Abigail Breslin pens essay following Blake Lively complaint, recalls being sued for reporting a co-star’s ‘unprofessional behavior’

Abigail Breslin has stepped forward to address workplace misconduct following Blake Lively's recent legal filing against her It Ends with Us co-star Justin Baldoni.

In a heartfelt essay shared on her Tumblr platform Saturday (Dec. 28, 2024), Breslin expressed that she “felt compelled to write” the post “in light of recent events regarding the attempt to destroy the career and livelihood of a fellow actress and woman.” While Breslin doesn't explicitly mention Lively or Baldoni, her essay comes just one week after Lively filed allegations against Baldoni for sexual harassment during production and launching a “smear campaign” targeting her.

Abigail Breslin at the Clarins New Product Launch Party on the Private Residence on March 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, CA. Photo credit: depositphotos.com

“When did the word woman become synonymous with scapegoat? As I see the news each day, I realize this is the world we seem to live in,” Breslin wrote (read her full Tumblr post below). “I have unfortunately been subject to the same toxic masculinity throughout my life.”

The actress detailed her experience of raising “forward concerns about a male colleague” on a recent project, including legal action taken against her after speaking up. The Academy Award nominee, without naming specific individuals or the project, revealed she was labeled “hysterical” for expressing her concerns.

Breslin faced a breach of contract lawsuit in November 2023 from producers of Classified, where she starred alongside Tim Roth and Aaron Eckhart. The legal action claimed Breslin wouldn't film solo scenes with Eckhart, whom she accused of “aggressive, demeaning and unprofessional behavior.”

“I was told my fears were figments of my imagination,” Breslin reflected. “Now, as I'm seeing this pattern pop up more, I realize this is the norm.”

Abigail Breslin at arrivals for NEW YEAR'S EVE Tribeca Film Institute Benefit Screening, The Ziegfeld Theatre, New York, NY December 7, 2011. Photo credit: depositphotos.com

In her Saturday essay, Breslin revealed that the lawsuit from her former employer came as retaliation after she “made a confidential complaint against a co-worker for unprofessional behavior.” Despite later withdrawing the complaint, the actress detailed how the subsequent legal battle significantly damaged her standing in the entertainment industry.

“Instead of being believed and protected, a suit was filed against me for having the audacity to speak up,” Breslin wrote. “I was publicly shamed and defamed in the process. A reputation I had cultivated for over 2 decades had now been tainted as I became the crazy, paranoid and to quote directly, ‘hysterical and wild' woman, who apparently just had it in for men.”

“My previous abuse was also brought up as ‘unfounded claims,' and I was made to seem like someone who just goes after men, rather than being seen as someone who has been dealing as a professional in this world, since I was a child, standing up for herself. This was after I had taken all of the recommended, reasonable and appropriate measures of reporting confidentially to my union.”

American actress and singer Abigail Breslin arrives at the 22nd Annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival – World Premiere Of The Avenue Entertainment's ‘Slayers' held at TCL Chinese 6 Theatres on October 14, 2022 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States. Photo credit: depositphotos.com

Court documents from the November 2023 lawsuit filed by Classified producers disclosed that Breslin had privately submitted a letter to the Screen Actors Guild regarding Eckhart's alleged conduct.

The actress expressed that the legal proceedings left her questioning “the professionals in my industry, of the public, and of men.”

“I often wonder why are we always so excited to see the takedown of a woman? Why are we always so quick to defend a man after he is accused of bad behavior, but if a woman speaks out… she's clearly a liar?” Breslin wrote. “I'd like to think it's because we are supremely afraid to believe the truth that these things actually happen. I'd like to believe it's some form of indoctrinated denial.”

Abigail Breslin attends the ‘The Call' Los Angeles Premiere at ArcLight Hollywood on March 5, 2013 in Hollywood, California. Photo Credit: FameFlynet

She continued: “However, time and time again, I find most people believe the approval of a man is far more significant than the burden of supporting a woman. For men, it is always innocent until proven guilty. For women it is the opposite. ‘Prove your fear.' ‘Prove your discomfort.' ‘Prove your pain.' This MUST change.”

Breslin concluded her powerful essay by criticizing the “vicious cycle of crucifying” women who come forward about their experiences of abuse with men: “Are we forever to hold the burden of being ‘perfect' to be victims and to be believed? To change the narrative, we do not need more women to scream. We just need a lot more men to shut up and listen.”