The Hollywood Reporter’s latest issue, depicting Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni at war with one another, has sparked furious backlash for making light of her sexual harassment lawsuit.
After the publication released the controversial cover, showing the actress, 37, slinging a cellphone at Baldoni, 41, as he clutched a copy of It Ends with Us, X users were quick to call of the magazine for poking fun at the pair’s bitter legal battle.
The cover artwork was a biblical reference to the story of David and Goliath in the Bible, in which a small shepherd boy defies the odds by taking down a giant.
Like David, Lively uses a slingshot to try to take down her opponent, who can be seen running a few feet ahead of her.
‘The audacity to turn this whole case into a joke is f**king alarming. I stand with Blake Lively because I believe her… I don’t care if people say she’s not a perfect victim or whatever bulls**t – it really doesn’t matter. Predators should be punished,’ one tweeted.
A second wrote: ‘Incredibly inappropriate. You have a responsibility as a publication, but time and time again yours has trivialized sexual harassment and assault, among other horrible things.’
‘Something is actually deeply wrong with your publication that you thought this disgusting cover was even remotely appropriate. This is disturbing,’ a third fired.
A fourth asked: ‘Did you forget that this entire case is about sexual harassment in the workplace?’
The Hollywood Reporter’s latest issue, depicting Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni at war with one another, has sparked furious backlash for making light of her sexual harassment lawsuit
Others called the cover ‘truly disturbing & a shameful mockery.’
Many also expression confusion over why Lively was being portrayed as David in this scenario, despite being the bigger star and her marriage to one of Hollywood’s biggest actors.
‘Blake Lively is not the David in this story lmfao what even is this???’ one scoffed.
After the publication released the controversial cover, showing the actress, 37, slinging a cellphone at Baldoni, 41, as he clutched a copy of It Ends with Us, X users were quick to call of the magazine for poking fun at the pair’s bitter legal battle
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