Emergency Meeting: The Blake Lively Smear Campaign Unpacked

“We can bury anyone: Inside a Hollywood smear machine”.

That’s the New York Times headline that meant, holiday or no holiday, we were definitely bringing you a show today. 

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni made headlines just a few months ago for their roles in one of the year’s most-watched films, It Ends With Us. But what was happening off-screen turned out to be an even bigger story.

In this emergency meeting of Out Loud, Mia, Jessie and Holly unpack the facts behind Blake's legal complaint against her co-star and director Justin, which alleges sexual harassment and an orchestrated campaign to destroy her reputation.

Plus, what this lawsuit means for Hollywood power dynamics, celebrity reputations, and the way narratives are shaped online.

This story has implications far beyond a single movie. It’s about the intersection of art, accountability, and the manipulation of public perception in the digital age. Join us as we break it all down.

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What To Listen To Next: 

• Listen to our latest episode: Meghan & Harry, Sam Armytage & Run Clubs: 2025 Predictions 
• Listen: The Takedown Of Blake Lively
• Listen: Confessions Of The Social Media Lurkers
• Listen: The Breakup Text We Got This Week
• Listen:  Get The F*ck Out Of Our Village (Please)
• Listen: The Trends We Want To Return (Or Die For Good)
• Listen: Jay-Z And An Audacious Family PR Strategy
• Connect your subscription to Apple Podcasts 

The End Bits: 

• Read the New York Times Article: ‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine
• Read Blake Lively's Legal Complaint
• 1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. Call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

Sign up to the Mamamia Out Loud Newsletter for all our recommendations and behind-the-scenes content in one place. 

What to read:

• The internet owes Blake Lively an apology
• Sexual harassment, a smear campaign and text messages. Inside Blake Lively's lawsuit against Justin Baldoni. 
• Blake Lively isn't the first women to be demonised online.
• Blake Lively isn't the problem

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CREDITS:

Hosts: Holly Wainwright, Mia Freedman & Jessie Stephens 

Group Executive Producer: Ruth Devine

Executive Producer: Emeline Gazilas

Audio Production: Scott Stronach

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

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