December 22, 2024 • 17 mins
Actor Justin Baldoni was dropped by his talent agency WME after his "It Ends With Us" costar Blake Lively filed a sexual harassment and retaliation complaint against him. Lively claims that Baldoni's behavior on set, which included showing her nude images of women and discussing his past “porn addiction,” made her feel uncomfortable. Lively's complaint also alleges that Baldoni, drawing inspiration from negative social media posts about Hailey Bieber, orchestrated a smear campaign against her to "destroy" her reputation. He allegedly shared a screenshot of a post about Bieber to his PR team and said “This is what we would need.” Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman has denied the allegations, calling them “completely false” and “intentionally salacious” and stating that Lively's complaint is an attempt to improve her public image.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back everyone. We're diving into a story that has
Hollywood buzzing.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Yeah, this one has a lot of layers, it sure does.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
We're talking about Justin Baldoni.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Oh wow.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Yeah, the director known for Five Feet Apart and co
founder of Wayfarer Studios. He's facing some serious accusations from
his It ends with US co star Blake Lively, and
we're going beyond the headlines here. We're looking at court documents,
news reports to really understand what's going on.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
It's fascinating how this case is unfolding in two completely
different arenas at the same time.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Oh interesting.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Okay, you have the legal battle obviously, but it's also
playing out very publicly in the court of public opinion,
and that's where things get.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Really Oh, I see what you mean.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Interesting. Lively's lawsuit outlines instances of sexual harassment that she
allegedly faced on set. But and this is the big butt,
she also claims that Baldoni orchestrated a smear camp pain
to damage her reputation.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Oh wow. So it's not just about what allegedly happened
on set. It's about how that's being spun.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
It's about control in the media, control of the narrative gotcha.
In a digital age, that can be just as powerful
as any legal battle.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
So let's start with the foundation of this whole thing.
Those harassment allegations. Lively's legal complaint paints a pretty disturbing picture.
She alleges that Baldoni showed her nude photos and videos,
discussed his struggles with pornography, made inappropriate comments about genitalia.
He even allegedly asked her trainer about Lively's weight without
(01:38):
her consent.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Wow, those are some serious accusations.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Yeah, and it's important to note that Baldoni, through his lawyer,
has denied all of these allegations.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Right right, He's calling them false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious.
We have to be very clear about that.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Absolutely, everyone is entitled to do process. But what really
caught my eye was the meeting Lively reportedly held to
a restless behavior. Even her husband, Ryan Reynolds was present,
and during this meeting, she specifically requested no improvising kissing scenes,
no unnecessary touching, and to stick to the script when
it came to any explicit content.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
That's significant, I mean that suggests that Lively was actively
trying to set boundaries and communicate her discomfort.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
She was trying to create a safe working environment exactly.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
And this meeting, along with those initial allegations, really highlights
the power dynamics there's so often at play on movie sets.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
That makes sense.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
I mean, even though Lively is a successful actress in
her own right, a director still holds a lot of power.
It can be intimidating to speak up, exactly, especially when
you're talking about behavior that might be considered normalized in
certain industries.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Yeah, okay, So then we get to this alleged smear campaign.
Lively claims that after she voiced her concerns, Baldoni decided
to retaliate. He allegedly plotted to damage her reputation, and
the lawsuit includes text messages that posedly show him instructing
his PR team to create a negative online buzz around
Lively similar to what happened with Hailey Bieber.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Okay, this is where it gets really interesting and maybe
a little messy. So it seems Baldoni was referencing online
chatter about a supposed feud between Hailey Bieber and Selena
Gomez justin Bieber's ex right, right, And it's been widely reported,
but Hailey Bieber herself has denied any bullying. She says
(03:30):
there's no bad blood between.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Them, So he's using an example that might not even
be accurate.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
He's allegedly trying to create a similar narrative around Lively,
even though the basis of that narrative is shaky at best.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
But why use Haley Bieber in the first place? Was
it just because she was in the news a lot?
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Maybe? But I think there's something more strategic going on here.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
What do you mean?
Speaker 2 (03:51):
It could be that Baldoni saw an opportunity to tap
into those existing public perceptions about female rivalry and cattiness.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Ah So by portraying Lively as a bully exactly, he
could try to discredit her allegations.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
And position himself as the victim. It's a tactic we've
seen before.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Unfortunately, right it happens all the time.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Women who speak out are often labeled as vindictive or
attention seeking. It's a way to undermine their credibility.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
And according to those court documents, it wasn't just the
Hailey Bieber comparison. They allegedly plan to plant stories about
Lively being difficult to work with, using other actresses' names
like Leayton, Meister, Anna Kendrick, even Ben.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Afflet, trying to build a pattern.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Yeah, and they were supposedly going to frame Lively as
someone who uses feminism as a weapon to bully others,
citing Taylor Swift as an example.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
This is concerning. They're trying to create a pattern of behavior,
portray Lively as a serial troublemaker, and they're using hearsay
and speculation to do it.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
It's scary how easy it is to manipulate narratives, especially
in the digital age.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Absolutely, information spread so quickly online without any context or verification.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
It makes you wonder if this kind of thing happens
a lot more than we realize.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Oh, I'm sure does, especially when you're dealing with power,
dynamics and reputations at stake.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
This whole thing is pretty disheartening. It makes you question
everything you see in here, especially coming from Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
It's a reminder to be critical, to question everything, don't
just accept what you see at face value. There are
often hidden agendas at play.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
So what happened after all of this came out? What
was the fallout?
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Well, there have been some major consequences. Baldoni was dropped
by his agency WME. Oh wow, Yeah, that's a huge
deal in Hollywood. Yeah, it suggests that the industry is
taking these allegations seriously. And then they are the reports
of Ryan Reynolds blocking Baldoni on social media months before
any of this became public, and it ends with us premiere.
(05:51):
Reynolds and Lively didn't interact at.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
All, so there's definitely some tension there.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
It seems like there's a lot going on behind the scenes.
Public appearances, carefully crafted statements. It's all very Hollywood.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
It's hard to know what's real and what's just for
show exactly.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
But in all of this, it's important to remember the
human element. Lively released a statement saying that she hopes
this lawsuit will protect others from experiencing something similar.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
It takes a lot of courage to speak out like that, it.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Does, and it raises a really important question. How do
we as a society balance the need to support those
who come forward with the principle of due process. That's
a tough one, it is, and this case really highlights
how challenging that balance can be. There are allegations, denials,
and a whole lot of gray areas in between. We
have to approach these situations with nuance and recognize that
(06:43):
there might be multiple truths. Supply.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Okay, so we've talked about the allegations, the smear campaign,
and the fallout, But there's another layer to the story
that I find fascinating. Ryan Reynolds recently claimed that both
he and Levey grew up very working class, and while
that seems to be true for Reynolds, Lively's upbringing appears
to have been quite different. Oh, She's from an affluent
area in la went to a high school known for
(07:06):
its celebrity alumni. Her parents were both in the entertainment industry.
She even had early success with The Sisterhood of the
Traveling Pants.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
So why bring that up now? Why is that relevant?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Well, it makes me wonder if Lively's background, her early
success in Hollywood might have played a role in the
dynamics on set. Could there have been a power imbalance
even though Baldoni was the director.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
It's an interesting angle.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
It makes you think about those unspoken hierarchies in Hollywood,
the ones that go beyond just job titles.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
And how those hierarchies might have contributed to the situation
we're seeing unfold now.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Stay tuned because we're going to keep digging into all
of this, unraveling the complexities of this very captivating and
honestly a bit unsettling Hollywood story.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
It's crazy, right, this whole situation. It feels like it's
a symptom of something bigger. What do you mean, Well,
we're seeing this trend more and more, this clash between
a person's carefully curated public image, oh yeah, and their
alleged private behavior.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
It's like two different worlds colliding exactly, especially in Hollywood,
where image is everything, exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
The stakes for maintaining that perfect facade they've never been higher.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
So on one hand, you have this glossy, aspirational world
of celebrity.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Red carpets, perfect Instagram.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Posts, and then boom, these allegations of misconduct.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
These whispers of manipulation, and.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Social media becomes the battleground.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Of course, it's the perfect tool to shape the narrative,
and it's so powerful. Look at what Baldoni's team allegedly
tried to do.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Yeah, that Hailey Bieber thing. It still seems so risky
to me, trying to smear someone's reputations so blatantly.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
I get it, you'd think it would backfire, but it
often works. Think about it. The goal isn't to prove
anything definitively, it's.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
To create doubt, to turner someone's image.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Even if those stories are later debunked, just done. People
remember the initial accusation. Those first impressions are hard to shake.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
It's a bit terrifying. Actually. The power of social media
to amplify those narratives, whether they're true or not, makes
you question everything you see online.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
We have to be so careful, We have to be
critical consumers of information, especially when it comes to celebrity news.
Question everything right, especially motives. What we see online, it's
often just a carefully constructed version of reality.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
So let's play devil's advocate for a second. Let's say
those allegations against Baldoni are true. Okay, why would he
risk everything by launching this alleged smear campaign. Wouldn't it
have been better to just deny the accusations.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Maybe he panicked, maybe he miscalculated, or maybe a bit
of ego. Possibly maybe he thought he could control the narrative.
But whatever the reason, it seems to have backfired spectacularly.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Instead of silencing Lively, it's amplified her voice exactly.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
And remember it wasn't just the Hailey Beaber comparison, right.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
Those court documents alleged that they were going to plant
stories about Lively being.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Difficult, citing other actresses, Let.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Measter, Anna Kendrick, even Ben Affleck, and then painting her
as someone who uses feminism as a weapon.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
With Taylor Swift as the example. It's so calculated, yeah,
so manipulative.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
It seems like they were trying to portray her as
this serial troublemaker.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Someone who's always causing drama, trying to build a case
against her based on nothing but rumors and speculation.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
And that tactic invoking other women's names to discredit another woman,
it's not new. It's a way to silence them, to
pit them against each other.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
And it's particularly insidious in a case like this when
the allegations involve sexual harassment, abuse.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Of power, but trying to shift the focus away from.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
The alleged perpetrator and onto the accuser. It's a classic
diversion tactic.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
And it plays into those societal biases.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
It's easier for some people to believe that a woman
is lying or exaggerating than to accept that a and
in a position of power might have done something wrong.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
It's like we're at this crossroads. You have the hashtag
me too movement where these allegations are finally being taken seriously.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
There's more awareness of power dynamics.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
But at the same time, there's this pushback.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
A resistance to believing survivors.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
A reluctance to hold perpetrators accountable.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
It's a complicated landscape, constantly evolving, and while the hashtag
me too movement has made incredible progress, it.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Just still work to do.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Absolutely, We're still figuring out how to navigate these situations fairly,
how to balance supporting those who come.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Forward with the right to do process and.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Social media, as we've discussed, is both a powerful tool
for sharing these stories.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
And a breeding ground for misinformation.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
We have to be careful, we have to question everything,
we have to be discerning.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Okay, but let's pivot for a second. There's another element here.
I want to explore the financial disparity between Lively and Baldoni.
Oh interesting, Lively, with her successful career and marriage to
Ryan Reynolds, has a significant net worth. Baldoni it seems
not so much.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Okay, so what do you think it?
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Well, wealth equals influence, right, It often does, yes, And
in Hollywood, where money talks, someone with a substantial net
worth might be perceived as having more power.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
More resources to protect themselves.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
So even though Baldoni was the director, Lively's financial resources
might have given her a different kind of leverage.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Makes you think about how power really operates. It's not
always as straightforward as it seems.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
It's like there are all these invisible forces shaping the dynamics.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Wealth, social status connections, and we only.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
See a tiny fraction of what's really going on.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
We have to try to understand those forces, be aware
of our own biases, be willing to challenge our own perceptions.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
This is getting deep. What else do we need to
consider to really grasp the complexities of this case.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Well, remember, this is just one story, one set of allegations,
but it reflects larger patterns.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
In Hollywood and beyond.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
We need to be talking about how to prevent these
situations in the first place.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
You're talking about systemic.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Change, addressing those root causes of power imbalances. We can't
just react to individual cases.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
We need to create environments where everyone feels safe and respected.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Regardless of their gender, their status, their wealth.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
It's a tall order, it is, but these.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Conversations are crucial, especially given what we're seeing here.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
It's a wake up call for all of us to
examine our own roles in creating a more just world.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
And as we continue to delve into this case, let's
keep those larger questions in mind. It's not just about
these individuals. It's about what their story tells us about
the systems that shape our society and what we can
do to change them.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
This deep dive is fascinating. I can't wait to see
what other insights we find as we go through the material.
I keep coming back to this smear campaign, the tactics
that were supposedly used to discredit Lively.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
It's pretty disturbing.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
It feels like they were exploiting those existing societal biases,
especially when it comes to women in positions of power.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Oh. Absolutely, It's like they were trying to tap into
those ready made narratives, the ones that paint women as
vindictive or manipulative or prone to drama. Yeah, it's a
tactic that works because unfortunately those narratives are already out there.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
So they were using those anxieties to their advantage.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Exactly By framing Lively as a bully, as someone who
weaponizes feminism, and using those unsubstantiated rumors about her behavior,
they were playing into those existing cultural fears, those fears
about women who speak out, women who challenge the status quo.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
And it's not just about discrediting her. It's about sending
a message to other women, the ones who might be
thinking about coming forward with their own stories.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Oh for sure. It's about creating a culture of silence,
a culture where women are afraid to speak up against
powerful men because they're worried about becoming the target of
a similar smear campaign. It's about control.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
This is bigger than just Baldonian Lively, isn't it. It's
about how women are so often discredited and silent, not
just in Hollywood but everywhere.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
It's a systemic problem. Yeah, and we have to be
actively working to change that. We have to examine our
own biases, challenge those narratives that we've internalized, create spaces
where women feel safe to speak their truth.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Okay, but I want to shift gears a bit and
talk about something else that's been on my mind. Remember
Ryan Reynolds's claim that both he and Lively grew up
very working class. Yeah, but as we've discussed, Lively's background
seems pretty.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Different, right, more privileged.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
So why do you think he made that statement? What
was he trying to do?
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Maybe it was a show of solidarity, you know, presenting
a united front, or maybe he was trying to make
them seem more relatable public they're just everyday people dealing
with a tough situation.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
But does that raise questions about authenticity the way celebrities
shape their public image?
Speaker 2 (15:47):
For sure? It highlights that tension, yeah, between the image
and the reality. It makes you wonder how much of
what we see from celebrities is genuine, how much is
carefully crafted.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
So where does this all leave us? We have these
allegations of misconduct and alleged smear campaign, this tangled web
of relationships and power dynamics, and on top of that,
we have this blurring of lines between public image and
private behavior. What are the big takeaways here? What should
our listeners be thinking about.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
We need to be critical thinkers now more than ever.
We are bombarded with information from everywhere. We have to
be discerning in everything. Look at the sources. Be wary
of those narratives that are too simple, ones that try
to play on our.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Emotions and be aware of our own biases. The way
we see the world shapes how we see everything exactly.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
And something else to remember in all of this is empathy.
No matter what you think about this particular case, we're
talking about real people, real lives. These are complex issues.
There are no easy answers. We need to approach these
situations with sensitivity, with understanding.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
This has been a wild ride. We've gone deep on
this one. We've unpacked the allegations, the smear campaign, the fallout.
We've talked to about power dynamics, social media manipulation, the
whole idea of fame and how it impacts perception, and
of course, the ongoing fight for gender equality. Any final
thoughts before we wrap up.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Silence is powerful. It's often used against those who try
to challenge the system. It's through open, honest conversations, through
critical thinking, through empathy and understanding, that we can create
a better world, a more just world.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Beautifully said, this deep dive has been incredible. We've explored
these complex issues, looked at them from different angles, and
hopefully started some important conversations. As this story continues to unfold,
we encourage you to stay informed, stay engaged, and keep
questioning those narratives that shape our understanding of the world.
Thank you for joining us on this deep dive. Until
next time, stay curious.
Welcome back everyone. We're diving into a story that has
Hollywood buzzing.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Yeah, this one has a lot of layers, it sure does.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
We're talking about Justin Baldoni.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Oh wow.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Yeah, the director known for Five Feet Apart and co
founder of Wayfarer Studios. He's facing some serious accusations from
his It ends with US co star Blake Lively, and
we're going beyond the headlines here. We're looking at court documents,
news reports to really understand what's going on.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
It's fascinating how this case is unfolding in two completely
different arenas at the same time.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Oh interesting.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Okay, you have the legal battle obviously, but it's also
playing out very publicly in the court of public opinion,
and that's where things get.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Really Oh, I see what you mean.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Interesting. Lively's lawsuit outlines instances of sexual harassment that she
allegedly faced on set. But and this is the big butt,
she also claims that Baldoni orchestrated a smear camp pain
to damage her reputation.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Oh wow. So it's not just about what allegedly happened
on set. It's about how that's being spun.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
It's about control in the media, control of the narrative gotcha.
In a digital age, that can be just as powerful
as any legal battle.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
So let's start with the foundation of this whole thing.
Those harassment allegations. Lively's legal complaint paints a pretty disturbing picture.
She alleges that Baldoni showed her nude photos and videos,
discussed his struggles with pornography, made inappropriate comments about genitalia.
He even allegedly asked her trainer about Lively's weight without
(01:38):
her consent.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Wow, those are some serious accusations.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Yeah, and it's important to note that Baldoni, through his lawyer,
has denied all of these allegations.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Right right, He's calling them false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious.
We have to be very clear about that.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Absolutely, everyone is entitled to do process. But what really
caught my eye was the meeting Lively reportedly held to
a restless behavior. Even her husband, Ryan Reynolds was present,
and during this meeting, she specifically requested no improvising kissing scenes,
no unnecessary touching, and to stick to the script when
it came to any explicit content.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
That's significant, I mean that suggests that Lively was actively
trying to set boundaries and communicate her discomfort.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
She was trying to create a safe working environment exactly.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
And this meeting, along with those initial allegations, really highlights
the power dynamics there's so often at play on movie sets.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
That makes sense.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
I mean, even though Lively is a successful actress in
her own right, a director still holds a lot of power.
It can be intimidating to speak up, exactly, especially when
you're talking about behavior that might be considered normalized in
certain industries.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Yeah, okay, So then we get to this alleged smear campaign.
Lively claims that after she voiced her concerns, Baldoni decided
to retaliate. He allegedly plotted to damage her reputation, and
the lawsuit includes text messages that posedly show him instructing
his PR team to create a negative online buzz around
Lively similar to what happened with Hailey Bieber.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Okay, this is where it gets really interesting and maybe
a little messy. So it seems Baldoni was referencing online
chatter about a supposed feud between Hailey Bieber and Selena
Gomez justin Bieber's ex right, right, And it's been widely reported,
but Hailey Bieber herself has denied any bullying. She says
(03:30):
there's no bad blood between.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Them, So he's using an example that might not even
be accurate.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
He's allegedly trying to create a similar narrative around Lively,
even though the basis of that narrative is shaky at best.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
But why use Haley Bieber in the first place? Was
it just because she was in the news a lot?
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Maybe? But I think there's something more strategic going on here.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
What do you mean?
Speaker 2 (03:51):
It could be that Baldoni saw an opportunity to tap
into those existing public perceptions about female rivalry and cattiness.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Ah So by portraying Lively as a bully exactly, he
could try to discredit her allegations.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
And position himself as the victim. It's a tactic we've
seen before.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Unfortunately, right it happens all the time.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Women who speak out are often labeled as vindictive or
attention seeking. It's a way to undermine their credibility.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
And according to those court documents, it wasn't just the
Hailey Bieber comparison. They allegedly plan to plant stories about
Lively being difficult to work with, using other actresses' names
like Leayton, Meister, Anna Kendrick, even Ben.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Afflet, trying to build a pattern.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Yeah, and they were supposedly going to frame Lively as
someone who uses feminism as a weapon to bully others,
citing Taylor Swift as an example.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
This is concerning. They're trying to create a pattern of behavior,
portray Lively as a serial troublemaker, and they're using hearsay
and speculation to do it.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
It's scary how easy it is to manipulate narratives, especially
in the digital age.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Absolutely, information spread so quickly online without any context or verification.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
It makes you wonder if this kind of thing happens
a lot more than we realize.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Oh, I'm sure does, especially when you're dealing with power,
dynamics and reputations at stake.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
This whole thing is pretty disheartening. It makes you question
everything you see in here, especially coming from Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
It's a reminder to be critical, to question everything, don't
just accept what you see at face value. There are
often hidden agendas at play.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
So what happened after all of this came out? What
was the fallout?
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Well, there have been some major consequences. Baldoni was dropped
by his agency WME. Oh wow, Yeah, that's a huge
deal in Hollywood. Yeah, it suggests that the industry is
taking these allegations seriously. And then they are the reports
of Ryan Reynolds blocking Baldoni on social media months before
any of this became public, and it ends with us premiere.
(05:51):
Reynolds and Lively didn't interact at.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
All, so there's definitely some tension there.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
It seems like there's a lot going on behind the scenes.
Public appearances, carefully crafted statements. It's all very Hollywood.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
It's hard to know what's real and what's just for
show exactly.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
But in all of this, it's important to remember the
human element. Lively released a statement saying that she hopes
this lawsuit will protect others from experiencing something similar.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
It takes a lot of courage to speak out like that, it.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Does, and it raises a really important question. How do
we as a society balance the need to support those
who come forward with the principle of due process. That's
a tough one, it is, and this case really highlights
how challenging that balance can be. There are allegations, denials,
and a whole lot of gray areas in between. We
have to approach these situations with nuance and recognize that
(06:43):
there might be multiple truths. Supply.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Okay, so we've talked about the allegations, the smear campaign,
and the fallout, But there's another layer to the story
that I find fascinating. Ryan Reynolds recently claimed that both
he and Levey grew up very working class, and while
that seems to be true for Reynolds, Lively's upbringing appears
to have been quite different. Oh, She's from an affluent
area in la went to a high school known for
(07:06):
its celebrity alumni. Her parents were both in the entertainment industry.
She even had early success with The Sisterhood of the
Traveling Pants.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
So why bring that up now? Why is that relevant?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Well, it makes me wonder if Lively's background, her early
success in Hollywood might have played a role in the
dynamics on set. Could there have been a power imbalance
even though Baldoni was the director.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
It's an interesting angle.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
It makes you think about those unspoken hierarchies in Hollywood,
the ones that go beyond just job titles.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
And how those hierarchies might have contributed to the situation
we're seeing unfold now.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Stay tuned because we're going to keep digging into all
of this, unraveling the complexities of this very captivating and
honestly a bit unsettling Hollywood story.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
It's crazy, right, this whole situation. It feels like it's
a symptom of something bigger. What do you mean, Well,
we're seeing this trend more and more, this clash between
a person's carefully curated public image, oh yeah, and their
alleged private behavior.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
It's like two different worlds colliding exactly, especially in Hollywood,
where image is everything, exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
The stakes for maintaining that perfect facade they've never been higher.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
So on one hand, you have this glossy, aspirational world
of celebrity.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Red carpets, perfect Instagram.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Posts, and then boom, these allegations of misconduct.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
These whispers of manipulation, and.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Social media becomes the battleground.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Of course, it's the perfect tool to shape the narrative,
and it's so powerful. Look at what Baldoni's team allegedly
tried to do.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Yeah, that Hailey Bieber thing. It still seems so risky
to me, trying to smear someone's reputations so blatantly.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
I get it, you'd think it would backfire, but it
often works. Think about it. The goal isn't to prove
anything definitively, it's.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
To create doubt, to turner someone's image.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Even if those stories are later debunked, just done. People
remember the initial accusation. Those first impressions are hard to shake.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
It's a bit terrifying. Actually. The power of social media
to amplify those narratives, whether they're true or not, makes
you question everything you see online.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
We have to be so careful, We have to be
critical consumers of information, especially when it comes to celebrity news.
Question everything right, especially motives. What we see online, it's
often just a carefully constructed version of reality.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
So let's play devil's advocate for a second. Let's say
those allegations against Baldoni are true. Okay, why would he
risk everything by launching this alleged smear campaign. Wouldn't it
have been better to just deny the accusations.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Maybe he panicked, maybe he miscalculated, or maybe a bit
of ego. Possibly maybe he thought he could control the narrative.
But whatever the reason, it seems to have backfired spectacularly.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Instead of silencing Lively, it's amplified her voice exactly.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
And remember it wasn't just the Hailey Beaber comparison, right.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
Those court documents alleged that they were going to plant
stories about Lively being.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Difficult, citing other actresses, Let.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Measter, Anna Kendrick, even Ben Affleck, and then painting her
as someone who uses feminism as a weapon.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
With Taylor Swift as the example. It's so calculated, yeah,
so manipulative.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
It seems like they were trying to portray her as
this serial troublemaker.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Someone who's always causing drama, trying to build a case
against her based on nothing but rumors and speculation.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
And that tactic invoking other women's names to discredit another woman,
it's not new. It's a way to silence them, to
pit them against each other.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
And it's particularly insidious in a case like this when
the allegations involve sexual harassment, abuse.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Of power, but trying to shift the focus away from.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
The alleged perpetrator and onto the accuser. It's a classic
diversion tactic.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
And it plays into those societal biases.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
It's easier for some people to believe that a woman
is lying or exaggerating than to accept that a and
in a position of power might have done something wrong.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
It's like we're at this crossroads. You have the hashtag
me too movement where these allegations are finally being taken seriously.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
There's more awareness of power dynamics.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
But at the same time, there's this pushback.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
A resistance to believing survivors.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
A reluctance to hold perpetrators accountable.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
It's a complicated landscape, constantly evolving, and while the hashtag
me too movement has made incredible progress, it.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Just still work to do.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Absolutely, We're still figuring out how to navigate these situations fairly,
how to balance supporting those who come.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Forward with the right to do process and.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Social media, as we've discussed, is both a powerful tool
for sharing these stories.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
And a breeding ground for misinformation.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
We have to be careful, we have to question everything,
we have to be discerning.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Okay, but let's pivot for a second. There's another element here.
I want to explore the financial disparity between Lively and Baldoni.
Oh interesting, Lively, with her successful career and marriage to
Ryan Reynolds, has a significant net worth. Baldoni it seems
not so much.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Okay, so what do you think it?
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Well, wealth equals influence, right, It often does, yes, And
in Hollywood, where money talks, someone with a substantial net
worth might be perceived as having more power.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
More resources to protect themselves.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
So even though Baldoni was the director, Lively's financial resources
might have given her a different kind of leverage.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Makes you think about how power really operates. It's not
always as straightforward as it seems.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
It's like there are all these invisible forces shaping the dynamics.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Wealth, social status connections, and we only.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
See a tiny fraction of what's really going on.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
We have to try to understand those forces, be aware
of our own biases, be willing to challenge our own perceptions.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
This is getting deep. What else do we need to
consider to really grasp the complexities of this case.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Well, remember, this is just one story, one set of allegations,
but it reflects larger patterns.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
In Hollywood and beyond.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
We need to be talking about how to prevent these
situations in the first place.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
You're talking about systemic.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Change, addressing those root causes of power imbalances. We can't
just react to individual cases.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
We need to create environments where everyone feels safe and respected.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Regardless of their gender, their status, their wealth.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
It's a tall order, it is, but these.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Conversations are crucial, especially given what we're seeing here.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
It's a wake up call for all of us to
examine our own roles in creating a more just world.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
And as we continue to delve into this case, let's
keep those larger questions in mind. It's not just about
these individuals. It's about what their story tells us about
the systems that shape our society and what we can
do to change them.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
This deep dive is fascinating. I can't wait to see
what other insights we find as we go through the material.
I keep coming back to this smear campaign, the tactics
that were supposedly used to discredit Lively.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
It's pretty disturbing.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
It feels like they were exploiting those existing societal biases,
especially when it comes to women in positions of power.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Oh. Absolutely, It's like they were trying to tap into
those ready made narratives, the ones that paint women as
vindictive or manipulative or prone to drama. Yeah, it's a
tactic that works because unfortunately those narratives are already out there.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
So they were using those anxieties to their advantage.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Exactly By framing Lively as a bully, as someone who
weaponizes feminism, and using those unsubstantiated rumors about her behavior,
they were playing into those existing cultural fears, those fears
about women who speak out, women who challenge the status quo.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
And it's not just about discrediting her. It's about sending
a message to other women, the ones who might be
thinking about coming forward with their own stories.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Oh for sure. It's about creating a culture of silence,
a culture where women are afraid to speak up against
powerful men because they're worried about becoming the target of
a similar smear campaign. It's about control.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
This is bigger than just Baldonian Lively, isn't it. It's
about how women are so often discredited and silent, not
just in Hollywood but everywhere.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
It's a systemic problem. Yeah, and we have to be
actively working to change that. We have to examine our
own biases, challenge those narratives that we've internalized, create spaces
where women feel safe to speak their truth.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Okay, but I want to shift gears a bit and
talk about something else that's been on my mind. Remember
Ryan Reynolds's claim that both he and Lively grew up
very working class. Yeah, but as we've discussed, Lively's background
seems pretty.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Different, right, more privileged.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
So why do you think he made that statement? What
was he trying to do?
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Maybe it was a show of solidarity, you know, presenting
a united front, or maybe he was trying to make
them seem more relatable public they're just everyday people dealing
with a tough situation.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
But does that raise questions about authenticity the way celebrities
shape their public image?
Speaker 2 (15:47):
For sure? It highlights that tension, yeah, between the image
and the reality. It makes you wonder how much of
what we see from celebrities is genuine, how much is
carefully crafted.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
So where does this all leave us? We have these
allegations of misconduct and alleged smear campaign, this tangled web
of relationships and power dynamics, and on top of that,
we have this blurring of lines between public image and
private behavior. What are the big takeaways here? What should
our listeners be thinking about.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
We need to be critical thinkers now more than ever.
We are bombarded with information from everywhere. We have to
be discerning in everything. Look at the sources. Be wary
of those narratives that are too simple, ones that try
to play on our.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Emotions and be aware of our own biases. The way
we see the world shapes how we see everything exactly.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
And something else to remember in all of this is empathy.
No matter what you think about this particular case, we're
talking about real people, real lives. These are complex issues.
There are no easy answers. We need to approach these
situations with sensitivity, with understanding.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
This has been a wild ride. We've gone deep on
this one. We've unpacked the allegations, the smear campaign, the fallout.
We've talked to about power dynamics, social media manipulation, the
whole idea of fame and how it impacts perception, and
of course, the ongoing fight for gender equality. Any final
thoughts before we wrap up.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Silence is powerful. It's often used against those who try
to challenge the system. It's through open, honest conversations, through
critical thinking, through empathy and understanding, that we can create
a better world, a more just world.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Beautifully said, this deep dive has been incredible. We've explored
these complex issues, looked at them from different angles, and
hopefully started some important conversations. As this story continues to unfold,
we encourage you to stay informed, stay engaged, and keep
questioning those narratives that shape our understanding of the world.
Thank you for joining us on this deep dive. Until
next time, stay curious.
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