Abigail Breslin Stands With Blake Lively In A Raw And Powerful #MeToo Essay

Abigail Breslin has spoken out in support of Blake Lively's lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, nearly a year after her own allegations against former co-star Aaron Eckhart became public.

Lively filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of fostering a "hostile work environment" on the set of "It Ends With Us." The actress also claimed that Baldoni "ignored well-established industry protocols in filming intimate scenes and exploited the lack of controls on set to behave inappropriately."

In response to the news, Abigail Breslin shared an emotional and lengthy post titled "Women = Scapegoats."

In November 2023, Abigail Breslin faced a breach of contract lawsuit from Dream Team Studios, which alleged that the "entire production almost ground to a halt" after she privately raised concerns about Aaron Eckhart's "unprofessional behavior."

An investigation was carried out in accordance with SAG-AFTRA guidelines, ultimately finding no evidence of misconduct.

While Eckhart did not publicly address the allegations, a representative for Breslin emphasized that she "unequivocally" stood by her confidential statement.

The "Zombieland" star included a trigger warning for sexual assault and harassment before sharing her candid thoughts on the matter.

"When did the word woman become synonymous with scapegoat?" she began. "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."

"In my recent career, I've brought forward concerns about a male colleague and was deemed 'hysterical.' I was told my fears were figments of my imagination," the actress continued.

Breslin, who first filed a complaint against Aaron Eckhart in 2023 following their work together on the film "Classified," stated that her experience, along with Lively's, highlights a "pattern" of behavior that seems to be becoming "the norm."

In her complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department, Blake Lively alleges that Justin Baldoni hired crisis PR strategist Melissa Nathan, who is known for representing Johnny Depp during his high-profile 2022 defamation trial against Amber Heard.

Lively claims that Baldoni and his crisis communications team orchestrated a "retaliatory social manipulation campaign" during the promotion of their film, allegedly aiming to damage her public reputation.

"There seemed to be an uprising [after the #MeToo movement in 2017], a new wave of recognition for those who had been abused, degraded, slandered, silenced and it was loud. But it was the kind of noise I can only liken to a firework," Breslin added in her Tumblr post. "It can wake you up out of a sound sleep, it burns so bright and shocks the sh-t out of you but then, it burns out — just like that."

"And when the smoke in the sky clears and the ashes and debris are swept away from the sidewalk, behind closed doors — to them — we are still just noisy women," she went on. "So we all go about our business until the next wave of injustice comes."

She then specifically referenced her past "confidential complaint against a coworker for unprofessional behavior," which was later revealed to be against Eckhart. She admitted she "had the silly and naive impression" that her concerns would be taken seriously.

"Instead of being believed and protected, a suit was filed against me for having the audacity to speak up. I was publicly shamed and defamed in the process," the actress continued. "A reputation I had cultivated for over 2 decades had now been tainted as I became the crazy, paranoid and to quote directly, 'hysterical and wild' woman, who apparently just had it in for men."

Several prominent figures have voiced their support for Blake Lively in the wake of her lawsuit against Justin Baldoni.

This includes "A Simple Favor" director Paul Feig, as well as Lively's "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" co-stars Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, and Alexis Bledel.

Colleen Hoover, author of "It Ends With Us," also expressed her support, joined by co-stars Jenny Slate and Brandon Sklenar. "@blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met," the author wrote in an Instagram Stories. "Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt."