Blake Lively just pulled a full Serena van der Woodsen on The Hollywood Reporter, and she is not amused. In a plot twist worthy of a Gossip Girl reboot, the actress is calling out the publication for a โsexistโ depiction of her legal drama with Justin Baldoni. And letโs just say, if looks could kill, that cover art would be six feet under by now.
So, what happened? Well, THR dropped a report about Blakeโs lawsuit against Justin, implying it was just a big olโ โcultural misunderstandingโ because of his involvement in the Bahaโi faith. Blake and her team took one look at the article, one look at the accompanying artwork, and said: โAbsolutely not.โ
The Cover That Launched a Thousand Eyerolls
Letโs paint a pictureโliterally. The THR cover decided to go biblical, depicting Blake as David, armed with a slingshot (in which she has stuffed her phone, because 2025 battles require WiFi). Across from her? Justin, clutching a copy of It Ends With Us like itโs a medieval shield. And looming in the background? Ryan Reynolds in some kind of medieval cosplay, because of course heโs there.
Blakeโs reaction? She was NOT having it.
A Statement as Sharp as a Slingshot
Her team said:
โThe Hollywood Reporter should be ashamed of itself.โ
Thatโs it. Thatโs the statement. No fluff, no frillsโjust pure, unfiltered rage.
They then went on to rip THR for portraying Blake as the aggressor, despite her claims of sexual harassment and retaliation. The statement continued:
โThe 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.โ
Translation: You had ONE job, THR. ONE. JOB.
The Lawsuit Drama Heats Up
As if this whole mess wasnโt spicy enough, Blake just filed an amended lawsuit, revealing that two other actresses on set had raised concerns about Justin and his producer friend Jamey Heath. Their identities are under wraps (because privacy matters), but they are reportedly ready to testify.
Meanwhile, Justinโs legal team is out here waving receipts and calling it a โlack of actual evidence.โ
The Internet Reacts: Confusion, Controversy, and a Whole Lot of Side-Eyes
Naturally, Twitter (or whatever Elonโs calling it these days) has erupted. Some people are fuming over the โmockeryโ made of workplace harassment, while others are scratching their heads over why Blake was depicted as Davidโthe scrappy underdogโwhen, letโs be real, sheโs the A-lister in this equation.
But one thingโs for sure: Blake Lively is not letting this slide.
Thoughts? Feel free to sound off below! (Or just wait for Ryan Reynolds to tweet something hilariously petty about it.)