Blake Lively’s sisterhood has her back.
On Sunday, December 22, the co-stars of the Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel, showed their support for their fellow actress who is in a legal battle with Justin Baldoni.
The trio, who have been friends with Blake for over twenty years, took to Instagram to release a statement expressing their solidarity with Blake amidst the allegations. Blake accused Baldoni, 40, of sexual harassment during the filming of It Ends With Us and claimed he orchestrated a smear campaign against her.
In their statement, the actresses praised Blake for her courage in advocating for a safe work environment for herself and her colleagues on the set of It Ends with Us. They condemned the alleged calculated and retaliatory actions taken to undermine her credibility. They were particularly disturbed by the exploitation of stories of domestic violence survivors to silence Blake, who simply requested a secure environment. The hypocrisy of the situation was described as astonishing by the actresses.
“We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe working environment,” the trio said. “We are inspired by our sister’s courage to stand up for herself and others.”
The statement concluded, “For anyone seeking more information or engaging in this important conversation online, please read the full legal complaint in the investigative reporting by Megan Twohey, Mike McIntire, and Julie Tate for the New York Times.”
Lively, 37, starred alongside Ferrera, 40, Tamblyn, 41, and Bledel, 43, in 2005’s The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and its 2008 sequel amid her rise to stardom on Gossip Girl.
Tamblyn shared a personal note via her Instagram Stories on Sunday, saying she was a “confidant” to Lively amid the alleged on-set struggles she experienced while making It Ends With Us.
“I remember how incredibly painful it was for her,” Tamblyn wrote. “I’m glad all of this has come to light with solid reporting and receipts,” she continued, directing her followers to The New York Times’ coverage of the lawsuit.
In a lawsuit filed with the California Civil Complaints Department on Friday, December 20, Lively accused Baldoni, her It Ends With Us costar and director, of sexual harassment on the set of the film and conducting a “social manipulation” campaign to damage her reputation.
In a statement to Us Weekly, Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, said Lively’s accusations were “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious.” Freedman claimed that Lively sued to “fix her negative reputation” and “rehash a narrative” regarding the film’s production. Freedman further alleged that Lively made “multiple demands and threats” while filming It Ends With Us, including “threatening to not show up to set, threatening to not promote the film, ultimately leading to its demise during release, if her demands were not met.”
In a statement to The New York Times published Saturday, December 21, Lively denied any involvement in spreading negative information about Baldoni. “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 said.
