Blake Lively has understandably gained the scrutiny of the internet for her insensitive and tactless marketing of her and Justin Baldoni’s new film, “It Ends With Us,” a movie centered on domestic violence. Her marketing, which consisted of taglines like “Grab your friends and wear your florals!” and the promotion of her new hair care and alcohol line alongside her promotion for the film revealed to people that she may lack some necessary empathy or understanding for the serious topic of domestic abuse. However, this scrutiny for her press of the movie has now opened up a whole Pandora’s box of previously problematic behaviors you may not know she engaged in. Here are some dark moments from Blake’s past and present you likely don’t know about which will make you take a double take.
Her and her husband Ryan Reynolds got married on a plantation in 2012 and she published an antebellum era lifestyle magazine in 2014 even after she apologized for it. Yes, you read that right. What should have been a romantic wedding was placed on grounds where horrific crimes against humanity were committed. Blake and Ryan apologized for having her wedding on a plantation, noting, “What we saw at the time was a wedding venue on Pinterest. What we saw after was a place built upon devastating tragedy,” but contradicted their apology when Blake later published an antebellum themed magazine called Preserve which seemed to celebrate an era of slavery and oppression. This goes beyond tone-deaf and some may wonder if it is rooted in malice and racism.
She body-shamed an interviewer who congratulated her on her pregnancy and accused the reporter of sexism while hypocritically promoting a Woody Allen movie. This is a particular interview you may have heard of already, but for those who haven’t, prepare to be shocked and outraged. A 2016 interview of Blake Lively has recently been exposed of reporter Kjersti Flaa telling Blake, “Congratulations on your little bump,” with sincere kindness and Blake snarkily responding, “Congratulations on your little bump,” pointedly gesturing toward the reporter’s stomach. The reporter laughed nervously, likely in shock and tried to ask other questions, only to be deliberately stonewalled by Blake and her co-star who made mean, pointed comments directed at her. Not only was the reporter not pregnant, she later confirmed she actually can’t have kids, so the comment hit her like a “bullet.” On the other hand, Blake’s pregnancy had been well known by the time of the interview so there was clearly no malice or assumptions intended from the reporter’s end. Blake then went on to ignore the interviewer and speak snidely to her co-star Parker Posey instead, who also eventually joined in on the disrespectful stonewalling. When the reporter, who is an established fashion journalist, proceeded to ask about clothing in the movie, Blake began making backhanded comments to her co-star about whether men were asked these questions, perhaps trying to gain a “Scarlett Johansson” feminism moment when in reality the reporter’s expertise resides in fashion, and she had every right to ask about it.
She and her husband Ryan have a strange relationship and may have started out as an emotional affair at the very least. Rumors persist that she has a tendency to go after married men or men in relationships on set. Most people don’t know that Blake’s current husband Ryan Reynolds was actually married to actress Scarlett Johannson when he first met Blake (who was also in a relationship with television show star Penn Badgley from Gossip Girl and You) on the set of the movie Green Lantern when filming took place during 2010. Two years later, Blake and Ryan were married. The timeline is a bit suspicious, although the two insist they were just friends when filming, while others claim they definitely saw the pair flirting and being close during that time. Even more shockingly, a series of “blind items,” or unconfirmed rumors have established a pattern of Hollywood “insiders” claiming that Blake Lively has often flirted with and gone after married men she works on movies with, including her rumored affair with Ben Affleck while he was married to Jennifer Garner. Considering it has been confirmed that Ben Affleck has cheated on his wife with other people, it would not be surprising if that particular rumor turned out to be true, and it would make sense of Blake Lively was a culprit of partner poaching, considering her other toxic and pick-me behaviors (for example, she sometimes blames women “jokingly” when asked questions by interviewers).
She accused Justin Baldoni of body-shaming her when he wanted to know her weight to prevent exacerbating his back injury. People wondered why Justin Baldoni was nowhere near Blake Lively and other cast members during the premiere of It Ends With Us. TMZ reported that Blake apparently believed Justin lingered too long on a kiss during a movie scene and “fat-shamed” her when he asked their trainer how much she weighed to prevent exacerbating an existing back injury during a scene where he was supposed to lift her up. While we don’t know if the kiss allegation has merit (it may be true, it may not, we have no way of confirming at this time), considering the snarky way she handled a reporter congratulating her baby bump and who she also body-shamed, it’s very possible that her allegation of Justin fat-shaming her was at the very least dubious.
She exhibited a laissez-faire attitude when another interviewer asked her what she would do if domestic violence victims wanted to connect with her. In another cringe-worthy interview, when Blake was asked what she would tell survivors of domestic violence who wanted to connect with her further on the topic, Blake sarcastically replied, “Are they like, asking for my address, my phone number or like my location share?” in a condescending fashion. Jesus. Show some compassion, Blake.
She said the movie she couldn’t stop laughing through was Shawshank Redemption. In a now viral TikTok, we found out that a past interview of Blake included the question, “What is the movie you laughed the hardest through?” With no hint of sarcasm whatsoever, Blake replied without a beat, “Shawshank Redemption.” Let’s just say this movie is nowhere near a comedy and has plotlines no sane person would ever laugh at: it’s a harrowing prison drama about a man who goes to prison for murdering his wife and her extramarital lover. Was she really cackling excessively like Lily Bloom on the rooftop with Ryle in It Ends With Us while watching The Shawshank Redemption? If not sadistic, it’s just plain weird. Much like the problematic way she marketed It Ends With Us, Blake Lively continues to raise some serious red flags, but she’s been raising them for quite a long time. We just haven’t been paying attention.
