4 Recommend

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Jenny J commented December 21

J

Jenny J

Eugene ORDec. 21

It’s so depressing that women would do this to other women - as a job!

17 Recommend

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Josh commented December 21

J

Josh

CanadaDec. 21

“Ms. Nathan wrote to Ms. Abel: “And socials are really really ramping up. In his favour, she must be furious. It’s actually sad because it just shows you have people really want to hate on women.”” And how proud this woman is of her job weaponizing that hate towards another woman for her and others profit. The irony and cognitive dissonance in that quote is astonishing.

46 Recommend

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SJ commented December 21

S

SJ

EdmontonDec. 21

From what I can tell Nathan’s hired guns are active in this comment section. Some of the comments justify the character assassination campaign because they’ve heard that Lively is difficult to work with or that they just don’t like her.

29 Recommend

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1 Reply

Imperato commented December 21

I

Imperato

NYCDec. 21

@SJ precisely my impression as well.

3 Recommend

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BC commented December 21

B

BC

southDec. 21

I will say something unpopular. I think Blake Lively is certainly not the victim she portrays herself to be here. Justin Baldini had no choice but to defend himself, his career and his very reputation. I am still team Justin.

8 Recommend

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5 Replies

Texan commented December 21

T

Texan

AustinDec. 21

@BC I don’t see how you can read the specific texts of the people that he and the studio used and conclude that he didn’t do something wrong.

40 Recommend

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Janet commented December 21

J

Janet

CanadaDec. 21

@Texan because they work for Ms. Nathan?

7 Recommend

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Theresa commented December 21

T

Theresa

ColoradoDec. 21

@Texan I think they both did things wrong. And awful as all this is, the story is one-sided. I want to know what kind of tactics she & her team used. I imagine he'll be subpoenaing her records.

4 Recommend

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John commented December 21

J

John

British ColumbiaDec. 21

@BC She is actually not allowing herself to be a victim. So many - including you - cannot stand it when a woman speaks out.

5 Recommend

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BC commented December 21

B

BC

southDec. 21

@Texan I have absolutely no doubt Blake had a serious PR army working overtime to ensure she came out on top. I believe he is the first victim in this. False or seriously inflated accusations have consequences. Not all women are victims.

1 Recommend

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Jinbo commented December 21

J

Jinbo

NYCDec. 21

I have always been amazed that Amber Heard lost the civil case with Johnny Depp, now I guess I know why. There really should be more mandated transparency with social media, even if it's not publicly transparent, it should be available to law enforcement and civil attorneys for cases exactly like this one. Can we all please agree that this type of targeted swarming on social media represents a criminal assault, and all the perps should be held accountable - including mandatory online bans preventing them from engaging in further malfeasance? It should be illegal when it happens once. The idea that it's an ongoing business model is just sick. Slander for hire, blackmail for hire, what's next from these miscreants?

63 Recommend

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Bruce commented December 21

Bruce

Bruce

TorontoDec. 21

I can no longer watch anything with or by Blake Lively or Ryan Reynolds. I had been enjoying Wrexham but no more. Niceness and sincerity matter.

12 Recommend

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6 Replies

magicisnotreal commented December 21

m

magicisnotreal

earthDec. 21

@Bruce Ladies and Germs ^This^ post by Bruce is an example of what the article is pointing out. There is nothing about the article that could lead any rational person to respond here with that comment. But it sure does make one wonder why such a nice person as Bruce would feel so strongly about the husband of the subject who actually comes out of the article looking pretty good, no?

38 Recommend

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Kelsey Peterson commented December 21

K

Kelsey Peterson

Minneapolis, MNDec. 21

@Bruce did you read the article?

5 Recommend

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Regina commented December 21

R

Regina

Washington DCDec. 21

@Bruce did we read the same article?

5 Recommend

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Monse commented December 21

M

Monse

LaDec. 21

@Bruce did we read the same article? Blake was set up with all this social media manipulation.

3 Recommend

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Kathy Henry commented December 21

K

Kathy Henry

BostonDec. 21

@Bruce - did you read this article? She was smeared by a well orchestrated campaign for trying to prevent sexual harassment on a set about abuse. What about that is not nice?

5 Recommend

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AS commented December 21

A

AS

Bay AreaDec. 21

@Bruce, did you....not read the actual article? The whole thing is about about her media takedown this past fall was a malicious and targeted attempt to smear her reputation to cover the bad behavior of Baldoni and Heath. And due to the subpoena, she and her legal team now have the receipts - many of which were literally screenshotted into this article. Have you disliked her since before this media onslaught? If your mistrust and dislike started recently, you might reflect on how you may have been manipulated. Now it's time to raise up the two articles about Baldoni's bad behavior that were neglected by the media and get more insight into to what the most severe allegations against him were. It will be interesting to see how this development lands with the public.

4 Recommend

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Diana commented December 21

D

Diana

MidwestDec. 21

I remember thinking that HUGE anti Blake Lively extremely focused bad publicity blitz was very odd (especially when she had a movie coming out, you'd expect the opposite from the PR powers that be!) Now it all makes sense. (Same thing was done to Amber Heard.)

164 Recommend

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1 Reply

Seth commented December 21

S

Seth

GermanyDec. 21

@Diana Amber Heard was and is not the victim but the perpetrator. And there are tapes to corroborate it. Even Dr Dawn Hughes, the psychologist she hire to testify on her behalf said under oath that Johnny Depp was victim both of psychological and physical violence. You can watch the whole trial on YouTube and see how Amber Heard lies are exposed.

2 Recommend

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AndyW commented December 21

A

AndyW

Chicago, IlDec. 21

I remember seeing a strange rise in negative commentary about Blake Lively, even though I wasn’t following her, and didn’t typically dive into the Hollywood gossip areas of social media. Thought at the time it was strange, and likely driven by jealousy of her success or something similar. Lively and her husband always seemed like extremely intelligent and amicable people, though it’s hard to know exactly what anyone is really like based on a few TV appearances. Still believed it was an all too typical bout of social media warping reality. If these allegations prove true, the instigator’s careers in Hollywood should come to an abrupt end.

107 Recommend

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Kathy O commented December 21

K

Kathy O

Petaluma, CADec. 21

Listen to the podcast Who Trolled Amber? for more on the use of bot farms to defame individuals using social media. The investigators suggest that international, social media smear campaigns can be purchased for as little at $100. As we're witnessing in the US, these campaigns have as become common in Washington DC as they are in Hollywood.

50 Recommend

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1 Reply

Uncommon Loon commented December 21

U

Uncommon Loon

MNDec. 21

@Kathy O Eventually US campaigns will be 99% smear bot campaigns and 1% candidates talking about issues.

1 Recommend

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Barbara Sheltraw commented December 21

B

Barbara Sheltraw

MichiganDec. 21

There's big money in "cancellling" people. You could likely find horrible interviews with every celebrity. They have to do publicity for a film, and there are interviewers who will "set them up" to look bad. When the "flood" of criticisms came out about Blake Lively, I knew it came from the "other side". She will survive it (unlike Amber Heard) and I'm glad she filed the lawsuit. Like her or not, NO ONE DESERVES to be unfairly damaged in the public eye. And right now on the believeability scale, I lean more her side than his side.

92 Recommend

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1 Reply

Leslie commented December 21

L

Leslie

QueensDec. 21

@Barbara Sheltraw How are people making money "canceling people"? The only people who seem to have actually been canceled (that is, not taking 6 months off and then starting a tour) are people who were serial rapists, like Cosby and Weinstein—and that took decades for both of them.

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Jeff commented December 21

J

Jeff

OhioDec. 21

This was a fascinating peek behind the curtain. As I read it, I thought to myself that stories like this might help people see how celebrity is manufactured and maybe start to realize how delusional we are to think we know these people and to get caught up in their PR battles. Then I read the comments. No evidence of even a temporary dent.

107 Recommend

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1 Reply

Cameron commented December 21

C

Cameron

CanadaDec. 21

@Jeff Well you have to remember that most people are not that sharp and do not mind that fact. All you have to so is look at social media if you not sure. I and many of the people I talk too, most of who are fairly smart, believe that 80-85% of the people out there are just walking around like zombies ruled entirely by their emotions. They are not even trying. To say it is said is really not acknowledging the problem.

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Excellent reporting. commented December 21

E

Excellent reporting.

Seattle, WADec. 21

There were SO MANY posts across Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit smearing Blake Lively that came across my feed over the past few months. It was convincing. But seeing that the cast was asked to focus on the positive and uplifting message of the movie, and floral themes, during the press tour— then an executive instigating a smear campaign that Lively wasn’t focusing on DV to make her appear tone deaf for adhering to the press strategy, is abhorrent. I am glad she was able to subpoena so much clear evidence of retaliation. I have witnessed retaliation against women in the workplace frequently for raising concerns of sexism or harassment. Usually, women can’t do much about it if they want to keep their jobs or don’t have $100k to hire a good enough law firm to hold a company or executives accountable. One step for a powerful woman standing up to egregious retaliation, and a giant leap to show how retaliation against women for complaints of sexism/sexual harassment is rampant no matter how successful or good at your job a woman may be.

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Skye commented December 21

S

Skye

NevadaDec. 21

I trust Blake Lively and Taylor Swift way more than I trust anyone associated with Scooter Braun, the man who allegedly refused to sell Swift the right to her own music and then sold it to the one person Swift didn't want to ever own her music.

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3 Replies

Arlo commented December 21

A

Arlo

NYCDec. 21

@Skye As soon as I saw his name I felt exactly the same way for exactly the same reason. Women who stand up for themselves have been pilloried since Bette Davis challenged the studio system way back when. Women speak up and are branded difficult. Men do the same and are called powerful. The ease and ubiquity of socials certainly add to it. I hope Lively recovers her rep and flourishes.

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Imperato commented December 21

I

Imperato

NYCDec. 21

@Arlo actually Olivia de Havilland challenged the studio system. Hence the term “De Havilland law.”

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Cameron commented December 21

C

Cameron

CanadaDec. 21

@Skye The sweetest thing about all of Swift and Braun stuff is the fact that the people who bought the rights have spent 300 million for nothing. Swift has re-recorded her albums and added bonus material and marketed them as Taylor's Versions and now the company who bought the rights can not even sell a single album. Go Taylor! The entertainment business has always been dirty. Since to see them fall flat on their faces in the dirt.

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Ana Carolina commented December 21

A

Ana Carolina

BrazilDec. 21

Both can be true. Blake Lively has a history of questionable behavior and tone-deaf comments, both during the promotion of It Ends With Us, where she seemed to think she was promoting Barbie, and for years before it. That doesn’t mean she can’t also be a victim of harassment. We saw with Amber Heard how quickly public opinion can vilify a woman making accusations, to the point where her flaws were used to discredit her entirely, overshadowing the real issue. Let’s not repeat that same mistake.

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5 Replies

GH commented December 21

G

GH

USADec. 21

@Ana Carolina 100% agree. There is no such thing as a perfect victim. Once we get that out of our heads, I think we will be able to support victims much better.

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Poppy commented December 21

P

Poppy

CADec. 21

@Ana Carolina Having a history of questionable behavior and tone-deaf comments is hardly disqualifying in Hollywood (or in American politics). Johnny Depp's PR machine (aided by troll farms) kicked into high gear to drag Ms. Heard through the mud but there were no heroes in that story. They both came across as awful people.

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M Rogerhead Henderson commented December 21

M

M Rogerhead Henderson

North CarolinaDec. 21

@Ana Carolina Agreed

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John commented December 21

J

John

Lake Placid, FLDec. 21

@Ana Carolina The problem with the Heard analogy is that AH is on tape bullying and verbally abuse so extensively that it actually made her claims of abuse against him functionally impossible. -In many ways, HE was the imperfect victim. Introverted, an alcoholic and drug user, a man. -And even with all that evidence, including proof that Amber lied about most of her injuries (an no proof ANY injury happened), and past testimony of his security that they had to rescue Depp from her attacks, he still wasn't believed until the trial. And in some circles is still not believed.

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John commented December 21

J

John

British ColumbiaDec. 21

@Ana Carolina What exactly is her questionable behavior?

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farmer commented December 21

f

farmer

californiaDec. 21

The problem with this story is it demonstrates Baldoni and his people's media manipulation, and yet could easily be a demonstration of Lively's media manipulation. How many brands does she have? Someday, someone somewhere somehow will explain the appeal of Ryan Reynolds.

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8 Replies

Tanya Johnson commented December 21

T

Tanya Johnson

Oakland CADec. 21

@farmer if you can’t see it or get it perhaps it’s not your cup of tea. I find him smart, funny and quick witted. To each their own. What bothers me about this article is Blake made complaints about things that made her uncomfortable. She went through legitimate channels. It’s clear a concerted effort was made to manipulate social media.

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Amanda commented December 21

A

Amanda

BrazilDec. 21

@farmer The messages have been subpoenaed. So they're real messages.

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Uncommon Loon commented December 21

U

Uncommon Loon

MNDec. 21

@farmer Hmm. Let's see. Ryan Reynolds is handsome, funny and charming. He seems to have a good heart, too. A few years back, a plea went out about a K-12 school in Arctic Bay, Nunavut (Canada). Indigenous kids were going to school in bitterly cold weather without adequate coats and boots. Reynolds donated Canada Goose parkas, snow pants, boots, hats and mitts to all 300+ kids in the community. Yes, he could easily afford it but so could any number of Canadian billionaires who couldn't be bothered.

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magicisnotreal commented December 21

m

magicisnotreal

earthDec. 21

@farmer As your post could be more of the same. How does one engage with the world when you do not know whom to trust? hmmmm That's a real thinker innit?

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MC commented December 21

M

MC

Santa Cruz, CADec. 21

@farmer this comment feels like an example of ‘just asking questions’?

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Arlo commented December 21

A

Arlo

NYCDec. 21

@farmer So she’s guilty by marriage? Oh please. Stop. Plus, she was in defensive mode all through Baldoni’s campaign.

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farmer commented December 21

f

farmer

californiaDec. 21

@MC Your point is... that questions are bad?

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Tiddle commented December 21

T

Tiddle

SomewhereDec. 21

@farmer watch Deadpool if you want to see some of Reynolds' appeal.

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Jennifer Powers commented December 21

J

Jennifer Powers

Tucson, AZDec. 21

I wondered why I was seeing that Blake Lively interview suddenly popping up all over social media. Having worked in public relations, I can understand getting your client’s story out there to counter adverse publicity. This isn’t that. This is slimy, unethical, and ultimately counterproductive. Simply doing the math on Ms. Lively’s close friendship with Taylor Swift should have thrown up bright yellow proceed with caution flags to the flaks behind this sleazy campaign.

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1 Reply

Tanya Johnson commented December 21

T

Tanya Johnson

Oakland CADec. 21

@Jennifer Powers Please explain to us non PR or entertainment adjacent crisis management folks: the bright yellow flags and who is being “sleazy”. I read the article. I have my own assumptions and I don’t understand your point. As an ordinary person - PR in general gives me an ick vibe.

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Another paradigm commented December 21

A

Another paradigm

USADec. 21

Not a big Lively fan - why she felt it important to take over the creative process in the middle of a writers strike strikes this former union member as tone deaf.

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5 Replies

SA commented December 21

S

SA

VancouverDec. 21

@Another paradigm sounds like she saved the movie. Something men think they do all the time. With little concern for what it may look like. It’s her edit that made $350M. And she got a producer credit for it. I bet that sounds annoying too.

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SJ commented December 21

S

SJ

EdmontonDec. 21

@Another paradigm Are those negative perceptions about her a result of a carefully constructed PR campaign designed to damage her reputation? Is it okay that someone did this as long as it confirms your feelings about Lively?

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Tanya Johnson commented December 21

T

Tanya Johnson

Oakland CADec. 21

@Another paradigm - an observation after reading this article about social media manipulation why are the largely negative comments by paradigm, farmer & jennifer powers all posted 8 minutes ago. I came away from reading the article with a different position. I am now questioning whether comments are part of the exact social media manipulation highlighted in the article.

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Tiddle commented December 21

T

Tiddle

SomewhereDec. 21

@Another paradigm You're totally missing the point. This is NOT about the "creative process" or their smear campaign about her being a difficult person to work with or wanting to take over the creative process. It's about the guys' improper behavior bordering on sexual harassment, and when she finally got contractual protection against them, they suddenly realize that they have to get proactive and smear her first before she sues (and sue, she sure does, which is good for her).

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JN commented December 21

J

JN

NYDec. 21

@Another paradigm - she took over because the writers were on strike? That seems very reasonable to me.

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Kathleen Mulcahy commented December 21

K

Kathleen Mulcahy

Denville,NJDec. 21

Watching the film, not knowing anything about it, I had a *blink* reaction to the actor in question. It was a feeling of danger which seemed not so much from a performance as it was from a personality trait. I knew nothing of the controversy surrounding the film. Nothing in the article suggests my *blink* reaction is not to be trusted.

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3 Replies

Cheryl commented December 21

C

Cheryl

DavisDec. 21

@Kathleen I had the same experience watching the film!

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Person commented December 21

P

Person

MissouriDec. 21

@Kathleen Mulcahy same! He gives me the impression of danger too. It felt like social climbing, alongside something else just dark.

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d of the desert commented December 21

d

d of the desert

Palm SpringsDec. 21

@Kathleen Mulcahy I saw the film recently and during it I kept asking myself, "Why is this guy in this movie?" He was terrible.

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Jill from Brooklyn commented December 21

J

Jill from Brooklyn

The InterwebsDec. 21

My suspicions were validated! The animosity towards a star of a mid budget film being released in August just seemed weird. Being upset that she was suddenly and “unwarrantly everywhere” despite having a movie coming out? Bizarre. Complaining about things that happened years ago that were tacky but not harmful? Really obvious that someone dug that up as a talking point.

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Kelly commented December 21

K

Kelly

SXMDec. 21

While this article was inciteful enough to make others view Blake in a more positive way it doesn't take away from the fact that a lot of the backlash she faced was based on her own behavior. Regardless of the timing of release of the reporter's YT video no one can question that it was absolutely repulsive behavior on Blake's part that made it go viral. Her promotion of her products was in poor taste and her overall demeanour during the promotion of the movie called her character into question. Two things can be right at the same time and the director, producers, production company and all involved should definitely be held to account for their conscious and conscientious efforts to manipulate the public into helping them undermine Ms. Lively. But let's not be delusional here, both camps are rotten to the core and the court of public opinion should judge them all accordingly.

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7 Replies

Amanda commented December 21

A

Amanda

BrazilDec. 21

@Kelly I'd say sexual inappropriate conduct is a lot more terrible than giving tone-deaf interviews. It's not even in the same level.

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LI commented December 21

L

LI

LADec. 21

@Kelly How can anyone be sure given the media manipulation and the way her past interviews were positioned to get the EXACT reaction you display in your post? She was testy, sure, but harmful? Can’t women just be testy without all the takedown? Apparently not. We are talking about an actual harmful, disrespectful man vs tone deaf behavior of a woman who time and time again did not make any issue of his awful behavior.

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Tanya Johnson commented December 21

T

Tanya Johnson

Oakland CADec. 21

@Kelly respectfully disagree. Not a fan of both sides “ism”. Donald Trump ruined that for me. Years ago.

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Person commented December 21

P

Person

MissouriDec. 21

@Kelly this feels far too harsh. Accountability is fair; character assaults are rarely justified.

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Lois commented December 21

L

Lois

WADec. 21

@Kelly Not liking Lively’s brands or personality is a fair criticism. Don’t buy her merch, don’t watch her movies. But to equate having an off-putting personality, or making a poorly thought out comment, with sexual harassment in the workplace is a nauseating kind of equivocation.

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Texan commented December 21

T

Texan

AustinDec. 21

@Kelly These comments seem to indicate that the smear campaign was successful and influencing your point of view

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John commented December 21

J

John

British ColumbiaDec. 21

@Kelly Yes - based on the behavior of her defending herself from predatory attacks.

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BF commented December 21

B

BF

BostonDec. 21

I appreciate the many layers to this story. To learn that the men entered Lively's dressing room uninvited or watched her breastfeed and have body makeup removed is absolutely abhorrent. Further, that Baldoni launched a (widely believed) smear campaign and then spoke publicly on behalf of women's rights to self-determination and safety shows an egregious lack of character. It's further shocking to learn that Baldoni is Baha'i: His actions are not only out of line with the tenets of the Baha'i faith, but counter them in every way. It's also striking how many people (myself included) believed Lively to be uninterested in domestic violence; as it turns out, the studio instructed the actors to take the sunny, flower-focused, commercial approach that they did. Lively may not be the most universally liked of actresses, but I wonder how much of that might be attributed to envy.

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4 Replies

Amanda commented December 21

A

Amanda

BrazilDec. 21

@BF The videos were cut in a very convenient way, removing the parts where Blame actually gave good answers about domestic violence.

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Beth commented December 21

B

Beth

desertDec. 21

@BF I can't understand the access to her private space. I'm a very basic means person, and I can even afford blinds/curtains and a lock on my door. There's many privacy measures that can be employed, I ask why was access so easy for these men to watch her and walk in on her.

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John commented December 21

J

John

British ColumbiaDec. 21

@Beth because the men do not have manners and are predatory.

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PJ commented December 21

P

PJ

Yay AreaDec. 21

@BF it seems like Baldoni adhered to the tenets of the Hollywood machine and not his faith.

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cbarber commented December 21

c

cbarber

San PedroDec. 21

Ah, the trials and tribulations of celebrity, money ,and power. Us working class types thought we had it rough.

28 Recommend

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2 Replies

magicisnotreal commented December 21

m

magicisnotreal

earthDec. 21

@cbarber This story is about the rape culture that has been part of Hollywood from its inception. Ms Lively's maturity and security in herself recognised the come ons and boundary testing for what they were and stopped it going any further. A woman less secure and less mature might have only realised the connection between the offhand utterances and the boundary testing intrusions after they had actually been sexually assaulted.

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S commented December 21

S

S

NyDec. 21

@cbarber so true but still good reporting, no matter how trivial it may be. Other countries would not print such a story or have a reporter report on it.

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Monkytrane commented December 21

M

Monkytrane

AstoriaDec. 21

I don’t have time to consume Hollywood and I am not engaged in social media, however I do remember watching that “bad interview with Blake Lively” come through my feed on You Tube. It’s important to understand that I didn’t know who Blake Lively was at the time.

28 Recommend

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boston doctor commented December 21

b

boston doctor

a logical worldDec. 21

Basically no one knows what actually happened. If her allegations are correct then good to know. If they have spread correct info on her then that's fair too and good to know. Actions have consequences both ways

5 Recommend

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3 Replies

McS commented December 21

M

McS

PADec. 21

@boston doctor Basically, we do know what happened because of discovery. What could possibly be confusing about the communications discussed and quoted in the article?

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Lois commented December 21

L

Lois

WADec. 21

@boston doctor Well, thanks to the subpoena, we know that a firm intended to create and amplify bad press about her, and took credit for headlines suggesting she is about to be cancelled. So we do know the conversations they had, and the intention they shared in those messages. I once had a boss make comments about watching women in our company breastfeed on the security cameras. Sounds wild, but this kind of behavior sadly happens to most women.

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SA commented December 21

S

SA

VancouverDec. 21

@boston doctor did you read the story? The New York Times just explained what happened and provided evidence to back it up.

5 Recommend

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Jen commented December 21

J

Jen

CaDec. 21

How would her hair care line sales have dropped bc of this when she timed its release to come out with the movie? Ie How are sales for a brand new thing going to drop? The ads are tongue in cheek about how great her hair is, which comes as insufferable/not likable. Maybe there was a smear campaign? It kind of sounds like there was a smear campaign In response to a smear campaign. But her own instagram will give anyone the sense of why ppl weren’t feeling her during the promotion of this movie

18 Recommend

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1 Reply

Cameron commented December 21

C

Cameron

CanadaDec. 21

@Jen Clearly you don't understand marketing and social media. People are led around like sheep. "Oh she is bad, don't buy her stuff " should be something you yourself can easily see in a culture as shallow as ours.

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Rachel commented December 21

R

Rachel

DenverDec. 21

I’m not saying I’m right all the time, because I’m not but I knew back in August the backlash Blake was getting seemed so off it felt forced for some reason. I don’t know much about her or Justin but my gut told me Blake was getting railroaded. I hate it when I’m right. I sure hope she gets the retribution she deserves.

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KT commented December 21

K

KT

Los AngelesDec. 21

Just because Depp was one of the accused PR firm’s clients does not invalidate the whole judicial process that laid bare Amber Heard’s misdeeds (to say the least). The case of Lively vs Baldoni and the case of Depo vs Heard are completely different. Please stop let identity-category-based judgment diminish facts, reason, and for once functioning institutional processes. Stop drawing analogies based on tenuous reasoning.

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4 Replies

javamaster commented December 21

j

javamaster

washington dcDec. 21

@KT it was clear to many observers that Ms. Heard had lost the media and social networking war surrounding the trial with Mr. Depp. Now we know that she was the object of a smear campaign even as the trail was proceeding.

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KT commented December 21

K

KT

Los AngelesDec. 21

@javamaster It’s not like she didn’t hire the same sort of hired gun to do the same thing. Plenty of observers also saw that.

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Amanda B commented December 21

A

Amanda B

Untied States of AmericaDec. 21

@KT Blake Lively and Amber Heard both had their reputations damaged by powerful men who abused or harassed them, with PR flak Melissa “We can bury anyone” Nathan in the picture. Seems similar to me.

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Beth commented December 21

B

Beth

desertDec. 21

@javamaster The smear campaign is one thing but to remind you the jury found that Heard defamed Depp. It's hard to believe someone when they incessantly lie and use their gender as a manipulation tool.

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John Walker commented December 21

J

John Walker

CoaldaleDec. 21

Once again, "social media" becomes a host for societal evil. Technology evolves so much faster than the human race that it's doubtful we will ever catch up, especially in the era of artificial intelligence.

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Joanna commented December 21

J

Joanna

NYCDec. 21

Thank you, Megan, Mike and Julie, for this thorough and deeply important reporting. It’s validating to see the plain evidence. Even when you know there must be sinister, misogynistic machinations behind the scenes (Amber Heard’s defamation comes to mind), societal gaslighting makes you second-guess the instinct. While this smear of Blake Lively is reprehensible, your article is uplifting and refreshing in its exposure of the ugly facts. Good for Blake, for taking legal action, and for these reporters, for bringing the facts to light!

66 Recommend

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2 Replies

Choosing to evolve commented December 21

C

Choosing to evolve

BostonDec. 21

@Joanna These people are awful. How do they live with themselves....

4 Recommend

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Tanya Johnson commented December 21

T

Tanya Johnson

Oakland CADec. 21

@Joanna perhaps Ms. Nathan’s “PR crisis management team” kicked the wrong person to try and “bury”. The article is insightful and eye- opening. The glee in the text messages is tough to stomach. I left me unsettled.

4 Recommend

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Shiloh 2022 commented December 21

S

Shiloh 2022

New York NYDec. 21

Not all men. But the vast majority of them. Even those who pretend to be allies.

70 Recommend

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2 Replies

HSK commented December 21

H

HSK

New OrleansDec. 21

@Shiloh 2022 The “vast” majority of men are like Baldoni?

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DuckSoup commented December 21

DuckSoup

DuckSoup

AnatidaeDec. 21

@HSK Oh, yes indeedy. Ask any female on the planet: Gently ruffle the feathers of the rooster and he transforms into a pit viper.

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Kiare commented December 21

K

Kiare

TacomaDec. 21

Something I find disheartening, is the human’s ability to pick a side so easily after one or two posts. The real culprit is media bias, and overall selfishness. We are all, at our core, disqualified, and should look in a mirror before pointing our fingers. That’s the first step to true wisdom, and discernment. I won’t choose either, mostly because I feel both are at fault in their own human type of way, and therefore should leave it at the door. We should wash our hands of their scruples.

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2 Replies

John commented December 21

J

John

British ColumbiaDec. 21

@Kiare There was a full article and a long smear campaign. And no - we are not "at our core, disqualified.And your line "both are at fault in their own human type of way" is nonsense.

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J commented December 21

J

J

ILDec. 21

@Kiare, that stands out to me as well. We are effortlessly manipulated to take sides in trivial celebrity conflicts (people we will never meet, and can’t possibly know much about). It only takes money, and ruthlessness. No wonder voters have such widely disparate ideas. We humans think we reason, but clearly most of us are just looking to be told a story. Anyone with enough money can buy our attention, and collectively we are powerless. Humans are group-thinking animals. I’ve learned to watch for a quick emotional flare in myself. There’s nothing wrong with emotional reactions to events - it’s a good thing! But if it seems ridiculous at second glance (really, self, are you enraged about something that happened to some British royal?) I know to take a breath and refocus on the things and people that are local and present and real in my life.

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Katie commented December 21

K

Katie

Manhattan, KSDec. 21

Well this is terrifying. We pride ourselves on how far we’ve come as a civilization and yet we haven’t come very far at all. A mob with misinformation and pitchforks is always at hand, ready to believe the worst and burn someone at the stake.

62 Recommend

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1 Reply

Cameron commented December 21

C

Cameron

CanadaDec. 21

@Katie The Salem Witch Hunts were not so long ago.

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LF57 commented December 21

L

LF57

WIDec. 21

She defended Johnny Depp. I think that says all we need to know about Ms. Nathan. As someone who, for years, worked with survivors of domestic and sexual violence, I can say with some veracity that while the perpetrators are almost always men, women are the most critical of the victims. The "that would never happen to me" attitude, society's pressure on women to compete with, not support each other works against us every step of the way. I am hard pressed to pick who I dislike more in this latest debacle, Mr. Baldoni, or the plethora of women who have white washed his behavior.

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Nikki commented December 21

N

Nikki

Seattle, WADec. 21

Can we all stop for a second and question whether or not this is a smear campaign against Baldoni? Watching how quickly Blake's accusations against him hit the media, then stuff (old videos of her negative behavior) came up about her. Now this?! What a joke. I hear Ryan is now trying to clear Blake's name, too. So many powerful people trying to ruin one another's reputations for their own benefit.

29 Recommend

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4 Replies

Amanda commented December 21

A

Amanda

BrazilDec. 21

@Nikki The messages were subpoenaed. Meaning they were actual messages sent by these people. And Baldoni had a billionaire on his side.

116 Recommend

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Jen commented December 21

J

Jen

CaDec. 21

@Amanda and these were the ones cherry picked by her legal team for their lawsuit. You really don’t see the obvious slant here?

2 Recommend

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John commented December 21

J

John

British ColumbiaDec. 21

@Nikki No you are wrong. This is an article about the facts - things that actually happened.

6 Recommend

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Blue commented December 21

B

Blue

New York CityDec. 21

@Nikki None of the people involved in this are remotely likeable or sympathetic IMO

1 Recommend

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Beverly Bennett commented December 21

B

Beverly Bennett

DenverDec. 21

I know so little about Blake except that she is ALWAYS in People magazine, in a gorgeous gown. I am always thinking, not her again! Now I hope that she's in every photo. Every time I see her, I will be reminded of her courage on behalf of all women. I hope that this is the beginning of greatness for her and that she will not be destroyed by an inconsequential guy and his ruthless PR team.

40 Recommend

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Kristen commented December 21

K

Kristen

Portland, ORDec. 21

Excellent reporting. This is a sad situation. 2 people hired a PR team to retaliate against an actress who privately and discretely asked to be treated respectfully and professionally in the workplace. The written evidence of the planned social attacks and celebration of the of the damage is reprehensible. Shame on Baldoni and the PR team. Major ick.

172 Recommend

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1 Reply

Tanya Johnson commented December 21

T

Tanya Johnson

Oakland CADec. 21

@Kristen Loved your eloquent response.

8 Recommend

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Miriam J. commented December 21

M

Miriam J.

NYCDec. 21

This is the new type of abuser: a man who performs allyship while working tirelessly off-camera to drag a woman through the mud — all because he believes he has a right to violate sexual boundaries with impunity. And it’s actually not ironic at all that this occurred against the backdrop of this particular movie, because both the film and the book utterly glorify the perpetrator and falsely depict an abusive relationship as something from which one can lovingly, mutually walk away. This saga shows that there can be no escape from sexual predation under the current systems of power, patriarchy, and media manipulation.

149 Recommend

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2 Replies

Elizabeth Ayer commented December 21

E

Elizabeth Ayer

Calgary, AlbertaDec. 21

@Miriam J. A very insightful comment. Thank you.

11 Recommend

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Amanda commented December 21

A

Amanda

BrazilDec. 21

@Miriam J. This is the most sensible comment in This story.

9 Recommend

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Andrew commented December 21

A

Andrew

NCDec. 21

So many shades of Harry and Megan vs the Windsors. The internet is ultimately a barren wasteland where civility goes to die.

30 Recommend

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2 Replies

Sunshine commented December 21

S

Sunshine

chicagoDec. 21

@Andrew I'd love to see the NYTimes do similar reporting into the online smear campaign against Meghan Markle that is still going on today.

11 Recommend

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DuckSoup commented December 21

DuckSoup

DuckSoup

AnatidaeDec. 21

@Sunshine To the contrary, Team Harry 'n' Meghan has paid millions to variant PR teams to slag the RF, including Queen Elizabeth but especially William's wife Catherine. It worked for a moment but the bottom finally fell out of that saturated paper bag.

2 Recommend

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E_AM commented December 21

E

E_AM

Los angelesDec. 21

The fact that movie depicts domestic violence and at the very movie set a woman does not feel safe says a lot about the industry. They want to buy your interest but they do not care. Don’t believe any noble thing any public figure says. They get paid for it, they don’t live for it. I’m sure some do, but I bet it’s only a handful.

30 Recommend

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L commented December 21

L

L

CADec. 21

While I feel strongly for Lively, the much scarier implication is Depp and Heard. It seems #metoo only gave cause to perpetrators to up the arms race.

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MoPo commented December 21

M

MoPo

PDXDec. 21

If Lively never filed this lawsuit, given time she and her reputation would be fine. But I'm so glad she did file because Baldoni getting an award for being a female ally is the absolute worst given these allegations.

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olamide commented December 21

o

olamide

Lagos, NigeriaDec. 21

Isn’t there a professional body or ethical standards for PR firms? Seems like what they do is malicious and unwarranted image-bashing and image-laundering. Can’t let this sort of thing go on unregulated.

28 Recommend

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Reader commented December 21

R

Reader

MDDec. 21

Whoa. This is a powerful piece. Thanks for showing that elevated journalism is stronger than social media nonsense.

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cjm commented December 21

cjm

cjm

KansasDec. 21

This is one truly messed up world we've created. Stop looking to celebrities as role models. Boldoni sounds reprehensible. Lively seems like a normal human. Neither should be a role model. They're just actors.

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Julee Pierre commented December 21

J

Julee Pierre

Vero Beach FloridaDec. 21

Another expose on how malignant the entertainment industry still is. But then most industries still malign women in one way or another. The recent presidential campaign is an excellent example.

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RM commented December 21

R

RM

SLCDec. 21

I just want to thank the author for their fantastic reporting. As someone who stays off of social media, it's illuminating to read just how it can be manipulated. The "news" outlets who colluded with these people ought to be ashamed and boycotted. This should be a lesson for people. Social media is not news and EVERYTHING posted there should be taken with a 10lb bag of salt.

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Casual Observer commented December 21

C

Casual Observer

Los AngelesDec. 21

Libel. This kind of behavior is sanctioned under laws about slander and libel. It seems like there are lots of verifiable kinds of evidence of slanderous messaging that are available to present to a jury.

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NT commented December 21

N

NT

LADec. 21

My new most-cited example of women taking down women in the service of men. Truly a gross spectacle. Glad to see this PR team’s texts being published in a Ouroboros media moment!

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Emma D commented December 21

E

Emma D

LondonDec. 21

At the time I remember thinking there was something weird going on with all the negative press. Not shocked to see another man behaving badly behind it all. Shame on the PR companies that use abuse/intimidation against women as a vehicle for profit.

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RM commented December 21

R

RM

SLCDec. 21

I recall reanding an NYT article with Kjersti Flaa. At the time it seemed to be trying to paint her in a favorable light. I recall thinking she seemed very fake & felt suspicious of her motives. This article goes to show that people really shouldnt put ANY trust in YouTubers, "influencers", or even outlets like the Daily Mail.

24 Recommend

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Footloose commented December 21

F

Footloose

Western New YorkDec. 21

I’m really not into gossip about celebrities, I explicitly avoid it, but it is interesting to get a little perspective onto the Hollywood spin machine. I guess I’m not surprised that reputation managers exist for celebrities who are in fact, human businesses in a sense. But the scale and cattiness and verve with which they went about prosecuting and harassing her was… straight out of a movie! The next thing that stands out to me is the journalistic corruption and their malleability. It’s not that I thought the gossip rags and the broader Hollywood press we’re applying journalistic standards and practices… it’s just sort of seems like when a PR firm seeds you with a story why would you just print that? I don’t even understand the incentive to do that, other than laziness, which is unfortunately, a very human quality. Finally, I’m amazed at how all of this sounds and feels a lot like how politics/political press has and is working, which is to say exactly like the same. Amazing how even culture is a flat circle.

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Cora Evans commented December 21

C

Cora Evans

Austin TXDec. 21

Where are the sources of the messages from? Who leaked or were they manipulated or fabricated for the article? The article was written so heavily based on the messages but the statement counters everything said in the article. I'm specifically referencing the point where they mentioned they knew Blake Lively was trying to start her own smear campaign and Baldoni wanted to be prepared to respond. That's basic PR folks. And that wasn't mentioned in this article unless you read the statement. Blake Lively screams mean girl who is entitled. She didn't get her way and was preparing to damage her costar but it backfired. The audience made up their own minds based on her own actions (following her tone deaf stories and self-promoting of her brand when DV survivors were looking to her for awareness/support... Anything additional about her character were only re-confirmed in the media. I'm sure with the release of the film on Netflix, the drama surrounding the theatrical release are stirring up the previous stories.. and she doesn't want to be put back in hot water again.

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7 Replies

DS commented December 21

D

DS

CADec. 21

@Cora Evans Lively’s team subpoenaed the messages. They are real, having been turned over by the PR company.

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Amanda commented December 21

A

Amanda

BrazilDec. 21

@Cora Evans The messages were subpoenaed. It's stated in the article.

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Eva commented December 21

E

Eva

IllinoisDec. 21

@Cora Evans they said the text messages were obtained via a subpoena. They aren’t “leaks” from unnamed sources.

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Alexandre commented December 21

A

Alexandre

BrooklynDec. 21

@Cora Evans for clarity, when they talk about subpoenaed messages, it means the providers (cell phone companies) have been required to turn over copies of the messages. It's often possible to subpoena deleted messages, too. Same with emails. Basically any electronic communication that is pertinent to a legal case.

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d of the desert commented December 21

d

d of the desert

Palm SpringsDec. 21

@Cora Evans "She didn't get her way"??? Like don't come into my dressing trailer when I am not clothed or breastfeeding? Or, I did not agree to these sex particular scenes? Come on!!

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J commented December 21

J

J

ILDec. 21

@Cora Evans it is mentioned in the article (the one we are commenting on.) it’s clear from the article that the PR team was engaged after the unfollow (or not follow) on social media.

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Tanya Johnson commented December 21

T

Tanya Johnson

Oakland CADec. 21

@Cora Evans the text messages were subpoenaed. That’s means a document was filed and a party had to comply. If the excepts and/or reproduced texts are not accurate NYT could be liable for defamation/ libel. They have teams that double check sources. This is not Twitter.

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Jake Wagner commented December 21

J

Jake Wagner

SeattleDec. 21

This story raises an important question: How many of the #MeToo accusations are in fact the results of "smear campaigns"? I am far removed from Hollywood. But I worry that the #MeToo movement went to far, destroying the careers of many famous men without due process. One case that stands out was that of Andrew Cuomo. His secretary published a book "What's Left Unsaid" which provided a convincing defense against the allegations that might have been waged to further the political careers of the accusers. Then there's the case of Kevin Spacey. He actually went to court and was acquitted, yet his reputation is still in tatters. What happened to the notion "presumption of innocence"? In most of the #MeToo cases there are ample motivations for "smear campaigns" to destroy the career of the accused. Why is it that nobody (it seems) notices this potential cause of a vast number of errors?

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2 Replies

John commented December 21

J

John

British ColumbiaDec. 21

@Jake Wagner hmmm there are stats on female rape and on male rape. And many famous men have been brought down after their rapes became public. Those men had their due process in court.

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Kathy Henry commented December 21

K

Kathy Henry

BostonDec. 21

@Jake Wagner Me too exposed sexual abuse against less powerful women by powerful men, and the machine that allowed the abuse to continue. You are worried it went too far…how? Based on what expertise and knowledge or personal experience? Justice delayed is justice denied.

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Chris commented December 21

C

Chris

NJDec. 21

Shame all around, not just for the accusations, but for making such a lame movie as 'It Ends with Us.' Watch it on Netflix and weep.

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John commented December 21

J

John

British ColumbiaDec. 21

I enjoyed the film- and I definitely noticed a whole bunch of weird online hatred towards Blake once it was released. And it did turn me off of her. But I never agreed though that she was not being supportive of abused women. She is an actress and it is a movie. She is not a therapist- and she should not have to be. The men’s smear campaign against the actress worked very well.And it confirms their bullying and sexists ways.

22 Recommend

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Dianne Jackson commented December 21

D

Dianne Jackson

Richmond, VADec. 21

Someone will be “buried” in this lawsuit, and I don’t think it will be Blake Lively.

15 Recommend

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Jim William commented December 21

J

Jim William

CaliforniaDec. 21

The best people to take down women are other women.They start at an early age and develop their skills.Nothing new but with digitization they can really flex their claws. Being a Dad of two teenage daughters I’ve seen it in action and it’s chilling.

26 Recommend

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Shannon Ashley commented December 21

S

Shannon Ashley

TNDec. 21

Yikes. Count me among those who found Blake annoying and felt empathic for Justin. I'm so glad NYT is bringing Blake's suit to light because this behavior is horrific. Good on her for fighting back. If Justin Baldoni didn't do anything wrong, why did he feel the need to "get ahead" of Ryan Reynolds blocking him on Instagram? He's a grown man. If another grown man in Hollywood blocks him on social media for no good reason, wouldn't it make sense to try and clear the air and make peace as adults? Considering that Baldoni's response was to get ahead of it in case Blake decided to block him too speaks VOLUMES about his behavior, even without some of his other nefarious quotes in this piece. Wow. So sad for these poor men who still can't grasp that being an ally means actually... being an ally. Apparently, these guys would rather just CALL themselves allies simply to reap the rewards without doing any of the hard work. Talk about an incredible lack of self-awareness or basic decency.

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1 Reply

Amanda commented December 21

A

Amanda

BrazilDec. 21

@Shannon Ashley I've also been too fast in believing the smear campaign. This will teach me to be more skeptical in the future. And I agree, the fact he triggered all of this just because Ryan blocked him on Instagram is very, very telling. He knew what could come up to him and decided to take a "preventive" measure to start the hate.

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Edna commented December 21

E

Edna

Baton RougeDec. 21

NYT, thanks so much for publishing these text messages. That is the proof of exactly what occurred. No spin. Just the facts. Good for Lively's legal team for getting those produced. How arrogant and uninformed about document production must some people be to document in writing exactly what they did? I am glad she has the resources to bring to light exactly what happened. But, I do not agree that because Depp hired this woman that he was guilty of the acts which Heard accused him of. She accused him of wife beating. That is a serious allegation which damaged his image and lost him roles and sponsorships. I watched her trial testimony and his and I believed Depp. For me, an attorney for over 40 years it wasn't close. It would be wrong to infer Depp was guilty because he hired a PR person. The jury and a lot of people watching that testimony concluded that he was wrongly accused. Hiring a PR person when wrongly accused doesn't make you guilty, so please don't paint Depp with the same brush.

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Cat commented December 21

C

Cat

AustraliaDec. 21

Very insightful article. I admit that I was influenced by the social media smear campaign against Blake Lively. Very interested to see how it all plays out.

19 Recommend

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reader commented December 21

reader

reader

CA True NorthDec. 21

"If you can't stand the heat stay out of the kitchen" applies..she knows the landscape and elected to work in it. Sign of these times having a Sensitivity Coordinator on set. Therapy dog too?

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4 Replies

Vendorspam commented December 21

V

Vendorspam

SoCalDec. 21

@reader It's not a "sensitivity coordinator" as you put it. Intimacy coordinators work to ensure that scenes with scripted intimate contact (kissing, foreplay, intercourse) are rehearsed and filmed professionally and with respect for both the actors. Any producer who's a true ally would have included one in the budget from the start.

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Lelly commented December 21

L

Lelly

Bellevue, WADec. 21

@reader The problem was with your response is that women, nor non-white people, didn't get to build "the kitchen". Do you really object to dismantling the construction and building something with a level playing field?

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John commented December 21

J

John

British ColumbiaDec. 21

@reader A lot of woman have to work. What is your point exactly?

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Janet commented December 21

J

Janet

CanadaDec. 21

@reader Because she signed on to make a film about sexual assault, she should have known that could include sexual harassment? Is that what you're saying here?

6 Recommend

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H. B. Jones commented December 21

H

H. B. Jones

AtlantaDec. 21

Are these people not grown ups? Obviously not. Comment, innuendo? You are making millions doing what? Creating a fantasy. I have sworn off movies anyway. This continued gossip litigation makes me hope that swamp is drained into oblivion. Take all of the Intimacy Coordinators, say what? With you.

1 Recommend

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Frances commented December 21

F

Frances

HDec. 21

None of this explains the decision to market this movie as a completely non-serious romcom. Lively did not need any social media manipulation to come off as tone deaf and insensitive on a highly triggering topic. She and her handlers did that to herself.

14 Recommend

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2 Replies

Amanda commented December 21

A

Amanda

BrazilDec. 21

@Frances Sexual misconduct is far more serious than being tone-deaf.

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C commented December 21

C

C

TexasDec. 21

@Frances NO! Lively did not make that decision herself. That was the instruction on how to market the movie. Did you not read the article?

8 Recommend

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Florida, God Help Me commented December 21

F

Florida, God Help Me

Florida, God Help MeDec. 21

The Entertainment Industry stinks from top to bottom. Just like politics. And corporate America. Every woman who’s ever tried to work within its bounds is considered fair game.

7 Recommend

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Betty Jean commented December 21

B

Betty Jean

FLDec. 21

CHEERING for Blake. No woman takes on such the arduous emotionally taxing process of calling out abuse without serious consideration.

27 Recommend

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SPinFL commented December 21

S

SPinFL

Deerfield Beach, FLDec. 21

Superb journalism depicting the process of poetic justice in action. Mr. Baldoni’s infantile and abhorrent attempts to protect his show (which I and I’m sure many others will now not view) by destroying the reputation of its star, backfired, not just for his prized show but on his entire professional reputation, as well as the scheming, self-serving co-conspirators who aided him in his efforts. It’s a pretty vile thing to be proud of actually, to say that you have the social media skills “to destroy anyone.” Mrs Nathan and her assistants maybe should consider a retreat and take some time to self-reflect on how to better utilize their skill sets. After this story gets out, they will no doubt have some free time on their hands.

30 Recommend

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1 Reply

d of the desert commented December 21

d

d of the desert

Palm SpringsDec. 21

@SPinFL In the first place, it would make no rational sense for Lively to bash anything related to the very film she was starring in, for many obvious reasons. It sounds like the guy here had serious paranoia over potentially being exposed for bad conduct. They have people to help with that and they are called psychologists.

12 Recommend

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Kathleen Warnock commented December 21

K

Kathleen Warnock

New York CityDec. 21

So they signed a document that said they would not do something they then proceeded to do? Take all their money, Blake Lovely!

28 Recommend

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Sean commented December 21

S

Sean

Los AngelesDec. 21

These people - all of them - are legends in their own mind who, self absorbed, thinks the world cares. Most people are too busy to be on social media and reading strategic smear press to care. That being said, that business is very cowardly in the way it deals with people they don't like anymore. Smears are nothing new. And sheep fall into line. Lively could have 190 out of 200 people who like her in the business, but the 10 who don't can tip the balance. It isn't fair. The business ruins lives with little regard for right and wrong in this way. It doesn't value people.

2 Recommend

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Lily commented December 21

L

Lily

MichiganDec. 21

I’ve seen so many people comment and say well I don’t like her, I don’t like how she promoted the movie, I don’t like her husband, etc etc etc. The thing is, you don’t HAVE to like her! It doesn’t mean her allegations are inherently false because some people don’t like her. This is a legal issue, not a popularity contest in the court of social media.

69 Recommend

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2 Replies

Barbara Sheltraw commented December 21

B

Barbara Sheltraw

MichiganDec. 21

@Lily Agree 100%.

6 Recommend

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Amanda commented December 21

A

Amanda

BrazilDec. 21

@Lily The comments stating that her tone-deafness is just as bad as sexual misconduct from the men are infuriating. It truly shows just determined people are to hate women.

14 Recommend

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Thoughtful commented December 21

T

Thoughtful

New YorkDec. 21

I'm not certain I owe her an apology. Her past tone deaf negative actions ( which is pretty much what this "smear campaign" was bringing up, all true.) as well as her refusal to take domestic violence seriously while profiting from a film whose narrative was exactly that, is off-putting and deserving of some negative publicity. They come off as this " golden couple" who appear to be lovely people, but none of us truly know them, do we? They have multimillion dollar acting gigs, and multiple side businesses that are so lucrative as to make them legitimate billionaires. She and he could use their platforms ( and $$$$) for tremendous good, not just have charities which provide them with some necessary tax relief. All I hear about is their investment businesses, ad nauseum. Tequila, soccer teams, cosmetics....enough. They have BIG TIME bucks. Build a women's shelter, or a medical clinic somewhere. Then I'll jump on the " Oh, they're such nice people!" bandwagon. Until then, they're just actors with mega bucks.

30 Recommend

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5 Replies

Megan McFarland commented December 21

M

Megan McFarland

San AnselmoDec. 21

@Thoughtful originally I thought the same thing. I didn’t love the way she promoted the movie. but a line in this article caught my eye - The official promotion plan instructed the cast to focus more on the uplifting aspects of the movie than on abuse, and to embrace a floral theme (her character has a flower shop). It added some context to her comments that at the time felt bizarre.

23 Recommend

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Patty M. commented December 21

P

Patty M.

WisconsinDec. 21

@Thoughtful yikes. I’m not sure we read the same article. She didn’t write the book. I thought the movie was tone deaf, not her.

11 Recommend

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Barbara Sheltraw commented December 21

B

Barbara Sheltraw

MichiganDec. 21

@Thoughtful I really do not know what they do with their money. The "brands" are their way to make money, but they may donate to many charities. I have not seen the movie, and on the same token I have not read the book. If you read the book, you are well aware of what the movie is about. If you didn't read the book, and the publicity focused mainly on the abuse, would you have see the movie? It's a double edge sword. The book was so hugely popular that fans of the book likely didn't care how the movie was promoted. It's also telling that the author Colleen Hoover also declined to do publicity with Baldoni.

9 Recommend

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Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@Thoughtful This isn’t about whether Blake has lived up to anyone’s ideal of activism or accountability. It’s about the fact that a deliberate smear campaign was orchestrated to silence her after she raised serious allegations.

18 Recommend

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Janet commented December 21

J

Janet

CanadaDec. 21

@Thoughtful Well I for one just started a monthly donation to Sick Children's Hospital in Toronto because for the next year Blake and Ryan are triple matching my monthly donation, and any others made. Does that help you?

3 Recommend

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Hydra commented December 21

H

Hydra

ColoradoDec. 21

I am thinking that this kind of manipulation is at the core of our entertainment, politics, and all commercial and all culture activity. There is so much reputation and image management that there is nothing substantial at all.

63 Recommend

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2 Replies

Pauls Toutonghi commented December 21

P

Pauls Toutonghi

DCDec. 21

@Hydra Absolutely. I think about this all the time. My own experience in the arts. My friends' experience. It's a vile, cutthroat world -- and the winners are the ones who will do anything, and hurt anyone, to rise to the top.

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Imperato commented December 21

I

Imperato

NYCDec. 21

@Pauls Toutonghi All About Eve.

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Wordslinger commented December 21

W

Wordslinger

ColoradoDec. 21

My sympathies to Blake Lively and others who are the victims of a coordinated takedown. However, Lively's behavior in the Kjersti Flaa interview - and in another, with Parker Posey - was so off-putting that I will never watch her in a film again.

39 Recommend

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2 Replies

Patty M. commented December 21

P

Patty M.

WisconsinDec. 21

@Wordslinger sounds like the campaign is still working….

9 Recommend

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C commented December 21

C

C

TexasDec. 21

@Wordslinger This article explains that Lively was following the instructions on marketing the movie.

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Von Ham commented December 21

V

Von Ham

Menifee, CADec. 21

Are we actually supposed to feel sympathy for any of these actors? This is an ages-old practice when one slights another. It happens in junior high school as well. If you put yourself in the public eye you enjoy either the successes or suffer the consequences. Don't act like she's an innocent victim. None of them are. Their all trying to hold on to an image ingratiating their riches. Good luck.

27 Recommend

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5 Replies

Fabian commented December 21

F

Fabian

NYDec. 21

@Von Ham That’s a very cynical and close minded point of view. The fact that she’s a successful actor does not diminish her humanity and her right to be treated fairly by those around her. The notion that none of them are innocent victims is a sweeping generalization. Each situation is unique, and it’s unfair to paint all actors with the same brush. Some may indeed be trying to maintain a certain image, but others might be genuinely affected by the negative attention and criticism they receive. It’s crucial to approach each case with an open mind and a compassionate heart.

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BDO commented December 21

B

BDO

planet EarthDec. 21

@Von Ham Yeah, I actually feel sympathy for Blake Lively because it sounds as if Baldoni and Nathan and all of the dirty bunch were doing their dirty best to wreck her career. I don't know any of her work and the "off-putting" interviews seem irrelevant. Merely reading some of the comments by Baldoni and Nathan show what they were/are up to. Lots of low blows.

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Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@Von Ham I’m genuinely astonished at how many of these comments here seem to equate both parties as equally flawed or complicit, as though this is some moral stalemate.

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Blue commented December 21

B

Blue

New York CityDec. 21

@Von Ham Agree she’s not a victim.

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John commented December 21

J

John

British ColumbiaDec. 21

@Von Ham Its a story for all women everywhere. Just because one is in the public does not give others the right to abuse. And the actors are also human beings.

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Taylor commented December 21

T

Taylor

NYCDec. 21

The real story here is not Blake Lively. It is how easily the public is swayed by seemingly organic social media campaigns. These people are creating reddit accounts and blending in as ordinary users. They are calculating how to use the anonymous social media world to make fake narratives seem real. We are all susceptible.

1981 Recommend

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3 Replies

Pauls Toutonghi commented December 21

P

Pauls Toutonghi

DCDec. 21

@Taylor And think about the stakes here with regard to politics.

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Mickey commented December 21

M

Mickey

SeattleDec. 21

@Taylor we just saw this play out during the election as well. People are so easily influenced by stories that fit their narrative. Cognitive dissonance makes people uncomfortable, so they ignore the truth.

101 Recommend

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C commented December 21

C

C

TexasDec. 21

@Mickey Some people tend to ignore what doesn’t suit their narrative. I’m seeing it here in some of these comments. This article explicitly explains that Lively was instructed to market the movie in a certain way, and yet I’m still seeing comments blasting her for how she marketed the movie!! Come on people! I have always liked Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds and thought them a genuine, lovely couple. I don’t expect people to be perfect and give them room to have some flaws. So, when all the backlash against her started, I was surprised and thought that there must be something wrong going on. Seeing the evidence in black-and-white, I’m glad that I was skeptical.

54 Recommend

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Russell Sommers commented December 21

R

Russell Sommers

Cambridge, MADec. 21

A possibly criminal conspiracy to defame, disguised as PR. What could go wrong? I don’t know what a jury will think when they see the actual evidence, but the article presents a compelling narrative that an intentional, systematic smear job was being perpetrated against Ms. Lively. Lucky for her that she has the financial means to pursue the matter.

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Jack commented December 21

J

Jack

CanadaDec. 21

Let’s not look to the entertainment industry for lessons on ethics or morality. Before labeling one side as the villain, let’s be realistic about Hollywood. Both sides are actively promoting their own narratives to discredit the other. Neither is innocent, as both aim to shape public opinion for their own advantage. The difference is that we’re only seeing the private communications of one side, not the other.

61 Recommend

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5 Replies

Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@Jack While it’s true that publicists often play a role in shaping perceptions, the messages revealed in the article show an alarming level of calculated malice, including phrases like "we can bury anyone’"and proposals for untraceable social manipulation. Yes, both sides may have their faults, but there’s a difference between PR spin and weaponized retaliation against someone who spoke up about misconduct. That’s a dangerous precedent.

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Pystcat commented December 21

Pystcat

Pystcat

Western PADec. 21

@Jack Since these exchanges came from discovery in a court case…one would assume that if the other side had similar exchanges from Ms. Lively they would be out there screaming them from the rooftops.

30 Recommend

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Betty Jean commented December 21

B

Betty Jean

FLDec. 21

@Jack you are reading Mr Baldoni’s publicists private emails in the complaint, not Ms Lively’s.

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SA commented December 21

S

SA

VancouverDec. 21

@Jack thinks he sounds rational. But really he’s part of the problem.

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Rose commented December 21

R

Rose

OhioDec. 21

@Jack do you honestly think this only pertains to Hollywood? This shows so much how online manipulation is used to affect everything.... especially politics.

4 Recommend

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kevin commented December 21

k

kevin

NYDec. 21

On a more macro level, I think it's very important to realize the outsized influence that media carries. Stories, narratives, the way things are pushed can lead the masses to think in certain ways. ALL media, including NYT needs to be cognizant of the way it frames stories!

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Autumn commented December 21

A

Autumn

New YorkDec. 21

The best way for Blake to rehabilitate her image is by being nice to her “inferiors.” I’m sorry she went through this, but only she can decide how to comport herself in interviews. And she’s certainly experienced enough to know when her marketing approach (talking about hair care products instead of DV) isn’t landing well and needs to be redirected. It Ends with Us is an extremely beloved book among a lot of women (and undoubtedly some men too) and I think fans were hoping to see more thoughtfulness from the cast on the press tour.

72 Recommend

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3 Replies

Dianne Jackson commented December 21

D

Dianne Jackson

Richmond, VADec. 21

@Autumn the article states that the cast was instructed not to focus on domestic violence in interviews.

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Mary commented December 21

M

Mary

NYDec. 21

@Autumn 'We can bury anyone' did you not read this article? These two men hired a woman who told them this. They went out of their way to ruin her in every way they could with the assistance of a veteran in the ways of crisis PR Blake Lively felt harassed on the set and clearly had cause. Come on, Autumn. I'm sure the fictional book is great. But I'm sure even its author, especially given the subject of the book, would not be happy to read this article. It is the behavior of the producer and actor producer in concert with the crisis manager who need to be held to account.

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Mmm commented December 21

M

Mmm

USADec. 21

@Autumn This is "what aboutism" and detracts from the abuse. Don't blame the victim; she was apparently abused twice.

11 Recommend

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Karen Hoskins commented December 21

K

Karen Hoskins

Troy MichiganDec. 21

I didn’t follow the Depp/Heard battle closely, but I had the sense that it was an unfair fight. How ironic that the actor playing an abusive man appears to have taken his role so seriously. Bravo Blake Lively for fighting back!

281 Recommend

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2 Replies

Sophia commented December 21

S

Sophia

AmsterdamDec. 21

@Karen Hoskins to be fair, the Depp/Heard situation is entirely different since the one that went through the smear campaign was him and the he hired these people to show the receipts. Also Amber had 3 other accusations and charges of DV

3 Recommend

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Mickey commented December 21

M

Mickey

SeattleDec. 21

@Karen Hoskins and that he plays an advocate for women in real life, but is a malicious, inappropriate man child in reality.

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Mark T commented December 21

M

Mark T

BrooklynDec. 21

Fantastic piece, fantastic reporting. Despite everything, I still enjoy watching CNN, so I really hope this story gets coverage there. I remember reading about Ms Flaa, the Norwegian reporter who posted cringey interviews on Youtube. She seemed pretty sympathetic in that piece, which was definitely in either the NYT or WaPo. I wonder if it was connected to these smear campaigns.

50 Recommend

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A Reader commented December 21

A Reader

A Reader

HuntsvilleDec. 21

Blake Lively is a very good actress. I suspect she will continue to do well.

53 Recommend

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Delores Borealis commented December 21

D

Delores Borealis

UtahDec. 21

I’ve never really cared or thought much about Blake Lively until this summer when I found myself thinking she was an annoyingly self-centered pill. NOW I read this and it all connects for me. And I applaud Lively for the risk she’s taking here and everything she’s doing. Her suit may ultimately be career-ending but exposing the realities of how powerful reputation machines that anyone with the right cash and motive can manipulate thought so readily via digital channels and how this resonates across all media IS essential and will hopefully also make people more skeptical of what they read online and esp in social media and comment sections, etc. Lively is now icon to me. Thanks for a great article that I will gladly gift to others.

2163 Recommend

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4 Replies

Kay commented December 21

K

Kay

WADec. 21

@Delores Borealis same. Just goes to show how easily we can be manipulated by media. I’m ashamed for falling for it and grateful Lively is bringing this to the forefront. Bravo for her!

64 Recommend

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Imperato commented December 21

I

Imperato

NYCDec. 21

@Delores Borealis why should her suit be career ending?

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Katie B commented December 21

K

Katie B

ChicagoDec. 21

@Delores Borealis - agree! As I read this I thought, “Oh my G*d, I had a vague sense and judged her for all these things and don’t even file celeb news so closely.” This is so chilling, and I am so glad she is speaking up about it as she has the money and influence to try evils so many others this firm doubtlessly takes down do not. And I was a low key fan of Baldoni’s Man Show podcast where he seemed to show humility and empathy around toxic masculinity. Just - wow! I will continue watching this story and hope Blake Lively is able to kill it in nailing this group, if they have done as alleged.

57 Recommend

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Me commented December 21

M

Me

HereDec. 21

@Delores Borealis if people would just stop falling for all the garbage in social media and online then these smear campaigns would not work. Problem is gen public eat this garbage up! Our society is broken and it’s largely due to social media and so called influencers. 🤮

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Dan commented December 21

D

Dan

HarlemDec. 21

This sort of thing is happening all the time, in media and politics. I’m so sorry for her, but also happy that she’s wealthy and powerful enough to fight back. Some people have spent their life cultivating little other than the art of polishing their image, and destroying the image of competitors and critics. It’s an effective art, and nearly impossible to combat by ethical means, especially if the villains are wealthy and smart enough to only communicate questionable stuff in person or via phone.

127 Recommend

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1 Reply

John commented December 21

J

John

British ColumbiaDec. 21

@Dan It does not just happen in media and politics.

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domestic violence survivor commented December 21

d

domestic violence survivor

Los AngelesDec. 21

This exactly depicts how the machine continues to make violence against women socially acceptable. As long as it is socially acceptable, it will never end. Distortion and confusion are the tactics carried out by the "best" family law firms daily in courts. It is outrageous that it is allowed. Good for Blake to stand up to this. Bravo!

533 Recommend

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1 Reply

Citizen G commented December 21

C

Citizen G

USADec. 21

@domestic violence survivor So right. And why the bear is still preferable in so many situations, not just the forest.

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Fiona commented December 21

F

Fiona

VermontDec. 21

I’m afraid Blake will be viewed the same way as Amber. I’m afraid this lawsuit isn’t going to have the effect she hopes for and could be the end for her career.

36 Recommend

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2 Replies

MS commented December 21

M

MS

New YorkDec. 21

@Fiona That’s exactly what these types want us to think. Bravo to Ms Lively for using her considerable power to stand up to it, which benefits all who are subjected to this. And Bravo to the Times for publishing it.

156 Recommend

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Phryne commented December 21

P

Phryne

USADec. 21

@Fiona Disagree. Documentation of the spite and venom of the PR firm being engineered to attack her is strongly in her favor, whereas Amber’s situation was completely different and largely undocumented. Moreover, you’re comparing a woman whose legal work contract was consistently violated and blew the whistle, to a woman who was physically abusive and emotionally manipulative. And to be honest, comments like this make me suspicious that it’s more work by the PR team. Isn’t that awful? We can’t even have thoughtful interactions with each other on social media without wondering who is at the other end of the line. All my best.

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Debra STL commented December 21

D

Debra STL

St. Louis MODec. 21

This is the world we live in now. The huge downside of a basically anonymous and unregulated internet. I think the cons outweigh the pros. Look at the harmful disinformation and lies in the political realm.

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AGS commented December 21

A

AGS

MADec. 21

We need to learn more about the specifics of Baldoni’s bad acts. Most of the time someone who acts badly in one period has been doing similar things before, and it would be good to shed light on those too. There can never be true equality or fairness in any field until the bad behavior of those on the dominant side are fully exposed.

181 Recommend

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3 Replies

CS commented December 21

C

CS

Pacific NorthwestDec. 21

@AGS I agree completely. I'm sure this is not some "outlier" on his part. This is who he is. And frankly I always questioned the interest of a man wanting to turn this book into a movie. I think women should have creative control of this subject matter.

46 Recommend

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Chris commented December 21

C

Chris

BronxDec. 21

@AGS this seems to be detailed in the article. He and Mr. Heath entered her makeup trailer randomly after she asked them not to, as she was in various states of undress or breast feeding at times. Mr. Baldoni showed Ms. Lively a picture of his wife naked. He added sex scenes before filming that Ms. Lively felt were gratuitous. He improvised kissing in at least one scene. He didn’t turn away when she asked him as she was changing and topless in the makeup trailer. The difficult problem for all of us third-party observers is that depending on our own experiences and who we are, we can read these scenarios in various ways. Ms. Lively asked for and received an intimacy guardian onset, after she brought the issue to the studio, and that should have been the end of it. Did something more happen we don’t know? Did she feel unsafe in his presence such that she not only wouldn’t do press with him but might publicly accuse him? Did he fear that public accusation would destroy his career and see he chose to fight back, and the firm was more than a little nasty in their redress? I’m very wary of the one-dimensional analyses I’m reading in the comments.

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AGS commented December 21

A

AGS

MADec. 21

@Chris One dimensional analysis? What a strange way to refer to a call to examine Baldoni's background. His prior bad acts are not covered in the article, but we rarely get smoke without fire. Maybe we should look for the fire too (and that means bad things he did before the events detailed in the article).

7 Recommend

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Selena commented December 21

S

Selena

MarylandDec. 21

Megan Twohey back at it again, thank God. I am so filled with rage I can’t yet contribute something meaningful to this conversation. I just wanted to say THANK YOU for doing this work. The irony of this entire misogynistic debacle goes to show just how incredibly insidious the patriarchy truly is. I’m in tears and absolutely beside myself. Blake deserves so much better. And she definitely deserves this investigatory piece from Twohey. I’ll be sharing this article with everyone.

2338 Recommend

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6 Replies

Bill commented December 21

B

Bill

TexasDec. 21

@Selena She should also investigate smearing operations against men. Its not like the women of Hollywood De hapless victims who don't partake in this industry wode practice. A big problem with modern journalism is narrowing the lens to make a problem seem unique to a specific group to drive outrage.

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Marceau commented December 21

M

Marceau

FranceDec. 21

The work of obtaining facts has a major economic disadvantage against the production of lies, and it’s only getting worse. For all our advances in information technology, the journalistic work of breaking a truly important story often doesn’t look all that different from 50 years ago. Driving to sources’ houses to knock on their doors, fighting government agencies over fulfilling public-records requests, cold-calling 1,000 potential sources The biggest story about media and the internet is that new technology — AI, social media, smartphones, etc. — keeps driving down the cost of producing lies while the cost of obtaining quality information only goes up

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Donna commented December 21

D

Donna

PennsylvaniaDec. 21

@Selena Well said! I agree completely.

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Anne commented December 21

A

Anne

PortlandDec. 21

@Bill: it’s unlikely the women of Hollywood are sharing nude videos of their husbands and sexually intimidating their colleagues.

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John commented December 21

J

John

British ColumbiaDec. 21

@Bill Who says she hasn't or won't in the future? That is not the story presented today as much as you do not like that.

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Mary commented December 21

M

Mary

New YorkDec. 21

@Selena after being incensed the entire article, it was the one sliver of hope. Megan Twohey back at it again. Nothing gets past her. Thank you for bring this despicable behavior and these bottom feeders into the light. Blake - sorry on behalf of us all.

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High Moral Fiber commented December 21

H

High Moral Fiber

NYDec. 21

Did not surprise me to see Johnny Depp listed as one of Ms. Nathan's clients. The vitriolic smear campaign against Amber Heard was one of the worst I've seen in my life. She deserves justice, tenfold, for the damage done to her reputation for attempting to bring to light the abusive actions of that man. The public flaying of her character, appearance, and victimhood was clearly carefully orchestrated and reverberates to this day. I wish her well, and hope that one day the individuals online who delighted in mocking her suffering face a reckoning with their actions.

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12 Replies

Manager commented December 21

M

Manager

ChicagoDec. 21

@High Moral Fiber I guess you didn't watch the trial, where audio tapes of Ms. Heard telling Mr. Depp she only hit him, it was not "a proper punch," and he was a baby for complaining. There were also a number of witnesses who testified that she was abusive to him, verbally and physically.

86 Recommend

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Amanda commented December 21

A

Amanda

BrazilDec. 21

@Manager The tapes also had parts where Depp confessed he beat her, but that got buried amidst all the noise. The noise created by Jed Wallace, the same "hired gun" mentioned in this article.

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Cousy commented December 21

C

Cousy

New EnglandDec. 21

@High Moral Fiber Certainly Baldoni and Heath have been revealed to be malicious hypocrites. But Nathan, the “crisis” PR consultant, is the biggest ogre of the story. It’s actually her business model to do this! All day long! To other women! One of the saddest parts of misogyny is that there’s often a woman who is central to the damage being done by the men.

143 Recommend

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Maureen C commented December 21

M

Maureen C

Toronto, ONDec. 21

@Manager We all saw it….some of us also know that evidence was excluded and specific clips were edited released online, but most importantly women act in self-defense during domestic abuse to stop the abuse and they tell police and lawyers—except men never admit to anything. So police arrest and charge women, or just arrest and charge men. It’s a well known phenomenon known as cross charging, not sure if the NYTimes has covered it, but many major news orgs have and it’s a huge issue. Battered Women have been arrested and imprisoned for daring to push back (even weakly) or just verbally threaten to hit back in self defense instead of taking beatings and dying. Not to mention the enormous amount of evidence the Judge excluded that corroborated all of Amber Heard’s allegations. That Judge was incompetent.

62 Recommend

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Mark M. commented December 21

M

Mark M.

OregonDec. 21

@High Moral Fiber A reading of the comments sections of the numerous NYT articles on the Heard/Depp conflict reveals many thoughtful comments made by abused men, their present (non-abusive) partners, the attorneys of abused men, and numerous counselors that saw Heard as the abuser. Statistics show that more than half of all emotional abuse is executed by women against men. Unless one is a professional, or has been abused, it’s difficult to sort out the Depp/Heard conflict, but the Times articles, as do most individuals, simply assume that men are always the aggressors. That said, I have no opinion on the conflict outlined in today’s article, as it does not provide enough context, for anyone, including a jury, to make an informed conclusion.

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Middle commented December 21

M

Middle

MADec. 21

@High Moral Fiber Given the trial that we all witnessed, the testimonies about Amber Heard, and the eventual obviousness of who she is, there cannot possibly be more contradiction than between this comment and the name "high moral fiber". It's not surprising, in a society that keeps complaining about misogyny, while openly encouraging extreme misandry.

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SK commented December 21

S

SK

Milky WayDec. 21

@High Moral Fiber the hit job against Amber was so successful that Depp fans crowd funded to unseal court records that were previously sealed and discovered all the horrible things he did to her. This included: trying to use revenge porn, hiding evidence from his lawyer that he intimidated a witness, that he declared that Amber didn't cause him specific physical or mental injury and that he was completely out of control tanking Pirates 5.

60 Recommend

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Bev commented December 21

B

Bev

MidwestDec. 21

@Manager Watched the trial. Saw the documentary. They had a stormy relationship because of his abuse. He’s a classic, dangerous narcissist. That was obvious from the trial.

51 Recommend

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John commented December 21

J

John

British ColumbiaDec. 21

@Manager Well why did Depp stay?

11 Recommend

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JB commented December 21

J

JB

Arizona BlueDec. 21

@Manager I watched the trial & am repulsed by Depp. But love your group think…bro.

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Nothing if not consistent commented December 21

N

Nothing if not consistent

MADec. 21

@Manager Thank you for proving the point. Would I have any interest in hanging out with either Heard or Depp? Absolutely not. But the truth of what you just said in no way invalidates the truth of what she said about Depp. As abusers gaslighters and manipulators go, it’s no contest. He’s horrific. It’s not that any one person should be believed 100% of the time — it’s that when people (women or anyone else) punch up, they don’t have to be perfect (or even “good”) to be right and to be worthy of protection from bullies

26 Recommend

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Matt commented December 21

M

Matt

MontrealDec. 21

@Amanda if that were true Heard would have won the defamation trial. All she had to do was prove a single instance of domestic violence but could not despite spending $7M on her lawyers.

18 Recommend

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Jonas commented December 21

Jonas

Jonas

WashingtonDec. 21

Blake Lively’s well-documented abhorrent behavior wasn’t exactly helpful. Two things can be true at once: She was the target of a calculated smear campaign AND she needs to drop the mean girl routine when dealing with people she perceives to be beneath her.

771 Recommend

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5 Replies

Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@Jonas There’s a huge difference between someone’s interpersonal flaws and a calculated, career-destroying smear campaign. Blake’s behavior may be problematic, but Baldoni’s actions seem driven by a malicious intent to silence and punish her for calling out his own misconduct. Accountability is important, but what Baldoni is doing is not accountability—it’s retaliation, and that crosses a serious ethical line.

1067 Recommend

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Hannah commented December 21

H

Hannah

TorontoDec. 21

@Jonas "Abhorrent" seems like a pretty strong word to use here.

109 Recommend

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Bob Smith commented December 21

B

Bob Smith

CaliforniaDec. 21

@Jonas "abhorrent"? Being grumpy in an interview is "abhorrent?"

135 Recommend

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John commented December 21

J

John

British ColumbiaDec. 21

@Jonas What was her abhorrent behavior? Pretty strong word you are using there partner.

96 Recommend

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Hettie commented December 21

H

Hettie

NMDec. 21

@Jonas Can you provide legitimate sources for reports of her objectionable “behavior”? I’ve seen a few comments along these lines but haven’t found any credible evidence of her routinely treating people badly. The presence of these “yes, but…” comments becomes suspicious after reading an entire article about targeted online manipulation of her image.

106 Recommend

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Gossip Crone commented December 21

G

Gossip Crone

The Upper East BogDec. 21

WOW. I was one of the people who was bewildered and irritated by Lively’s sunny (and occasionally snide) press tour, but this absolutely validates her case that her complaints about treatment on set weren’t an exaggeration. It’s completely shameful that Baldoni and company continued their behavior without any consequences. Good on Blake for taking them to task. I’ve long been skeptical of men who insist that they’re allies without demonstrably backing up that claim. A man participating in a project about violence towards women while being a predator himself actually seems a little predictable in that way. I wish Lively good legal luck. I don’t think she’s perfect (she could be nice a whole lot nicer to reporters asking innocent questions, for one), but public sentiment will surely shift in her favor.

484 Recommend

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4 Replies

Dana Todd commented December 21

Dana Todd

Dana Todd

ChicagoDec. 21

Do you hold male interviewees to the same standard? To be nice, to smile more? If she sets boundaries around what she can be asked, I say support her. Lots of regular women don't want to talk about their pregnancies or love lives. Most stars' PR teams give reporters strict outlines to follow if there are boundaries, so hopefully journos will listen.

59 Recommend

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Gossip Crone commented December 21

G

Gossip Crone

The Upper East BogDec. 21

@Dana Todd - Lively’s response to the (male) interviewer who asked her how she might answer fans who approach her about domestic violence was flippant and terse. She could have formulated a more measured answer that demonstrated she grasped the gravitas of the situation. I have a bigger problem with that than her response to the remark about her body, but I also feel like her reaction to the (female) interviewer was disproportionately sarcastic. But I don’t personally think that anyone, regardless of gender, needs to project a buoyant personality 24/7. You clearly missed my point.

30 Recommend

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John commented December 21

J

John

British ColumbiaDec. 21

@Gossip Crone Her life before the press interview had been very stressful. Do not fault her for being imperfect.

20 Recommend

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WKF commented December 21

W

WKF

MinnesotaDec. 21

@Gossip Crone if you are referring to the baby bump question, nope. One should NEVER ask about someone's pregnancy or appearance of pregnancy. If Ms. Lively wanted to talk about it she can bring it up.

27 Recommend

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KenChi commented December 21

K

KenChi

Chicago AreaDec. 21

It’s awful that there are PR firms who are essentially in the business of smearing people to defend their high profile clients. I guess that’s not a new thing, but this is quite ironic, in a sad way, given the subject matter of the film.

260 Recommend

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SH commented December 21

S

SH

GeorgiaDec. 21

I don't understand where Baldoni gets the money and clout to do this sort of thing. He seems like a nobody--had a role on an insignificant CW show, has done some impactless and heavily publicized charity work, did a bit of directing. This was by far his biggest film. Does he come from money, or is his rich backer covering for him? Either way, I hope this is the end of his sad and thirsty career.

390 Recommend

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4 Replies

farmer commented December 21

f

farmer

californiaDec. 21

@SH The funny thing about your comments is I've never understood why Ryan Reynolds kept getting role after role even though most of the films were not successful, and how he found the funding to start all these ventures. I assumed he came from money. Lively's had the more successful career, expect for the silly comic book movies.

12 Recommend

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Alice Florence Orr commented December 21

A

Alice Florence Orr

GlasgowDec. 21

@SH The article explains that he’s heavily involved with this studio that’s bankrolled by a billionaire.

66 Recommend

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Laz commented December 21

L

Laz

PortlandDec. 21

@SH he is very very well known on TikTok and his podcast has a strong reputation as being very pro feminism. His whole online brand is anti-toxic masculinity. I think this whole thing is more complicated than this lawsuit.

29 Recommend

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Kay commented December 21

K

Kay

WADec. 21

@Alice Florence Orr Bingo!

2 Recommend

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And Another Thing commented December 21

A

And Another Thing

USADec. 21

I applaud Blake Lively for exposing this literal campaign against her with this high level of receipts. And if this is going on in the entertainment industry, for sure it’s going on in politics. If they don’t have bots, the only other choice is people making social media posts for them (paid). Baldoni and Heath now look predatory and dishonest to say the least.

263 Recommend

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Rajeev commented December 21

R

Rajeev

Bellingham, WADec. 21

Great reporting by the NYT- it paints a comprehensive picture. The revelations about the PR company are just terrible; it is amazing to think they could feel good about theirs selves when engaging in such unethical behavior. It also gives a broader perspective of how vulnerable our society is to social manipulation in general via the internet. Frustrating.

641 Recommend

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1 Reply

Marceau commented December 21

M

Marceau

FranceDec. 21

The entire PR industry is based on spreading and defending lies.

13 Recommend

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Sean commented December 21

S

Sean

New YorkDec. 21

All of this done for one actress. Can’t imagine how much worse it is that “PR firms” like this can also work for politicians. It’s digital warfare and we are woefully under protected to sophisticated campaigns like this.

546 Recommend

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3 Replies

Ben R commented December 21

B

Ben R

North Of PhiladelphiaDec. 21

@Sean Imagine the digital campaign on an exponentially larger basis for political campaigns especially the recent presidential campaign. Think of the leverage of Musk and his use of Twitter/X to credit the narrative of what he wants through dis/misinformation

56 Recommend

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Barry commented December 21

Barry

Barry

Long Island, NYDec. 21

@Sean To your point, you may recall that the President-Elect has stated, do not believe what you see or hear. Who would have thought that for once, he told the truth? The good news is that the tide is turning. The glass ceiling has been pierced, and the shoe will be on the other foot sometime in the future when the women of the world will be in charge. And without the high levels of testosterone that males have, there will be less chance of wars breaking out across the world. ,

9 Recommend

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Kay commented December 21

K

Kay

WADec. 21

@Sean my thoughts exactly. I pride myself in being a savvy consumer, and this smear campaign worked a bit on me. The thought of this is going on behind the scenes in our political world is humbling. How are we to form our own opinions!

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KP commented December 21

K

KP

Houston, TXDec. 21

I think this is giving those PR professionals way too much credit for what the public picked up on their own. I think most of Blake’s negative press was YEARS of build up, back to the Gossip Girl years. Sorry, but reputation follows you and the public tunes in. Anyone who was watching the IEWU promo could tell that there was tension and it didn’t help that the Blake’s approach to promotion as the lead was flowers and yaya sisterhood when everyone who read the book knew that DV was a huge issue being glossed over. Add to that the timing of her pushing her products & her husband being so involved in promo and it was all very obnoxious and tone deaf. I didn’t need a PR team to tell me this or direct my opinion and neither did a lot of people. Am I surprised that Baldono hired a team? No. Am I surprised that their intent was to strategize defending their client? Nope.

75 Recommend

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8 Replies

Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@KP There’s a difference between the natural consequences of past actions and an orchestrated campaign designed to amplify those flaws to destroy her career. Yes, people can form opinions independently, but Baldoni hiring a PR team to strategize against her isn’t just about defending his client—it’s about weaponizing her mistakes for his own benefit. That’s a level of calculated malice that goes beyond any tone-deaf promotion or poor choices on Blake’s part. Critique and accountability are one thing; deliberately tearing someone down is another entirely. And that’s where Baldoni’s actions are deeply concerning.

109 Recommend

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KP commented December 21

K

KP

Houston, TXDec. 21

@KP Typo: Baldoni* Also, all this talk of PR strategy… is it any better that the cast were instructed to focus on the “uplifting” rather than the “abuse” in a film about a woman overcoming domestic violence, an issue by the way, that’s been endemic since time immemorial? A huge opportunity was lost here to address that, to blast our screens with resources for people who needed it but instead, let’s talk about flowers and the producer’s side businesses. I’m surprised they didn’t push mint mobile somehow in the promo. It’s all so ridiculous. Most disappointing is that a cast of women who I thought would be championing women and issues that affect women chose instead to side with the power couple producer/rewriter team… for what? Popularity points and potential work opportunities in the future?

10 Recommend

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Amanda commented December 21

A

Amanda

BrazilDec. 21

@KP So you think the women in the cast should have sided with the fake ally man, the producer and the billionaire instead?

9 Recommend

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Thomas commented December 21

T

Thomas

San DiegoDec. 21

Did anyone else reading this comment think this is exactly how the PR firm would want people to react to the article. Trying to reamplify negative messaging about Blake and weaponize behavior that the article says was directed by the studio in promotional appearances.

12 Recommend

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BF commented December 21

B

BF

BostonDec. 21

@KP You didn't read the article carefully: The intent of the "team" Baldoni hired was, first and foremost, to smear Lively, not to "defend" their client. The accusations, after all, were not public.

10 Recommend

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Simo commented December 21

S

Simo

NYCDec. 21

@KP Exactly!

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KP commented December 21

K

KP

Houston, TXDec. 21

@BF listen, if I got wind that someone was trying to paint me out to be someone that I wasn’t, I’d hire anyone that my financial arsenal could afford in order to strategize on my behalf. This sudden lawsuit actually looks like a retaliatory smear campaign…

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KP commented December 21

K

KP

Houston, TXDec. 21

@Amanda I would have expected them to side with women and promoting awareness of a pervasive issue instead of laughing promo days away and seemingly pretending that their film wasn’t a vehicle for addressing an important issue

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Alex commented December 21

A

Alex

NYCDec. 21

I think that we lost too much of our control when criticizing Ms. Lively. Although she was tone deaf on the subject matter. During its run in theaters she seemed to want to recreate Barbenheimer. Although I do have sympathy for her as she was the victim of a targeted attack that made her look way worse than she did. It’s also now enlightening to know that like many other people, men specifically feigned in the supporting women department. Mr. Baldoni has done something so heinous as to position himself as an ally to women who have been victims of domestic violence, but still be sexist. I have hopes that this brings many of us to realize how deeply misogyny is ingrained in our culture.

59 Recommend

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CFosterKane commented December 21

C

CFosterKane

SeattleDec. 21

I don't care that much about what passes for real life in Hollywood. What is terrifying is the exposure about how social media manipulation is done. Ya think this might be happening in the realm of politics, too?

104 Recommend

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1 Reply

Erica commented December 21

E

Erica

Oakland, CADec. 21

@CFosterKane, exactly! I don't follow Hollywood, but I am tripping on the fact that anyone could hire a person to do the job of smearing someone, and have contracts & text messages confirming they are engaging in a conspiracy to damage someone's reputation, and this is how they make a living?

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Justin commented December 21

J

Justin

CTDec. 21

Good for Blake. This was transparently manufactured from the get go. Just given the fact the entire crew and cast ostracized the director during the promotion spoke volumes of his conduct

103 Recommend

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Lucy K commented December 21

L

Lucy K

Los Angeles, CADec. 21

I hope the lawsuit brings clarity and punishes those involved. Isn’t a smear campaign a form of abuse and harassment as well? I watched the film and found the acting by the male protagonist terrible.

38 Recommend

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Meg commented December 21

M

Meg

NyDec. 21

In Hollywood, if you are a woman or a child actor, you are powerless to the men who control the money and most of the creativity. Good for Blake, unfortunately the rest of us don't have the bankroll to fight the misogyny.

61 Recommend

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1 Reply

Citizen G commented December 21

C

Citizen G

USADec. 21

@Meg And why the bear remains preferable.

3 Recommend

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PAF commented December 21

P

PAF

MinneapolisDec. 21

It’s kind of remarkable that a man who is allegedly an abuser of women made a movie showing that abuse of women is wrong, while allegedly abusing its female star, and then hired successful women to defend his reputation and further abuse the woman at the center of the film. Even in today’s environment, the things that people can justify doing for money are stunning.

523 Recommend

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K Walker commented December 21

K

K Walker

Hampton Roads, VADec. 21

So if Ms Lively had concerns about the two accused men before she started on the project...why agree to work with them. She isn't some unknown, starving newcomer. She's an experienced Hollywood star with a billionaire husband. She knows how the world works. Moreover...she has made public accusations against these men. They are entitled to defend themselves. I'm sure her PR people were doing the same thing...she's just mad because her publicist wasn't very good. She has a bad rep. Where there's smoke, there is fire. Finally...I just don't believe her. She is married to one of the richest people in Hollywood who is a star in his own right. Why would a couple of moderately successful producers want Ryan Reynolds as an enemy...and why would she work with people she did not like or trust. Makes no sense.

43 Recommend

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8 Replies

Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@K Walker As for why these producers would target her, power dynamics don’t always make logical sense—they’re about control. Blake calling out their behavior challenged that control, and this seems like retaliation. Whether or not you believe her, the tactics being used to silence her are troubling and cross ethical boundaries.

60 Recommend

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SG commented December 21

S

SG

Berkeley CADec. 21

@K Walker. She had already signed the contract. She would be in breach if she walked out.

15 Recommend

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Alice Florence Orr commented December 21

A

Alice Florence Orr

GlasgowDec. 21

@K Walker Why are you blaming HER? The studio agreed to introduce safeguards after her complaints were raised *during filming* (they took a break during the writers strike) and the studio promised not to retaliate. They literally conceded to her request for better treatment on set! There is NO evidence so far that she tried to smear Baldoni (she even tried to avoid going to HR to lessen the blowback on him) but there is DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE of his attempts to ruin her.

25 Recommend

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PNWisHome commented December 21

P

PNWisHome

TacomaDec. 21

@K Walker I don’t believe you because you have zero record on the internet, anonymous and could easily be part of said PR firms. Because I don’t know why else you would write this as an unconnected person other than to spread a counter narrative. You don’t add anything of substance other than cast doubt. And more smearing. I hope these PR firms go bankrupt and the people are ostracized for the damage they have done. They are the worst because they know what they are doing is wrong.

12 Recommend

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CS commented December 21

C

CS

Pacific NorthwestDec. 21

@K Walker Did you even read the article? Firstly, she didn't have concerns before starting the project. Her concerns started when she actually worked with them, and when she voiced those concerns they agreed to do better, so she continued with the project. Secondly, what don't you "believe"? The entire article has ACTUAL TEXTS that show she was the target of a smear campaign, so there's nothing to "believe".

12 Recommend

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Neena commented December 21

N

Neena

BostonDec. 21

@K Walker This sounds like blaming the victim. She had lots of power and it STILL happened to her. These men weren’t fighting back. According to this reporting, they retaliated against a woman who didn’t fall in line under their hypocrisy.

11 Recommend

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John commented December 21

J

John

British ColumbiaDec. 21

@K Walker she did it for the script. Wanting specific working arrangements for yourself as an actress- is fine. Your using the word “concerned” is putting a calculated spin on her normal requests.

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Lower Left Corner commented December 21

L

Lower Left Corner

CTDec. 21

@K Walker Ah. There it is: victim-blaming! I thought we might avoid it this time. Shame.

8 Recommend

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Mark commented December 21

M

Mark

South Plainfield NJDec. 21

Blake has had a bad reputation on a set ever since her Gossip Girl days so I feel like that this is nothing more than an attempt to try to turn bad PR into good PR by pulling the victim card. It's bad enough she tried to make the marketing of the film more positive and about her than what it was the film was about.

35 Recommend

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4 Replies

Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@Mark Claiming someone is ‘playing the victim’ can be an easy dismissal, but we shouldn’t overlook the power imbalance in this situation. Blake may not be perfect, but Baldoni and others actively weaponizing her past behavior to silence her after she called them out crosses a line. Critique is fair, but retaliation and career sabotage are not.

39 Recommend

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NYCGIRL commented December 21

N

NYCGIRL

NYCDec. 21

@Mark As a survivor, I despise when women use the abuse card to flip the opinions to their favor. The public opinion about her was already shaped a long time before this situation. Yes, smear campaigns exist. But also, do not underestimate the people's intelligence. There is an entire world outside of social media with real consequences.

4 Recommend

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Rachel commented December 21

Rachel

Rachel

BrooklynDec. 21

@NYCGIRL or maybe your prior negative perceptions of her behavior were shaped by the widespread misogyny of our culture and how it treats high profile women to begin with. So there’s that.

13 Recommend

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C commented December 21

C

C

TexasDec. 21

@Mark Did you even read the article very carefully? She didn’t decide what the marketing effort was going to be. She was instructed on how to market the movie.

6 Recommend

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SouthernMed commented December 21

S

SouthernMed

AtlantaDec. 21

I think this speaks wider volumes about the manipulation of the public. If you think this is only happening in relation to Hollywood reputations, you’re naive. Now let’s start shining some light on lobbyists…

136 Recommend

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Anna commented December 21

A

Anna

L.A.Dec. 21

It must be really hard to be a man, always having to control those impulses. I lost all respect for Depp a long time ago, now I can feel the same for Baldoni. Men want the benefits of having women around, but don't want to give the respect we deserve. That's not going to end well. Do people even really date anymore? It doesn't feel like it's worth the effort...all that dodging, then hiring lawyers. How exhausting.

51 Recommend

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Brooklyn Dog Geek commented December 21

B

Brooklyn Dog Geek

Brooklyn Of CourseDec. 21

Wow, this is really shocking and diabolical. Bravo to Blake, lively for having the courage to pursue legal action and I hope she does it against all the parties involved. I am so tired of the patriarchy. And shame on all the women who contribute to its continuing oppression, whether it’s conscious or not. Of course men need to do better. But so do women

60 Recommend

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1 Reply

Skippy commented December 21

S

Skippy

MassachusettsDec. 21

@Brooklyn Dog Geek it’s disheartening to see so many women making excuses for the poor treatment of other women. We are our own worst enemies.

5 Recommend

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Gregory M. commented December 21

G

Gregory M.

BrooklynDec. 21

Am I the only one who wanted more information on the allegations themselves? This story leads us to assume the allegations were true and this was retaliation for her bringing those to people’s attention. But if there was a disagreement or something that prompted her to retaliate with the allegations, then this seems fair game. Hard to come to an opinion without more information about the underlying events that started it all.

36 Recommend

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5 Replies

Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@Gregory M. If the allegations were unfounded, the appropriate response would still be to refute them, not to resort to tactics that silence and punish someone.

54 Recommend

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Buff Crone commented December 21

Buff Crone

Buff Crone

AZDec. 21

@Gregory M. There is a link to the complaint in the article.

15 Recommend

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Phryne commented December 21

P

Phryne

USADec. 21

@Gregory M. There is a link in the article to the actual complaint she filed. Best,

11 Recommend

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Jim commented December 21

J

Jim

OlympiaDec. 21

@Gregory M. Did you not read the whole article? It literally details the creepy ways he and that producer guy transgressed her bodily personal space on set, even after she asked them not to.

10 Recommend

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C commented December 21

C

C

TexasDec. 21

@Gregory M. All I can say is that you did not read this article very carefully or comprehensively.

6 Recommend

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Steve J commented December 21

Steve J

Steve J

FloridaDec. 21

Evil people using social media to influence people to their advantage, who would have thunk it? It is how we elect presidents.

52 Recommend

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Alex commented December 21

A

Alex

LouisvilleDec. 21

Hiring the PR team that worked to defend Johnny Depp from domestic violence allegations (which, for the record, were pretty well documented) while promoting a movie about DV is … certainly a choice for Baldoni after making much of his brand that he’s Mr. Feminist and a model of non-toxic masculinity. Either way the optics are not good.

207 Recommend

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1 Reply

Matt commented December 21

M

Matt

MontrealDec. 21

@Alex if Depp's domestic violence was so well documented, how is it that none of it convinced a jury of it's truth? Heard spend $7M on lawyers who only had to prove a single instance of Depp physically harming Heard to win the case. Heard lost in part because the evidence that existed demonstrated she had lied and fabricated evidence. Depp on the other hand has recordings of Heard admitting she attacked him but minimizing as hitting rather than punching. As if that matters.

8 Recommend

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The Fertility Class commented December 21

T

The Fertility Class

Dec. 21

Good for you Ms Blake Lively. We women know exactly what you’ve experienced and despite your fame, pushing back is always difficult and painful. You are helping so many women ❤️

85 Recommend

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V commented December 21

V

V

nycDec. 21

Good for Blake for proceeding with this, even though she’s already facing backlash for doing so. Media illiteracy in the age of social media is truly frightening. When hate against a woman ramps up for seemingly no reason we should all be suspect. Amber Heard is no doubt victim to this as well. Interesting how this never seems to happen to men. Gendered tactics by these PR people are obscene- Melissa Nathan should be ashamed of herself.

124 Recommend

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1 Reply

John commented December 21

J

John

Lake Placid, FLDec. 21

@V It happened to Johnny Depp. Just saying.

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Mona commented December 21

M

Mona

ColoradoDec. 21

The outrage of Blake being slightly annoyed at Ms Flaa for calling out her baby bump in the interview confused me. I thought we now understood that it’s not ok to comment on women’s bodies. Blake wasn’t pleased and that’s totally understandable. The fact that people went on to crucify Blake for that is just baffling. Makes me wonder if all that outrage at her (totally appropriate) reaction was planted by these PR folks.

274 Recommend

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5 Replies

Mari commented December 21

M

Mari

LondonDec. 21

@Mona Then she should have just deflected the question. Instead, she was mean at the reporter including when she asked her about fashion. Deflect, don’t answer, be professional - lots of celebs know how to do that.

36 Recommend

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Jon commented December 21

J

Jon

BKDec. 21

@Mona No, she was a privileged arrogant bully to another woman and people didn’t like it. She was absolutely detestable.

21 Recommend

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Aleksandra commented December 21

A

Aleksandra

WarsawDec. 21

@Mona She was congratulating her on getting pregnant, for crying out loud. In my world the only appropriate answer to this is “Thank you”. Everything that happened afterwards was also hard to watch. We really don’t need to justify this behavior. Condemning it, on the other hand, doesn’t mean you side with the bad guys (to be clear: I’m repulsed by their conduct).

25 Recommend

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Wyatt commented December 21

W

Wyatt

AlabamaDec. 21

@Mona Except that Flaa’s interview predated the whole smear campaign. And it wasn’t just the comment about her pregnancy. Lively and her costar also completely ignored Flaa during the interview, and treated her like a bother for asking questions, which was literally her job and that they signed up for.

16 Recommend

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Mary commented December 21

M

Mary

NYDec. 21

@Mari as a complete nobody (seriously) I have been interviewed by journalists in reference to my (quite boring) career. Here are some of the things they got wrong despite being told: my country of origin. My nationality, my education / work history. I was also asked some completely irrelevant questions and occasionally, it's possible I may have seems snooty and patronizing. I'm just relieved that my behavior wasn't deemed important enough to be recorded. It's got to be tiring always being perfect for 'the public' who seem to expect everything. Who themselves are always paragons of excellent manners

28 Recommend

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Cameron commented December 21

C

Cameron

CanadaDec. 21

Not really a surprise. I hope she takes them all for everything they have and I mean every last time.

60 Recommend

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Alisa Keesey commented December 21

A

Alisa Keesey

Santa Cruz, CaliforniaDec. 21

These men, the production company, and the PR firm should be investigated and blacklisted. The content of these text messages is absolutely disgusting. This is full blown institutional misogyny. They should be buried. I am not even on social media much and I wondered what was going on when I noticed the smear campaign against Blake Lively. Their campaign was far-reaching. I hope Ms. Lively mops the floor with Mr. Baldoni. This article made me sick. I worry about the world my daughter is living in. What about all of the women who don't have financial resources to retaliate against sexual harassment and powerful men in industry who try to control their careers?

1680 Recommend

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8 Replies

Donna commented December 21

D

Donna

PennsylvaniaDec. 21

@Alisa Keesey EXACTLY what I was thinking. Well said. Several years ago we're talking about "me too" and a "big reckoning" and now that's gone and replaced with stories like these. The backlash of hate against women--and the women like those mentioned in this story who are willing to "bury" other woman to make a buck--makes it a dangerous world for all girls and women. And the accusation by the men/studio against her are so ludicrous. She's a wife and mother with a successful career and a busy life: why would she go looking for this mess of a situation? Kudos to Lively for using her fame and resources to fight back.

110 Recommend

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Hollywood insider commented December 21

H

Hollywood insider

LADec. 21

@Alisa Keesey I cannot see Baldoni working again. Even though Depp’s smear campaign succeeded, he’s been black listed forever in Hollywood. We all talk. Most of the behind scenes people are very smart and many very caring. Baldoni’s career was already shiite. He’s done. Before we cast someone we always ask privately, how they will be on set and if there is anything weird in their personal life that will reflect badly on the project. Media smears and random influencers aren’t paid attention too. We look at actual evidence of bad behavior and asking trusting sources who have experienced it first hand.

89 Recommend

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Harlem Hopeful commented December 21

H

Harlem Hopeful

HarlemDec. 21

@Alisa Keesey Instead of blacklisting, which creates an endless loop of opportunities for others to sometimes unfairly be canceled, let's hope they get hit where it hurts. If they need to pay millions in damages, that will hopefully have a chilling effect on others in the future who feel like they could otherwise get away with this social media assault on people.

56 Recommend

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Lynne F commented December 21

L

Lynne F

Washington DCDec. 21

@Alisa Keesey I 💯 agree with your comment. It’s really quite terrifying how the negative PR campaign was so effective. They really leveraged social media to do so as well. I am glad Blake Lively is bringing this to light and I hope she is successful.

34 Recommend

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Marceau commented December 21

M

Marceau

FranceDec. 21

@Alisa Keesey : Chris LaCivita, the Trump 2024 presidential campaign manager, became famous in the 2004 presidential election for making an ad smearing John Kerry. Everything in the ad was actually false. But it worked. Kerry lost. Lies travel faster than the truth.

46 Recommend

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Freed commented December 21

F

Freed

SeattleDec. 21

@Alisa Keesey and did you see that the real knife-wielders were women, Ms. Nathan and Ms. Abel, who seemed to enjoy their mean-girl savagery very much.

30 Recommend

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MCD commented December 21

M

MCD

Northern CADec. 21

@Alisa Keesey Ah, but you ignore how successful they were in their smear campaign. And this article is so long after the campaign that the effect of this “truth coming to light,” will evaporate quickly.

3 Recommend

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Alisa Keesey commented December 21

A

Alisa Keesey

Santa Cruz, CaliforniaDec. 21

@Freed truly disturbed by this. The fact that women would do this to another woman just to gain money and power is very sad and upsetting.

23 Recommend

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Marion commented December 21

M

Marion

NYCDec. 21

I remember when everyone was turning on Blake Lively. There was nothing concrete, just a lot of accusations of being tone-deaf or a bully. Seems like once you invite people to dog-pile on a successful, pretty woman, people are all too happy to start adding flames to the fire. She got woman'd.

374 Recommend

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Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

These men studied the textbook of toxic masculinity. I‘m glad that they‘re called out.

140 Recommend

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YC commented December 21

Y

YC

CADec. 21

We, the people, should stop enabling the system. Actors, writers, directors, etc. are people doing jobs for money like the rest of us. Do we get black-tie award shows for best classroom lesson or best excel spreadsheet? Stop watching all the awards shows. Stop watching the nonsense on daytime TV. Stop buying products that are endorsed by celebrities. Stop paying for and reading digital content like People, Vogue, Entertainment Weekly.

59 Recommend

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Kate commented December 21

K

Kate

UKDec. 21

While I do believe this was clearly a strategic attack against Blake, I do also believe there is no smoke without fire. Two things can be true: - these men sought to bury her after she called out their disgusting harassment - she has been entitled for years despite being a pretty poor actress, creatively dominated a film which wasn’t hers and personally I won’t forget the plantation wedding! None of this excuses what they did to her but I’m no surprised the tide turned on this couple as they constantly seem to engage in word vomit like calling Blake working class when she grew up in BH!

117 Recommend

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3 Replies

Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@Kate What stands out here is the intent behind this campaign. Justin Baldoni’s actions appear less about accountability and more about a calculated attempt to destroy Blake’s career—likely in retaliation for her calling out his behavior. That crosses a line. Criticism should lead to growth, not serve as a tool for silencing or punishing someone who speaks up. We need to ask ourselves whether this level of hostility is proportionate or simply another power play designed to protect someone else’s image.

69 Recommend

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Jess J commented December 21

J

Jess J

New YorkDec. 21

@Kate the plantation wedding and also her current support of brands like Magnolia Pearl, who put out a plantation themed collection. She even wore Magnolia Pearl pieces in this movie.

14 Recommend

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bd commented December 21

b

bd

sdDec. 21

@Kate Justin baldoni wasn't wrong when he said his team should use Blake and Ryan's own words against them lol

5 Recommend

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Angie commented December 21

A

Angie

LADec. 21

Sorry, but unless they CGI’d that interview with that poor woman, who Lively was so mean to throughout for literally no reason (and who had suffered a miscarriage herself), it’s hard to say this was entirely a hit job on her. Was it used as ammo in a campaign against her? Sounds like it. But she provided the ammo in the first place. Anyone who experienced “mean girl” bullying in middle school recognized that behavior in Lively. No PR planted that.

109 Recommend

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4 Replies

Alice commented December 21

A

Alice

nycDec. 21

@Angie what you’re saying is technically true. However I think the context of this matters a lot in this case, their intentions for this campaign were to silence her allegations of abuse on set, or to bury and “get ahead of it” as they said themselves. Just because she might’ve engaged in past actions seen as tone deaf or bullying, does not mean those actions make it ok for them to do what they did, or that they make her less credible when talking about this specific case. There can be multiple truths, she might not be a great person, but what Baldoni and company did was straight up abuse.

63 Recommend

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Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@Angie I agree that behavior like what Ms. Lively displayed in that interview can be critiqued, especially if it resonates with people’s personal experiences of bullying. However, the line I’m drawing is about proportionality and intent. Holding someone accountable is one thing; deliberately trying to ruin their career is another. We’re all human and make mistakes, sometimes serious ones, but the response should ideally lead to reflection and growth, not annihilation. Criticism, yes. Destruction, no. That’s where I think we need to be careful.

55 Recommend

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Lower Left Corner commented December 21

L

Lower Left Corner

CTDec. 21

@Angie Women are held to ridiculous standards of behavior. We must tolerate slights, digs, insults and inappropriate behavior with a smile and a curtsy. Or not. I’m ok with not.

30 Recommend

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CE Horton commented December 21

C

CE Horton

TexasDec. 21

@AngieHave you ever been pregnant? The hormone swings are wild. There were days I tore the head off anyone who came within 10 feet of me😆Should she have been scheduled for an interview that day? Probably not

6 Recommend

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Kiara commented December 21

K

Kiara

NYCDec. 21

Wolves in sheep's clothing. "Mr. Baldoni, by contrast, emerged largely unscathed. This month, he was honored at a star-studded event celebrating men who elevate women, combat gender-based violence and promote gender equality worldwide.” This is even more vile. Be careful out there, ladies.

725 Recommend

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2 Replies

Lauren commented December 21

L

Lauren

Ft. LauderdaleDec. 21

@Kiara yes, that's the irony, that Baldoni was honored because of his commitment to address gender violence and other forms of discrimination against women. It's a good thing that there is public relations agent - client privilege and that all this has come to light through discovery. Hats off to Blake Lively's excellent lawyers as well as the NYT journalists/

66 Recommend

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Lauren commented December 21

L

Lauren

Ft. LauderdaleDec. 21

Correction: I meant to say that it's a good thing there is NO PR agent-client privilege as there is between lawyers and their clients.

35 Recommend

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Plum commented December 21

P

Plum

🌎Dec. 21

Celebrities live on this planet but in a completely different world than others. The theme of making money, losing money is obvious, whether it is the studio, Lively with her businesses.

1 Recommend

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BD commented December 21

B

BD

West Hollywood, CADec. 21

I was really hoping this would end with them.

63 Recommend

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Hannah F. commented December 21

H

Hannah F.

Pittsburgh, PADec. 21

Wish I could say that I’m surprised. The quote that’ll stick with me here is a text sent between one member of Baldoni’s PR team to another: “And socials are really really ramping up. In his favour, she must be furious. It’s actually sad because it just shows you have people really want to hate on women.” Yikes!

1371 Recommend

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1 Reply

Matt Pasquinel commented December 21

Matt Pasquinel

Matt Pasquinel

McCall IdahoDec. 21

@Hannah F., Baldoni, in trying to protect his reputation, did the exact opposite. And he paid someone to do it by hiring a PR firm to smear Ms. Lively. Brilliant!

25 Recommend

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PCB commented December 21

P

PCB

Los AngelesDec. 21

I’ll never understand women who participate in tearing other women down.

227 Recommend

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1 Reply

Educatedgroupie commented December 21

E

Educatedgroupie

ILDec. 21

@PCB I was thinking the same thing while I read this. How on earth can a woman justify doing this to another woman when they know the pretext is false in the first place? I know they made money on it, but why accept the contract in the first place? I am not especially attached to anyone from Hollywood, but I AM attached to treating people fairly and with respect whatever they do for a living, and I have seen way too much of this kind of behavior over the years in all different arenas, not just public ones that garner attention.

36 Recommend

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Mary commented December 21

M

Mary

minnesotaDec. 21

Misogyny is always a winning strategy.

123 Recommend

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Jo commented December 21

J

Jo

FloridaDec. 21

I remember opening various social media platforms and coming face to face with vile and disgusting messages about this poor woman, who thousands of people claimed to personally know as “a terrible person.” For no reason at all other than a few clips from years ago that suddenly came out of nowhere. Social media is a plague.

219 Recommend

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Lauren commented December 21

L

Lauren

Ft. LauderdaleDec. 21

Thank you so much for bringing this backstory to the light of day. I was definitely influenced by this negative wave of publicity against Blake Lively, which I noticed soon after watching the movie. It kind of surprised me because she and Ryan Reynolds had always come across as nice people before this. It is good to know that it was largely manufactured by these public relations monsters and my opinion of Justin Baldoni has dropped precipitously.

431 Recommend

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1 Reply

Martha commented December 21

M

Martha

LondonDec. 21

@Lauren - completely agree! I’m pretty media literate, yet I also bought into the dominant narrative too. Such a well-written piece, really clearly outlining the mechanics of campaigns like this. I hope this lawsuit helps restore her image.

107 Recommend

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Sally commented December 21

S

Sally

Washington DCDec. 21

I stand with women. Good for Blake, and I hope she gets justice. Typically, but not always, women are at the hand of powerful men. I believe Blake based on her history.

207 Recommend

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1 Reply

PJ commented December 21

P

PJ

Yay AreaDec. 21

@Sally Unfortunately there were women leading and cheering on the campaign against Lively. This article is a reminder that not all women stand for or care about women.

18 Recommend

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Jess J commented December 21

J

Jess J

New YorkDec. 21

I’m not forgetting that Blake Lively hasn’t had the greatest reputation before this. There may have been a smear campaign but it’s funny that most of it was just bringing up her terrible past behavior. Similarly to the Depp/Heard situation, I think both parties here are awful. But I do hope this lawsuit helps show people how easily narratives can be manipulated, because that’s a lesson many need to learn.

684 Recommend

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11 Replies

R commented December 21

R

R

NYDec. 21

@Jess J Where there is a lot of money involved... The story reminds me of Hollywood's dubious accounting tactics. Did you know that both Return of the Jedi and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix are officially a loss for the studios despite being massive blockbuster hits? How do accountants officially write off so many successful films as losses? Well... Actors sometimes negotiate contracts that give them % of net profit. But net profit means "after expenses and liabilities." So what has Hollywood perfected since the 1990s? The actor is lured with net profit % in exchange for a lower salary, only to be told by Warner Bros., etc., that the very successful blockbuster film unfortunately, unfortunately, unfortunately has to be burdened with these, these and these costs... such as third party companies of the film studio that happen to claim expenses so that the net profit ends up being a net loss and the actors get no net profit %.

30 Recommend

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a2zmom commented December 21

a

a2zmom

njDec. 21

@Jess J I have to wonder if the things she had done and said were attributed to a man, would he have a bad reputation? Is it possible that having the nerve to be a strong-willed woman gets you labeled as difficult?

133 Recommend

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Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@Jess J You can criticize Ms. Lively for her behavior all day, that’s legitimate. What is not legitimate is the intention to destroy her career.

142 Recommend

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Dear Prudence commented December 21

Dear Prudence

Dear Prudence

ChicagoDec. 21

@Jess J Other than Nicki Smith (some very minor gossip blogger)… Prior to this movie, I can find no other allusions to Blake Lively, having a bad reputation. Whoever Smith is, and I’ve never heard of her… She has been rather prodigious in posting ant- Blake and Ryan Screeds. If you’ve a basis for your assertion, please provide citation from other than obscure blogger)…

86 Recommend

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Imperato commented December 21

I

Imperato

NYCDec. 21

@Claus which clearly was the intent here.

10 Recommend

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Alice Florence Orr commented December 21

A

Alice Florence Orr

GlasgowDec. 21

@Jess J I do not think there is an equivalence between Blake being snappy in interviews and Baldoni sexually harassing her, including while breastfeeding, and then turning the world against her to protect himself.

133 Recommend

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Taylor commented December 21

T

Taylor

NYCDec. 21

@Jess J How terrible was her behavior? Did she show videos of her naked husband to her co-stars and insist on bragging about her rape-y sex life? Did she enter their dressing rooms to watch them naked without permission? The double standards need to stop.

124 Recommend

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D commented December 21

D

D

CADec. 21

@Jess J. How is Lovely’s behavior “awful”? Did she repeatedly walk in on Baldoni naked? Did she insert nude scenes for him against his will, what exactly are you talking about Jess?

73 Recommend

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KP commented December 21

K

KP

St PeteDec. 21

@Jess J while all the things in this article may be true, I also think people are forgetting how the script romanticized so much of the plot of the book which was about domestic violence. It was an awful film.

12 Recommend

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TRS commented December 21

T

TRS

BoiseDec. 21

@Claus yes I'm tired of this both sidesism. The person whose career needs to end is Ms Nathan. Of course many of the comments here have forgotten her complicity in all of this.

37 Recommend

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Saltburn commented December 21

S

Saltburn

USADec. 21

@Jess J Both are awful? You mean Lively can be snippy, and Baldoni can commit sexual harassment over the course of his filming, walk in on Lively undressing or breastfeeding, then orchestrate a paid defamation campaign? You call that a good old-fashioned blame-on-both sides situation? Maybe take a deep breath, read your words again, and consider if you are part of the problem for women? Depp is and was a serial abuser. Lively is not.

56 Recommend

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Sharon L commented December 21

S

Sharon L

HollisDec. 21

When this film debuted, I watched the two stars being interviewed on various shows and noticed the “disconnect” between them. He was constantly trying to overtalk her. In this day and age, people forget that what you say in text and talk can be revealed. Ms. Lively is blessed with a very very powerful husband. I pray for women who don’t have such protection. It happens all the time. People are labeled “difficult” when they don’t want to play the game.

1729 Recommend

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5 Replies

Gossip Crone commented December 21

G

Gossip Crone

The Upper East BogDec. 21

@Sharon L - The scary thing is that yes, Lively *does* have a powerful husband, but she’s far more powerful and famous than Baldoni, and he still felt entitled enough to act this way. Judging from this lawsuit, he had no regard for Lively’s status and agency.

276 Recommend

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Emily commented December 21

E

Emily

ColoradoDec. 21

@Sharon L And women are labeled “difficult” far more than men and suffer professionally far more when it happens.

145 Recommend

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TRS commented December 21

T

TRS

BoiseDec. 21

@Sharon L I've also found it amusing over the years that despite all the misogyny for centuries, women attack women real quickly. In the article Ms. Nathan was one of the lead instigators many of her cohorts were also women.

98 Recommend

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Hiker commented December 21

H

Hiker

CaliforniaDec. 21

@Sharon L Blake was labeled “difficult” by the same men who burst into her trailer while she was undressed. Obviously, they are the difficult ones as they attempt to smear her.

119 Recommend

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Ruby commented December 21

R

Ruby

New YorkDec. 21

@Sharon L She’s powerful in her own right.

51 Recommend

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jrd commented December 21

j

jrd

nyDec. 21

Sorry, but it's impossible -- yes, impossible -- to sustain sympathy for celebrities whose fame and wealth, and line of beauty products, is based on PR fictions. Those who are "devastated" by Ms. Lively's fall from grace, "disgusted" by the opposition, and just dying to apologize-- well, Hollywood lives and dies on make believe. If the opprobrium is unearned, so is the wealth and the fame.

141 Recommend

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5 Replies

Claus commented December 21

C

Claus

MunichDec. 21

@jrd Blake Lively’s career may be built on PR, like many in Hollywood, but does that justify a calculated attempt to ruin her professionally? Wealth and fame don’t make someone immune to harm or retaliation, nor do they negate the responsibility of others to act ethically.

76 Recommend

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Gossip Crone commented December 21

G

Gossip Crone

The Upper East BogDec. 21

@jrd - Acting is a lucrative career for the blessed few, and Lively is part of that rarified group. That doesn’t mean, however, that she should have to contend with men ogling her as she breastfeeds in her trailer, among other atrocities written about here. No woman ever deserves to be harassed - on the job or elsewhere. I don’t care how rich she may be.

52 Recommend

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Lower Left Corner commented December 21

L

Lower Left Corner

CTDec. 21

@jrd But to spent probably millions using PR machines to smear someone as a diversion from their own misogynistic behaviors is wrong. You get that, right?

33 Recommend

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Fhcgsps commented December 21

F

Fhcgsps

MidwestDec. 21

@jrd clearly you’ve never been harassed, victimized or violated.

16 Recommend

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Choosing to evolve commented December 21

C

Choosing to evolve

BostonDec. 21

@jrd Sexual harassment of a woman and retaliation for reporting her concerns is the issue at hand. Today (vs in the past) this is no longer acceptable. I think it is even illegal. This isn't make believe. It still happens every day. The goal is to bring this behavior to the light for all to see. Not push it back under the carpet and call it make believe. As an aside- but an important one- the "wealth and fame" were earned by this strong, competent, talented woman.

22 Recommend

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Christine commented December 21

C

Christine

PhiladelphiaDec. 21

Very enlightening although both things can be true. Blake was a victim in a targeted attack on her image but also tone deaf on the subject matter and pushing all her product lines. I’m glad she is taking legal action.

395 Recommend

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3 Replies

Dear Prudence commented December 21

Dear Prudence

Dear Prudence

ChicagoDec. 21

@Christine What? Every, and I mean every film has “tie-ins.” When they put George Clooney’s tequila in his films, are you disappointed in him, too? You’ve basically demonstrated that they CAN, (at least to some degree), bury anyone.

40 Recommend

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PJ commented December 21

P

PJ

Yay AreaDec. 21

@Dear Prudence George Clooney hasn’t made a film about domestic violence (that I’m aware of) and featured his tequila. Lively, her team and whoever drafted that promotion plan were all massively tone deaf for the film. The book was a huge success and had lots of fans, many of whom were DV survivors. Theirs were the first complaints. The promo encouraged people to ‘get your girls together and wear your florals.’ The premiere featured cocktails named after the characters and featured Lively’s alcohol brand. She didn’t acknowledge the DV element until weeks into promo. All that said, what the director and his team are alleged to have done is truly despicable. The YouTube drama channel cottage industry wasn’t mentioned but the Lively content was immense. Both sides were gross in different ways but, it seems that only the director and his studio had jackals and vipers to do their bidding.

19 Recommend

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Hollywood insider commented December 21

H

Hollywood insider

LADec. 21

@Christine none of these things are equal at all. An alcohol line that’s at targeted for women. I guess that’s a little I don’t know weird? But a hairline? She has done absolutely nothing wrong. I hope she gets tens of millions for this.

23 Recommend

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Rick commented December 21

R

Rick

New OrleansDec. 21

I wish Ms. Lively well in her lawsuit. I, for one, am appalled and disgusted with Mr. Depp, a man I once admired as an actor, and would never watch anything with or by him, ever. So, I am not sure how effective this campaign is. Others may give him a pass on his very public behavior, but those are the times we live in.

963 Recommend

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8 Replies

Tammy commented December 21

T

Tammy

Brooklyn NYDec. 21

@Rick I feel the same. I will never watch anything with Depp in it ever again. In New York, an art show of his was being promoted via Facebook ads. I commented that I couldn’t be less interested.

211 Recommend

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Hollywood insider commented December 21

H

Hollywood insider

LADec. 21

@Rick I agree. I actually know people on the Headd side really well and it shocked me how well the smear campaign against Heard worked. I feel like a lot of women of abuse make their allegations and then try to let things play it naturally, while men hire people to activity tarnish the people they abused. And with the naive and impulsive nature of social media, it often works that the allegedly abused have no fair shot in public opinion because there’s overwhelming thought leaders already setting the narrative.

65 Recommend

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Butterkins commented December 21

B

Butterkins

CaliforniaDec. 21

@Rick Not kidding. I nicknamed my vacuum cleaner Johnny Depp

19 Recommend

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Hydra commented December 21

H

Hydra

ColoradoDec. 21

@Rick Should anyone care about anybody in Hollywood? The movies are fake, the actors are fake, everything said about the actors and the movies are fake. Films are nothing more than promotional vehicles for other products promoting other products that nobody needs. Soon it will all be orchestrated by AI. This is all a deep madness taken hold in America.

6 Recommend

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John commented December 21

J

John

Lake Placid, FLDec. 21

@Rick I suggest you listen to the full, unedited audio recordings of Depp and Heard's fights that were included in the court evidence. -It will change your mind completely.

5 Recommend

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Amanda B commented December 21

A

Amanda B

Untied States of AmericaDec. 21

@Rick Me too (haha). Liked Depp before he turned into a sleazeball, but after that trial, as far as getting my attention or sympathy (or dollars) he’s dead to me.

14 Recommend

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Bev commented December 21

B

Bev

MidwestDec. 21

@Rick Glad you saw through Depp. Too many men have supported him, when it’s beyond obvious that he’s abusive, especially psychologically. Women have experience with men like this unfortunately. We know what they’re capable of. It’s scary.

21 Recommend

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Rick commented December 21

R

Rick

New OrleansDec. 21

@John I doubt it. Her behavior is irrelevant, to me.That is not how a gentleman reacts. Public, hateful glee towards someone you once professed to love is not normal, correct or decent.

17 Recommend

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Miriam commented December 21

M

Miriam

New YorkDec. 21

We all owe Blake Lively a huge apology. The coordination of such a take down is astonishing and quite scary. This was malicious intent and all for what? It is easy to forget that famous, beautiful people are just that - human beings. When we listen to vitriol about celebrities their humanity is lost - our humanity is lost. What a sad situation all around.

3120 Recommend

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23 Replies

KO commented December 21

K

KO

ColoradoDec. 21

@Miriam I agree. This investigation is quite a revelation. While I knew a small amount of what was going on during the release of the movie, I didn’t understand all of it, but now it makes more sense. Very disappointed in Mr.Baldoni’s behavior as reported here.

581 Recommend

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Mel commented December 21

M

Mel

Spring ValleyDec. 21

@Miriam I hope this article is shared widely. The behavior by Baldoni, Heath, Ms. Nathan, and their PR teams is absolutely revolting.

366 Recommend

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Kate commented December 21

K

Kate

UKDec. 21

@Miriam I think in this case two things are true: I am deeply sorry this happened to her in the workplace, but she has also been well documented to be nasty for years. There’s a reason they were able to smear her so easily and suddenly

164 Recommend

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Kate commented December 21

K

Kate

SFDec. 21

@Miriam This PR campaign smearing is despicable, but why would I need to apologize to anyone? In the Amber Heard/ Depp case it was so obvious that I wonder how anyone with critical thinking skills could not see the anti Amber coordinated campaign. To me that made Depp even more unlikable.

195 Recommend

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NA commented December 21

N

NA

NYDec. 21

@Miriam It seems easy to forget that business is business but private equity owns most of these studios, films, and distributors and they will do anything they have to for the bottom line. Film was invented for this exact purpose so please don’t act naive or surprised about it as though it were mere sidewalk chalk drawings and not multi-billion dollar enterprises hinging on actors shutting up about abuse.

39 Recommend

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Liz commented December 21

L

Liz

MidwestDec. 21

@Miriam reading what was posted in social media when this first started happened made me scratch my head I didn’t think any of the purported behavior warranted the backlash First it now makes sense in some ways but really is horrible how folks jumped on

59 Recommend

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Concerned commented December 21

C

Concerned

Cambridge, MADec. 21

@Miriam Essential to have this expose of the gleeful manipulation. Who is investigating what happens in the political spheres? Massive incentives and resources abound to distort and to mess with us. We know that Putin was at it already in prior elections-- what did he do this time?

62 Recommend

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mcomfort commented December 21

mcomfort

mcomfort

mplsDec. 21

I'm honestly confused by something - why on earth does Baldoni think he's all-powerful and the studio will back him up in something like this? Baldoni, and people like him, are incredibly replaceable. There is literally a line of people who want his job who are probably better at it than him. He can be replaced in an instant and the next actor/directory will likely have more talent and no abusive baggage. Why would any studio or entertainment organization stick with someone like him when they didn't have to? "We can bury her?!" Who's "we?" you guys are inconsequential cogs in a fake machine.

172 Recommend

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Lower Left Corner commented December 21

L

Lower Left Corner

CTDec. 21

@Miriam I don’t. I am happily not on social media not would I care enough to buy into any trending mood. I don’t know them. Any of them. I don’t know the story. I’m not interested in watching that movie. I wish Ms. Lively the best in her legal endeavors though. It sounds like it’s appropriate to investigate it. And to shed light on a dark machine.

76 Recommend

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Plum commented December 21

P

Plum

🌎Dec. 21

@Miriam We "all" don't owe BL an apology. We "all" were not involved in whatever happened. This will be resolved one way or another (trial / out of court settlement / career and image damage or rehabilitation) and those involved will continue with their rose colored floral lives and careers and continue to make money.

66 Recommend

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Devi commented December 21

D

Devi

New york cityDec. 21

@Miriam Nah, we don't. This is exactly what she wants. You all are falling for it because she counts on our distrust for Hollywood and all of them, which is correct. I dont buy it.

32 Recommend

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Choosing to evolve commented December 21

C

Choosing to evolve

BostonDec. 21

@Kate I could not agree more. Sadly, many many people in our country are easily manipulated by what they read and see in the media.

29 Recommend

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Blue commented December 21

B

Blue

New York CityDec. 21

@Miriam I think Blake owes Flaa an apology. (Anne Hathaway was mature enough to offer one, or at least her PR team was)

30 Recommend

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Gossip Crone commented December 21

G

Gossip Crone

The Upper East BogDec. 21

@Miriam - It’s a personal lesson to me in how susceptible I personally am to propaganda and falsehoods spread by people paid to concoct lies. After the Depp-Heard trial, I clearly should have raised an eyebrow at all the demonization flung at a woman. Lesson learned. Finally.

46 Recommend

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Bill commented December 21

B

Bill

TexasDec. 21

@Miriam Its amazing you think she doesn't have her own smearing operation. These are not helpless victims we are talking about. Its like politics. Everyone smears.

31 Recommend

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Paul commented December 21

P

Paul

BrooklynDec. 21

@Kate you guys have a unified message I see, stop using two things can be true, it screams coordination.

17 Recommend

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Choosing to evolve commented December 21

C

Choosing to evolve

BostonDec. 21

@Kate Where is your empathy for the nature of being human. It's ok that she is not perfect. None of us are perfectly kind and aware all the time- we are human. What was orchestrated against her was not ok. There is no "but" in the sentence. It is simply not ok. Ever.

58 Recommend

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Monica commented December 21

M

Monica

NYCDec. 21

@Kate The anti Amber heard campaign was not coordinated. It was thousands of domestic violence survivors like myself who couldn’t stand that she, a perpetrator of abuse, was pretending to be one of us. Did you know she once spent a night in jail for being physically abusive towards her first wife? Did you ever listen to any recordings in which she confesses to hitting him? Women can be abusers too. But it is SO HARD to be believed, that actual victims cannot stand women who play victims, it is an abhorrent behavior. DV victims rallied against her, that’s it. That’s the story.

28 Recommend

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MDS commented December 21

M

MDS

Washington DCDec. 21

@Miriam Especially sad since she and Ryan come from working class backgrounds. ; ) I’m all for punishing misogynists. But beautiful Hollywood people are absolutely NOT like the rest of us.

8 Recommend

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Skippy commented December 21

S

Skippy

MassachusettsDec. 21

@Kate Do you know her personally? Why do you assume she’s nasty? Because some social media person told you so? It would behoove all of us to be more critical consumers of the media.

46 Recommend

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C commented December 21

C

C

TexasDec. 21

@Kate I don’t remember reading anything about Blake Lively being “nasty” before Baldoni started his hate campaign.

53 Recommend

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Saltburn commented December 21

S

Saltburn

USADec. 21

@Devi Did you not read the text messages, Devi? All obtained by subpoena, all 100% true, straight from the horse's mouth. Why did the director and producers have to sign on to an agreement that Baldoni stop discussing his sexual conquests, stop showing nude videos to Lively, stop discussing his pornography addiction, stop adding unscripted sex scenes to the filming if not of these things were happening? Look at the evidence with your head, not your heart.

53 Recommend

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Kate commented December 21

K

Kate

PortlandDec. 21

@mcomfort But they did.