UPDATE — 12/27/24 at 2:22 p.m. ET:
Hannah Berner has broken her silence after receiving backlash for her Blake Lively joke during her Netflix special Torching 2024: A Roast of the Year.
“My joke in the Netflix roast was filmed before news of the lawsuit,” Berner wrote via her Instagram Story on Friday, December 27. “To be 100 percent clear, I support Blake xoxo.”
Original story:
Summer House alum Hannah Berner joked about the drama surrounding Blake Lively in Netflix’s Torching 2024: A Roast of the Year.
“The word c— was trending this year,” Berner, 33, began during her stand-up portion of the special, which premiered on Friday, December 27. “I don’t think Blake Lively was that bad.”
Earlier this year, Lively, 37, starred as protagonist Lily Bloom in It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel of the same name. The film was directed by Justin Baldoni, who also appeared as Lily’s abusive husband, Ryle.
When Baldoni, 40, and Lively went to promote It Ends With Us, rumors swirled of a tense rift. A source told Us Weekly there had been “two camps” on set.
“This creative struggle set the tone for the negative experience behind the scenes and grew into them not speaking anymore,” the insider claimed to Us at the time.
At the time, social media was flooded with speculation about the feud, with many users slamming Lively. It’s likely Berner’s joke was about the chatter and not the lawsuit Lively filed earlier this month, claiming Baldoni caused her “severe emotional distress” during production and fostered a “hostile work environment.” (The legal action was taken on December 20 and it’s unclear when the December 27 Netflix roast taped.) The Gossip Girl alum also accused him of sexual harassment and alleged that Baldoni launched a “social manipulation” campaign in an attempt to destroy Lively’s career and reputation.
Baldoni, for his part, categorically denied the accusations in a statement provided to Us by his attorney, Bryan Freedman. According to Freedman, the claims were “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious” and the court motion was allegedly filed to “fix her negative reputation” and “rehash a narrative” regarding the film’s production.
Freedman also claimed that Blake made “multiple demands and threats” while filming It Ends With Us, including “threatening to not show up to set, threatening to not promote the film, ultimately leading to its demise during release, if her demands were not met.”
Lively, who was also an executive producer on the project, subsequently clapped back at Freedman’s allegations.
“I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted,” Lively said in a statement.
Lively has since been supported by members of her family, including sister Robyn and her husband Bart Johnson, and other It Ends With Us colleagues. Author Hoover, 45, as well as actors Brandon Sklenar and Jenny Slate have all spoken out in Lively’s favor.
“As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation,” Slate, 42, told Today on Monday, December 23. “Blake is a leader, loyal friend and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her. “What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing, and wholly threatening. I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side.”
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