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The sisterhood is sticking together.
America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel released a statement of support for their Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costar, Blake Lively, amid her lawsuit against It Ends With Us costar and director, Justin Baldoni.
“As Blake’s friends and sisters for over twenty years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation,” the trio wrote in a joint statement shared via Instagram after Lively accused Baldoni, 40, of sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us, as well as orchestrating a smear campaign against her.
The trio continued, “Throughout the filming of It Ends with Us, we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice. Most upsetting is the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivors’ stories to silence a woman who asked for safety. The hypocrisy is astounding.”
“We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe working environment,” the trio said. “We are inspired by our sister’s courage to stand up for herself and others.”
The statement concluded, “For anyone seeking more information or engaging in this important conversation online, please read the full legal complaint in the investigative reporting by Megan Twohey, Mike McIntire and Julie Tate for the New York Times.”
ICYMI, Blake starred alongside the three actresses in 2005’s The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and its 2008 sequel.
In a lawsuit filed with the California Civil Complaints Department on Friday, December 20, Blake accused It Ends With Us director Justin of sexual harassment on set and orchestrating a “social manipulation” campaign to harm her reputation.
Justin’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, responded to the allegations in a statement to Us Weekly, calling Blake’s claims “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious.” He accused Blake of filing the lawsuit to “fix her negative reputation” and “rehash a narrative” about the film’s production. He further alleged that during the filming of It Ends With Us, Blake made “multiple demands and threats,” including “threatening to not show up to set, threatening to not promote the film, ultimately leading to its demise during release, if her demands were not met.”
Blake, however, denied the accusations in a statement to The New York Times on Saturday, December 21. “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted,” she said.
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