KaylaLou Hadash

*Author’s note: this is a just an overview of everything going on. I encourage you to dig deeper into everything that has happened*

To be honest, I don’t even know where to begin. But as the friend who always gets called by their other friends to explain what in the world is happening, I’ll try my best to explain what in the world has been going on.

It all started with Blake Lively. Even before she filed in court, she faced harsh criticism for her treatment of the film, from her premiere outfits, to her promoting her brand, to avoiding talking about women’s rights during interviews. Social media use took to consistently critiquing Blake. Soon after this, rumors of an on-set feud started. Around the same time, Blake accused Justin of purposefully undertaking a smear campaign to ruin her reputation, producing texts that were discovered.

In December of 2024, Blake filed a claim against Justin, claiming she was a victim of sexual harassment on set. She later submitted her entire complaint to the New York Times. In it, she alleged there were comments about her weight, and that she wasn’t given time or privacy to nurse her newborn. Additionally, Blake, along with unnamed women, accused Justin and other men working on set, of making sexual comments about their wives and the women on set. There are also claims that there was no intimacy coordinator on set and that Justin intentionally rewrote scenes to make them more intense.

Now at this point I didn’t know what to think. Before she released her complaint, I was on Justin’s side. At this point in the industry, entertainers are being more open about their experiences with other entertainers. I figured that if anyone had a problem with Justin, we would have heard about it by now. Then, I read her complaint. Whether blown out of proportion or not, the allegations, if true, show an offensive working environment. What a lot of people don’t realize is that anyone can allege anything in a complaint. Facts and evidence don’t matter. You just need enough substance to have a basis for whatever legal claim you’re making. Additionally, the complaint was released before it was filed, meaning there could have been changes made before the document was filed. 

Blake officially sued Justin and his PR team at the end of December. Alternatively, Justin sued the New York Times for defamation. The article in question used texts Lively provided, with no input or consent from Justin. A little over a week ago, Justin filed a countersuit against Ryan Reynolds and Blake, claiming they instigated a smear campaign against him. Most recently, Justin released a video from set, showing Blake and Justin getting along on set without an intimacy coordinator. Naturally, everyone on the internet is weighing in with their thoughts.

The last thing I saw, interestingly enough, was a summary of Candace Owens’ thoughts on the matter. Now hear me out: this has nothing to do with my opinion of Candace, and everything to do with what she said. In summary, Ryan Reynolds is actually the villain here. Blake is a pawn and Justin is a victim. Ryan allegedly spent hours on set, and even rewrote some of the script. Apparently, Blake agreed to not having an intimacy coordinator (because she’s a grown woman who has been acting for over a decade), and it wasn’t until Ryan started coming to set that it became an issue. Now, Candace is not the foremost expert on celebrity drama, but she had sources and proof so I’m inclined to believe at least part of it.

The most ironic thing about all of this, is the most recent gag order filed by Ryan and Blake. A gag order is comparative to a cease and desist except it is intended to prevent a party from commenting publicly on an ongoing legal case. The order was filed against Justin after he released the behind the scenes footage. But remember that Blake started it all. She was the one who released text messages and an unfiled complaint. So if you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen. 

All that to say, I have no idea what’s going on. What’s interesting to me is the variety of opinions on the matter. At first glance, one side seems to be in the right. The more you look at it, the messier it gets. I don’t have a side. I’m of the belief that we’re never going to know the full truth. Everyone involved has the money and the resources to hide what they want. It’s fascinating to keep up with though. No one is coming away unscathed, and I’m questioning everyone’s motives. 

It’s very important to note that I am all for justice. If Justin was acting inappropriately in any way, he should 100% be held accountable in a court of law. We should believe women, because historically women have been ignored. But we also shouldn’t be too quick to victimize them either. This is not an obvious case, and only time will tell how it all plays out.