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I admit that ever since I watched “Gossip Girl,” I have liked Blake Lively very much. In fact, some days ago, I thought of making an “Inspirational Women” article about her life and her accomplishments. Then, I started paying attention to what was happening with her and the drama around her name.

To begin with, the meaning of the article is not to “cancel” Blake Lively. Who are we, either way, to cancel random famous people? Given that statement, let’s move on with what has been happening lately.

What nobody can deny is that Blake Lively has always been an inspiration for at least a significant percentage of modern, millennial, and maybe Gen Z women as well. Ever since the scandalous lives of the teens on “Gossip Girl” were on air, Serena Van Der Woodsen would be the girl everyone would want to be friends with. Not to mention her impeccable closet with all the fashion trends and the “that girl” vibe she exuded. Blake Lively managed to give Serena a cosmopolitan aura, and many people in their 20s -myself included- got obsessed with the show and Lively. Over the years, Lively has been in our consciousness as the cool, unbothered, and easygoing Serena who almost evolved as a role model for many women struggling with their everyday lives. She has been an example of how life can seem effortless and exciting. This perfect image is completed by her husband, Ryan Reynolds, their happy family, and their constant online presence as the most lovable couple; what more can a girl need?

Both Reynolds and Lively have been highly active in social media for many years, uncovering parts of their love story and their adorable kids while promoting their successful careers and business ventures. Their constant roasting of each other usually made them very popular among the media as the carefree, fabulous couple. Ryan Reynolds has always been presented as an excellent, caring, loving, and supportive husband.

The truth is they are cute—at least, they seem to be cute

They have always seemed to be quite balanced between their personal and professional lives without being part of any major scandals or dramas—work and family, and some extra business to increase their net worth.

However, shadows have fallen over the last few days on the bright Blake paradise, with revelations about Lively piling up and well-hidden scandals appearing on Page Six daily.

The recent buzz surrounding the release of “It Ends With Us” began last week, a movie based on Colleen Hoover’s novel and the co-star and director of the film, Justin Baldoni, with whom there is an alleged feud regarding the movie. Online discussions were all about the potential tension between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni and this speculation was fueled by internet sleuths who noticed that many cast members weren't following Baldoni on social media and were absent from promotional photos. While there's no definitive confirmation, rumors of a feud have been circulating. The Hollywood Reporter reported potential disagreements over the film's final cut, and TMZ and Page Six have published reports of on-set tensions, including instances where Lively felt uncomfortable.

The fans, myself among them, noticed a peculiar pattern:

Baldoni and Lively were promoting the film independently, a stark contrast to the usual collaborative efforts expected from the stars and director and producer of the film. This unusual behavior initially piqued fans' interest, with the social media chatter perceiving it as a marketing trick, but their annoyance grew as Baldoni emphasized the film's deeper themes while Lively presented it as a light-hearted comedy. Blake Lively's invitation to watch the movie with friends and wear floral attire was the final straw, “grab your friends, wear your florals” igniting widespread discontent among fans. Also, people didn’t like the fact that Lively was promoting the movie along with the launching of her new business endeavor, the hair product line, enraging them more by her ignorance and inability to understand the importance and the critical topic of the movie she was starring.

In the meantime, while the drama around the movie was getting superheated, an old interview of Blake Lively with the journalist Kjersti Flaa, who claimed that she “wanted to quit her job after the interview with Blake Lively” gave Lively the “mean girl” nickname, giving her fans more reasons to be upset with her. YouTube and the rest of social media are full of videos, articles, and photos of Blake Lively, explaining the drama and why Blake is not the person we think she is, that her career is coming to an end and that she needs to be “canceled.”

Amidst Blake Lively's recent missteps, many began scrutinizing her past to determine if her current behavior was a departure from her usual self. The results were interesting since our “role model” Blake Lively, was married to her sweetheart, Ryan Reynolds, on a plantation; she made insensitive comments defending Harvey Weinstein; she praised Woody Allen as “empowering to women” after all the sexual allegations.

So, will those faux pas be able to cancel her and put a stop to her alleged career? It depends. It depends on how we want to see Blake Lively. Is she a modern, working woman who, from time to time, has made some unfortunate decisions? Or, is she just a Hollywood star that all she has to offer is exceptional styling inspiration and some casual roasting between her and her husband?

The future will show, but for now, her public image is not in the best shape. She needs a lot of effort to reinstate her previous carefree public image.

Latest Update

Right before Christmas, Lively filed a legal complaint against her "It Ends With Us" co-star, Justin Baldoni, where she alleges:

Sexual Harassment: Lively claims Baldoni subjected her to inappropriate and unwelcome sexual conduct during the filming of "It Ends With Us."
Smear Campaign: Lively alleges that after she complained about his behavior formally, Baldoni orchestrated a campaign to damage her reputation and career. This allegedly included spreading false and damaging information about her, causing damages to her businesses. Hostile Work Environment: The lawsuit claims Baldoni created a hostile and uncomfortable work environment for Lively.

Apart from filing it to the competent court, Lively didn't neglect to share her complaint with the New York Times, where in a lenghty article the journalist meticulously described how Hollywood PR can ruin one's reputation (Lively's).

It Ends In Court?

The "gloves are off," her husband, Ryan Reynolds allegedly mentioned to Wayfarer and apparently we got a taste from that since the impact of her allegations hit hard both Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer. By the time the New York Times article was out, Baldoni lost his future projects, got dropped from the firm that represented him and faced huge backlash from his alleged behavior.

However, Baldoni replied—with receipts. And he brought some receipts that make us question our —once—favorite Serena on how truthful she is. Baldoni and his team brought not only a countesuit against Lively, Reynolds and her publicist but also against The New York Times.

And for now, he seems to be gaining the PR game—and probably the legal battle since the Lively parties don't seem to have any concrete evidence to back up their claims.

Blake's reputation is definitely getting a hit; so as her husband's who seems to have played a big part in the drama.

What is certain is that we all are witnesses to an almost unbelievable drama that started as a feud but seems to be evolving into a mega Hollywood scandal that makes us wonder whether Blake is an innocent victim or an ambitious woman who built her career by stepping on people in order to get ahead. For now, the odds are stacked against her. Unless she manages to convince us for her good intentions.

What happens next, nobody knows and we will update the article; we definitely believe that everyone, with no exceptions, deserves a safe and peaceful work environment, whether it's proven to be Blake Lively or Justin Baldoni.

However, the drama doesn't seem to end with them.

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Read also: How Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni Help Us Uncover The Celebrity Culture

Photo credits: (1), (2), (3)