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Yikes, Blake Lively Just Broke Her Silence On That Viral Magazine Cover: "Sexist"
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Blake Lively is speaking out amid her legal battle with Justin Baldoni. On February 21, The Hollywood Reporter released a story discussing how much Justin's Baha'i faith played a role in the environment on set, but the artwork on the cover started just as much conversation as the story itself. And Blake Lively's explaining why THR should be "ashamed" of such an "extremely offensive" cover.
Here's what Blake Lively had to say about that The Hollywood Reporter magazine cover with Justin Baldoni.
Blake Lively calls out "sexist" magazine cover portraying her with Justin Baldoni.
The Hollywood Reporter cover features artwork of Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, with Justin holding a copy of It Ends With Us and Blake preparing to launch a phone at Justin with a slingshot. Other details of the feud can be seen in the cover, from pink flower petals (like on the movie poster) to Blake's husband Ryan Reynolds dressed up as Nicepool (a Deadpool & Wolverine character allegedly making fun of Justin).
On February 22, a spokesperson for Blake Lively told Us Weekly in a statement that "The Hollywood Reporter should be ashamed of itself."
“The framing in this picture is outrageously insulting as it plays into every sexist trope about women who dare file a workplace complaint, turning them into the aggressor, and suggesting they deserve the retaliation that comes their way,” they continue. “In addition, the story is extremely offensive as it incredibly seems to explain away documented examples of sexual harassment and retaliation by calling them ‘cultural misunderstandings.’”
Blake Lively's team has already spoken out after Justin Baldoni's lawyer called her claims of sexual harassment "outrageous."
On January 6, Blake's legal team reinforced that "this is not a ‘feud’ arising from ‘creative differences’ or a ‘he said/she said’ situation,” they said in a statement to People. “A classic tactic to distract from allegations of this type of misconduct is to ‘blame the victim’ by suggesting that they invited the conduct, brought it on themselves, misunderstood the intentions, or even lied. Another classic tactic is to reverse the victim and offender, and suggest that the offender is actually the victim. These concepts normalize and trivialize allegations of serious misconduct."
Check out our first Yap City podcast episode to hear more about the Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni legal battle.
