By Nicholas Kristof
Actress Blake Lively collaborated with me on a PBS documentary in 2015 that investigated sex trafficking across the United States. She was profoundly impacted by our discoveries, showing deep empathy for survivors and confronting a harsh reality that many choose to ignore.
The villains in that context were obvious: violent individuals who raped, exploited, and enslaved minors. However, the real world presents a more intricate picture. Predators often occupy prestigious positions, advocate for women’s rights, and are celebrated for their contributions to female empowerment.
This complexity is mirrored in the explosive legal action Lively filed against Wayfarer Studios, the producer of her latest film “It Ends With Us.” She claims that after voicing her concerns about Justin Baldoni’s sexual harassment, who is both her co-star and the film’s director, the studio retaliated with a smear campaign against her. Lively’s lawsuit also names Baldoni and several PR professionals.
The situation is laden with irony. The film addresses how men often escape accountability for their mistreatment of women nearby. As highlighted by my colleagues at the New York Times in an essential read, Baldoni was recently celebrated at a function honoring men who “uplift women” and “foster gender equality.” He has also publicly identified as a feminist, expressing sentiments like, “Let’s just listen to the women in our lives.”
Thus, acknowledging that the complaint presents one perspective, it’s crucial to listen.
According to Lively, Baldoni included sexualized content and unnecessary nude scenes in the film and exhibited disrespect toward women. The filing states that during a childbirth scene, the studio allowed “nonessential crew to pass through while Ms. Lively was mostly nude with her legs spread wide in stirrups and only a small piece of fabric covering her genitalia.” She claims that among those nonessential individuals was a co-chair at Wayfarer.
“Ms. Lively became even more distressed when Mr. Baldoni introduced his ‘best friend’ to portray the OB-GYN,” the complaint asserts. It continues that “choosing Mr. Baldoni’s friend for such an intimate role, where the actor’s face and hands were closely positioned to her nearly nude genitalia during the birth scene, was invasive and humiliating.”
Lively’s lawsuit states that studio executives entered her trailer without permission while she was undressed, leered at her when she was topless, posed intrusive questions, and made inappropriate comments regarding various women involved in the project.
Text messages and emails accessed by Lively’s attorneys through a subpoena indicate that Wayfarer orchestrated a social media strategy aimed at discrediting her ahead of any public remarks regarding her experiences. “We can bury anyone,” boasted a crisis management expert employed by the studio, in discussions about her.
Wayfarer and Baldoni firmly deny the allegations. “It is disgraceful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and completely false claims,” a spokesperson for the studio stated to the Times. After she raised her initial concerns, Wayfarer agreed to provide an intimacy coordinator and implemented other protective measures.
It is evident that Lively experienced a wave of online hostility last summer, with The Daily Mail questioning if she was facing cancellation and implying that her public image might be irreparably damaged. The sales of her hair care products declined.
In an era where misinformation and deepfakes proliferate on social media, it is unsettling to contemplate that a handful of PR specialists could so effectively and rapidly undermine one of America’s prominent celebrities. If “social manipulation,” as referenced in internal messages regarding the coordinated campaign, can harm a figure like Lively, who truly is secure? As one of those contracted by Wayfarer put it, “People truly desire to turn against women.”
I imagine that the last thing Lively wishes is for us to focus on individuals staring at her while she was nude. This lawsuit extends the humiliation. Yet, the sole method to eradicate impunity is to speak out.
In a markedly different scenario, in France, Gisèle Pelicot spoke up after her husband orchestrated for numerous men to assault her while she was incapacitated. “The shame must shift sides,” she asserted, and she was undeniably right: The shame belongs to the assailants, not their victims. While Lively’s circumstances differ from Pelicot’s, it remains true that, whether on a film set or elsewhere, the stigma and degradation should reside with the perpetrator, not the victim. That is the only path forward, and it necessitates individuals coming forward and filing lawsuits containing painful truths.
We are not privy to everything that occurred during the filming of “It Ends With Us,” and Baldoni and the studio executives are entitled to present their side of the story. Further details will undoubtedly surface as the case unfolds.
The online campaign aimed at Lively painted her as a diva and challenging to work with. My personal experience during the making of the documentary “A Path Appears,” produced by Show of Force, showed me Lively as genuine, delightful, and dedicated. She sought to leverage her fame to aid others who required attention more urgently, such as victims of human trafficking. She aimed to use her celebrity to help dismantle misogyny and oppression.
She was especially touched by the bravery of women recounting their harrowing experiences of being trafficked. “I have immense admiration and respect for these women, for opening up and sharing their narratives,” Lively remarked at that time. “It makes me reflect, if that happened to me, would I possess the courage?”
Then she expressed something that influences how I view her now. Referring to the survivors of trafficking we encountered, Lively stated: “They don’t desire to hear, ‘You’re so inspirational,’ as that implies they are victims. It’s more like, ‘I don’t want to be an inspiration. I just want to be a woman. I just want to be an equal.’”
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In a world grappling with numerous challenges, I would like to extend my gratitude to readers for contributing $5.1 million so far to the nonprofits featured in my annual holiday giving guide, in ways we estimate will assist over 100,000 individuals. For more information or to donate, visit KristofImpact.org.
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