Blake Lively has issued a blistering response to The Hollywood Reporter’s ‘sexist’ cover, depicting her at war with Justin Baldoni amid her sexual harassment lawsuit.
‘The Hollywood Reporter should be ashamed of itself,’ a spokesperson for the star, 37, shared in a statement with DailyMail.com.
‘The 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.’
The statement went on: ‘In addition, the story is extremely offensive as it incredibly seems to explain away documented examples of sexual harassment and retaliation by calling them “cultural misunderstandings.”‘
The Hollywood Reporter’s latest issue has sparked furious backlash for making light of the actress’ sexual harassment lawsuit.
After the publication released the controversial cover, showing the actress slinging a cellphone at Baldoni, 41, as he clutched a copy of It Ends with Us, X users were quick to call of the magazine for poking fun at the pair’s bitter legal battle.
Blake Lively has issued a blistering response to The Hollywood Reporter’s ‘sexist’ cover, depicting her at war with Justin Baldoni amid her sexual harassment lawsuit
‘The Hollywood Reporter should be ashamed of itself,’ a spokesperson for the star shared in a statement with DailyMail.com
The cover artwork was a biblical reference to the story of David and Goliath in the Bible, in which a small shepherd boy defies the odds by taking down a giant.
Like David, Lively uses a slingshot to try to take down her opponent, who can be seen running a few feet ahead of her.
In the background, Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds could be seen dressed as Nicepool, a variant of Deadpool, who Baldoni claims Reynolds created to ‘bully’ him.
On Baldoni’s right, his lawyer, Bryan Freedman, stood with his hands on his hips across from Reynolds.
‘The audacity to turn this whole case into a joke is f**king alarming. I stand with Blake Lively because I believe her… I don’t care if people say she’s not a perfect victim or whatever bulls**t – it really doesn’t matter. Predators should be punished,’ one tweeted.
A second wrote: ‘Incredibly inappropriate. You have a responsibility as a publication, but time and time again yours has trivialized sexual harassment and assault, among other horrible things.’
‘Something is actually deeply wrong with your publication that you thought this disgusting cover was even remotely appropriate. This is disturbing,’ a third fired.
A fourth asked: ‘Did you forget that this entire case is about sexual harassment in the workplace?’
Others called the cover ‘truly disturbing & a shameful mockery.’
Many also expression confusion over why Lively was being portrayed as David in this scenario, despite being the bigger star and her marriage to one of Hollywood’s biggest actors.
‘Blake Lively is not the David in this story lmfao what even is this???’ one scoffed.
The cover comes just days after Lively unleashed a new salvo in her ongoing legal back-and-forth with Baldoni by claiming that she was not the only woman he made uncomfortable on the set of It Ends With Us.
After the publication released the controversial cover, showing the actress, 37, slinging a cellphone at Baldoni, 41, as he clutched a copy of It Ends with Us, X users were quick to call of the magazine for poking fun at the pair’s bitter legal battle
An amended version of her complaint filed late on Tuesday in New York federal court alleges that she has corroboration of her original claims, and a spokesperson for the 37-year old actress claims that ‘other women confided in Blake about their discomfort,’ according to People.
In a statement to DailyMail.com, Balondi’s attorney Bryan Freedman said: ‘Our clients have been transparent in providing receipts, real time documents and video showing a completely different story than what has been manipulated and cherry picked to the media. Our clients have taken this matter and these issues very seriously notwithstanding the jokes made publicly by the plaintiff and her husband.
‘Her underwhelming amended complaint is filled with unsubstantial hearsay of unnamed persons who are clearly no longer willing to come forward or publicly support her claims,’ he continued. ‘Since documents do not lie and people do, the upcoming depositions of those who initially supported Ms. Lively’s false claims and those who are witnesses to her own behavior will be enlightening. What is truly uncomfortable here is Ms. Lively’s lack of actual evidence.’
Lively previously filed a sexual harassment lawsuit in December against Baldoni, who costarred in and directed her hit romantic drama It Ends With Us.
The cover artwork was a biblical reference to the story of David and Goliath in the Bible, in which a small shepherd boy defies the odds by taking down a giant
On Instagram, others quipped that Lively was going to think the cover was a part of the ‘smear campaign’ she has accused Baldoni of launching against her
Someone also asked where ‘the dragons’ were in the cover, a reference to an alleged text Lively sent Baldoni about her best friend Taylor Swift and husband Ryan Reynolds
Baldoni followed up by launching a $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively, her publicist and her husband.
He also filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against the New York Times for its reporting on Lively’s allegations.
In a statement to DailyMail.com, Lively’s attorneys Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb said the amended complaint ‘provides significant additional evidence and corroboration of her original claims.’
They added that it ‘includes previously undisclosed communications’ Lively had with Sony Pictures, Baldoni’s production company Wayfarer Studios and ‘numerous other witnesses.’
The new version of the complaint reportedly includes an added defamation claim against Baldoni that was not part of the initial document, which was filed on New Year’s Eve.
Lively previously filed a sexual harassment lawsuit in December against Baldoni, who costarred in and directed her hit romantic drama It Ends With Us (Baldoni seen in December)
According to Hudson and Gottlieb, Lively is suing for defamation ‘based on the repeated false statements the defendants have made about Ms. Lively since she filed her original complaint…’
She has also expanded her complaint to add Jed Wallace and his Texas-based crisis PR firm Street Relations, Inc., as a defendant.
Wallace, who has denied playing any part in a smear campaign against the Gossip Girl star, previously filed a $7 million lawsuit against her in response to Lively’s allegation in her initial complaint that his firm ‘weaponized a digital army’ against her on behalf of Baldoni.
She had requested Wallace be deposed in her initial complaint, though he revealed in his subsequent lawsuit earlier this month that the request had been rescinded.
Lively’s new filing alleges that others on the set of It Ends With Us can corroborate her claims.
Baldoni followed up by launching a $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively, her publicist and her husband; still from It Ends With Us
It claims that Baldoni and his co-defendants’ ‘false narrative crumbles under the indisputable truth’ that the actress ‘was not alone in complaining about Mr. Baldoni…’
The filing also tries to establish that she ‘raised her concerns contemporaneously as they arose in 2023, not in connection with some imagined power play for control of the film in 2024.’
According to a spokesperson for Lively, the amended filing ‘details the corroboration that backs up Blake’s original sexual harassment and retaliation concerns.’
They allege that the document proves that ‘other women confided in Blake about their discomfort and fear of coming forward, and their concern about the current public vitriol.’
Despite the escalating legal battle between the two parties, there’s no end in sight for Lively or Baldoni.
Last month, a judge scheduled a trial date for their lawsuits in March of 2026, and both parties have already decided to skip any attempt at mediation.
