Abigail Breslin, the actress best known for her breakout role in 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine, has become the latest in an ever-increasing list of celebrities to voice their support for Blake Lively after she legally accused her former co-star, Justin Baldoni, of sexual harassment.
“In light of recent events regarding the attempt to destroy the career and livelihood of a fellow actress and woman, I have felt compelled to write this, as I have unfortunately been subject to the same toxic masculinity throughout my life,” the Academy Award nominee wrote on Tumblr.
Breslin felt empathy towards Lively, feeling that her experience mirrored her own. The actress was sued in November 2023 by the production company responsible for Classified, a film in which she co-starred with Aaron Eckhart.
The dispute came after Breslin accused the actor of “aggressive, demeaning and unprofessional” behavior on set in a letter written to the Screen Actors Guild. The production labeled these claims as “hysterical and imaginary.”
“I had the silly and naive impression they would believe me,” Breslin said.
Abigail Breslin wrote a post in support of Blake Lively’s accusations against Justin Baldoni, feeling they mirror her previous experience with Aaron Eckhart
Image credits: Michael Tullberg/Getty Images
Breslin asked, “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?”
The post, which was also shared on her Instagram profile, comes in the middle of a social, legal, and public battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in the aftermath of the release of the movie It Ends With Us.
Image credits: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
Public perception has gone back and forth between supporting and discrediting both celebrities, with part of it being organic, and the other the alleged result of social media discourse manipulation by PR firms.
Supporters of Baldoni have been quick to dismiss Lively’s version of events, believing that she and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, were trying to wrestle control of the movie away from the filmmaker.
Breslin saw this as a clear attempt at tarnishing Lively’s reputation, and shared her frustration at the way women’s fears are “dismissed” in the industry, often to protect the interests of male actors and producers.
The saw the treatment Lively has been receiving as a regression to the progress made via the #MeToo movement
Image credits: Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images
For Breslin, who also worked with Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, on 2008’s Definitely, the treatment the It Ends With Us actress has been receiving is clear evidence of the waning impact of the #MeToo movement.
“There seemed to be an uprising, a new wave of recognition for those who had been abused, degraded, slandered, silenced and it was loud,” the actress wrote.
“But it was the kind of noise I can only liken to a firework. It can wake you up out of a sound sleep, it burns so bright and shocks the s–t out of you but then, it burns out — just like that.”
Image credits: Netflix
Breslin explained how the way she was treated during the filming of Classified mirrored Lively’s experience, with her alleged mistreatment at the hands of Aaron Eckhart being waved away as the result of her “hysteria.”
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While the subsequent lawsuit was eventually dropped, Breslin had to endure the public shaming that came with it. Her professional character also took a hit, as the production accused her of putting the movie in peril due to refusing to sign crucial paperwork for its release.
Breslin accused the public of always believing men, and argued that women were treated as guilty until proven innocent
Image credits: Sony Pictures Entertainment
The Little Miss Sunshine then pointed the finger at audiences asking, “I often wonder why are we always so excited to see the takedown of a woman?”
For Breslin, the answer is clear. “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.”
Image credits: Sony Pictures Entertainment
The actress then touched on the behavior Baldoni was accused of. Lively stated that the actor showed her explicit videos, asked her about her personal sex life, bullied her into losing weight, and interrupted her while she was breastfeeding.
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Lively also said the actor would often talk about his pornography and masturbation addiction, unsolicited, and that he added extra sex scenes between them that were not in the scope of the script she had signed on.
According to the lawsuit, the issue got so bad the production had to hire an intimacy coordinator and officially forbid Baldoni from talking to Lively about said topics.
Image credits: Christy Carlson Romano
Breslin likened that type of behavior to a phone needing a charger, with men using women to relieve themselves of their frustrations. “Is that all we are? Outlets? Something you can take your anger and vitriol and push that into us and onto us?” she asked.
“To change the narrative, we do not need more women to scream. We just need a lot more men to shut up and listen,“ she wrote.
Netizens applauded Breslin for her post, empathizing with her concerns and sharing similar stories on social media
“The use of the word ‘hysterical’ is often by men who cannot cope with a woman being angry or principled-then being ignored! It’s an easy cop-out!” one reader wrote.
“To be called hysterical is sadly a typical reaction to any complaint being made. ‘Oh don’t be silly, he didn’t mean it. He’s not like that.’ All self deflection and victim blaming.” another argued.
“It's no wonder that victims don't come forward at all or it can take years to muster up the courage,” a user stated. “You need to be strong to handle the victim blaming.”
“Guys like him are repeat offenders. Team Blake.”
"I am a man, and I'm shutting up and listening." Fans of the actress stood behind her as she offered support for Blake Lively
