As a seasoned movie enthusiast who has witnessed the highs and lows of Hollywood for decades, I must admit that the ongoing saga between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni is a new twist to an otherwise intriguing tale. The allegations of sexual harassment, astroturfing, and smear campaigns are heavy charges that have shaken the industry once more.
In my perspective, it was inevitable that “It Ends with Us” would carry a contentious aspect due to its subject matter. Yet, what’s unfolded between the leads, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, who also directed, wasn’t something many anticipated. Four months after the movie’s release on Netflix, Lively has filed a shocking sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni, claiming incidents such as him showing nude photos of women, discussing explicit activities, and making comments about her weight.
In addition, Lively claimed that Baldoni orchestrated a malicious campaign to discredit her, however, the publicist involved in the legal dispute has voiced his opinions regarding the accusations of “fake grassroots” activities.
What Are Blake Lively’s ‘Astroturfing’ Allegations In The Lawsuit Filed Against Justin Baldoni?
As a movie enthusiast, I’ve been intrigued by a term that Blake Lively has mentioned in her legal complaint – “astroturfing.” It’s like fake grass being passed off as real. In this context, “astroturfing” is an artificially created grassroots movement or a PR campaign secretly organized against someone, disguised as unsolicited public opinions.
Interestingly enough, “astroturfing” was the right answer on Jeopardy! last week when it was defined as a coordinated effort to create a false grassroots movement. In relation to Blake Lively, it pertains to Justin Baldoni’s suspected attempts to tarnish her reputation through negative media coverage. The lawsuit she filed includes text messages between Baldoni and publicist Jennifer Abel, one of which reportedly stated that Baldoni “wants to make it seem like [Ms. Lively] can be buried.
Publicist Defends Herself Against Blake Lively’s Lawsuit Accusations
Jennifer Abel seems to have joined a PR and marketing Facebook group (as reported by DeuxMoi) to respond after being linked to Blake Lively’s lawsuit. In her post, Abel clarified that she no longer works for the firm where Justin Baldoni was once a client, but she refutes claims that there was ever a campaign aimed at damaging Lively’s reputation. The social media statement reads:
We didn’t execute any form of negative publicity or social media strategy, despite being prepared to handle such situations due to our job requirements. Fortunately, the internet was actively promoting our clients positively, so we didn’t have to intervene directly. We did discuss potential strategies, monitored relevant accounts, collaborated with a social team to manage the narrative swiftly if necessary, and were delighted to see fans appreciating our clients’ heart and work without our direct involvement, as we mainly focused on arranging positive media interviews for them.
She acknowledges that, as the text messages reveal, she and her coworkers made light of and enjoyed immaturely the criticism directed towards Blake Lively online. However, she insists that her company was not responsible for the negative backlash.
In response to the allegations, Justin Baldoni’s legal representative, Bryan Freedman, has refuted them, stating they are “untrue, excessively sensational, and designed with the intention of causing public harm.” According to the attorney, Blake Lively’s actions aim to improve her tarnished reputation.
Many individuals, including Gwyneth Paltrow and fellow cast members from Blake Lively’s “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” series, have voiced their support following her lawsuit over a smear campaign. It appeared that most of the drama stemming from the book-to-film adaptation had subsided; however, it seems that we are merely at the beginning of this ongoing saga.
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2024-12-24 01:07