The Norwegian journalist who conducted a disastrous interview with Blake Lively that went viral this year has denied any involvement in Justin Baldoni’s alleged smear campaign against the actress.
In August, Kjersti Flaa revisited her “nightmare” interview with Lively and Parker Posey from 2016 which had made her want to “quit her job”. It was shared amid the controversy surrounding the film It Ends With Us, which Baldoni directed and starred in.
Flaa began the interview – for the 2016 film Café Society – by congratulating the actress on her “little bump”, referring to her second pregnancy with husband Ryan Reynolds. Lively sarcastically replied: “Congrats on your little bump.”
She later asked if Lively and Posey enjoyed the fashion, which played a big role in the 1930s-set film.
Ignoring Flaa, Lively turned to Posey and said: “Everyone wants to talk about the clothes, but I wonder if they would ask the men about the clothes.”
Flaa insisted that she “would” have asked the male actors the same question, but Lively seemed to ignore her as she continued to speak to Posey about the best outfits worn by the men in the film.
On Friday (December 20), Lively sued Baldoni, claiming he caused her “severe emotional distress” on the set of It Ends With Us. Reports of a rift between the two actors emerged in August, but now, she has made allegations of sexual harassment and starting a campaign to “destroy” her reputation.
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freeman, has called the allegations “false, outrageous and intentionally salacious.”
After the lawsuit was filed, The New York Times published private texts between Baldoni, publicist Jennifer Abel and crisis PR expert Melissa Nathan, whose previous clients included Johnny Depp, Travis Scott and Drake.
The messages seemed to detail an alleged smear campaign to “bury” Lively. The story noted that it was “impossible to know how much of the negative publicity was seeded” and how much was simply “noticed and amplified.”
Flaa has now said she had nothing to do with any alleged smear campaign. “I have to say something because now things are starting to snowball,” she said in a recent video on Threads, “and people start thinking that I had anything to do with the smear campaign against Blake Lively that was orchestrated allegedly by Justin Baldoni and his team.”
She added: “I also read the article in The New York Times this morning, I’ve been reading through the lawsuit, and I see there’s been a lot of dirty work going on behind the scenes, and I just wanted to say that I have nothing to do with it.”
“I read the text messages that [were] going back and forth between Justin Baldoni’s PR team, I was as shocked and appalled like everyone else, and I would never take part in anything like that. That’s such an insult to me.”
In a YouTube video, she said that she would “never take money to jeopardise my integrity as a journalist.”
“Some people have started these conspiracies that I am connected to the PR campaign against Blake Lively; that is not true,” she said.
“I see how people are trying to make a connection here that I’ve been working with Justin Baldoni’s PR company because it’s just too much of a coincidence that my video was posted at that time. As I’ve said before, I posted the video after I had seen the movie,” she explained.
On Saturday (December 22), Baldoni was reportedly dropped by his talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME). The agency, which also represents Lively, felt action was required swiftly due to the seriousness of Lively’s allegations, per Variety. WME have not commented.
NME has reached out to Baldoni’s legal representatives for comment.
Meanwhile, Lively’s The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars have publicly defended her.
America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel, who she co-starred with in the 2005 film and its 2008 sequel, have released a statement via Instagram in support of her.
“We stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation,” the trio wrote. “Throughout the filming of It Ends With Us, we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice.
“Most upsetting is the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivor stories to silence a woman who asked for safety,” the statement continues. “The hypocrisy is astounding. We are struck by the reality that 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.”
Ferrera, Tamblyn, and Bledel went on to encourage others to read the full legal complaint detailed in The New York Times. “We are inspired by our sister’s courage to stand up for herself and others,” they added.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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