Blake Lively gets solidarity from ‘Sisterhood’ as America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel are ‘appalled’ over Justin Baldoni’s alleged behavior

Hollywood is buzzing with division as celebrities take sides in the escalating feud between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. But Lively’s Sisterhood is completely on her side.

The conflict between Lively and her It Ends With Us co-star and director could soon enter the legal arena if the California Civil Rights Department accepts the case. Yet, the battle lines have been drawn even before a court verdict, with fans and celebrities alike choosing sides. Among the latest to voice their support on Lively’s side are her Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars, who issued a statement pledging their solidarity with the actress.

In the joint statement published on Instagram, America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel revealed how “throughout the filming of It Ends with Us,” they witnessed Lively “summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set.” But after the recent revelations, the three expressed how they are “appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort” by Baldoni and his team to “discredit her [Lively’s] voice.” The note continued,

“Most upsetting is the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivors’ stories to silence a woman who asked for safety. The hypocrisy is astounding.”

The three also reflected on the current reality of the world where “even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe working environment.” The comment refers to the alleged “multi-tiered plan” designed by Baldoni and his team, to “destroy” Lively’s reputation after a meeting was held to address “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior” by Baldoni and a lead producer on the sets. (via NPR)

This burning controversy surfaced after The New York Times published Lively’s complaint, which outlines allegations against Justin Baldoni and others involved in the production of It Ends With Us. The complaint alleges that in a Jan. 4 meeting, before resuming filming of It Ends With Us, Lively, Baldoni, studio CEO and producer Jamey Heath, and others, discussed “inappropriate conduct” experienced by Lively and other cast and crew.

Following this, all parties agreed to a list of conduct to be followed on set to resume filming, and “the studio also agreed not to retaliate against Lively.” However, things went south when Lively faced criticism from fans for her seemingly lighthearted remarks about a story centered on domestic abuse, while Baldoni’s message of hope was widely celebrated during the film’s promotion. Around this time, the complaint alleges,

“Baldoni and his team were staging a well-financed plan in retaliation for Ms. Lively exercising her legally-protected right to speak up about their misconduct on the set, with the additional objective of intimidating her and anyone else from revealing in public what actually occurred.”

The complaint further alleges that Baldoni hired a crisis communications expert to craft a strategy aimed at swaying social media narratives in his favor while keeping the studio’s involvement discreet. However, an attorney for the studio, Bryan Freedman, said in a statement emailed to NPR that Lively’s allegations are “categorically false” and “another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation.”

While the truth can only come to light now through a legal proceeding, Blake Lively is getting the must-needed support from her industry connections to keep moving forward in her fight. Ferrera, Tamblyn, and Bledel also wrote how they are “inspired” by Lively’s “courage to stand up for herself and others,” and so are we.