Director Paul Feig and Italian actor/musician Michele Morrone are speaking out in support of their A Simple Plan 2 co-star, Blake Lively. The actress has received a bevy of support from co-stars, family, and friends alike in the wake of the sexual harassment and smear campaign complaint she filed against her It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni.
The Bridesmaids director—who also worked with Lively on the 2018 film A Simple Favor as well as its forthcoming sequel—posted a statement on X on Sunday, joining a long list of folks who have come to her defense, including novelist Colleen Hoover, her sister Robyn Lively, co-stars Brandon Sklenar and Jenny Slate, as well as her longtime friends and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel.
"I've now made two movies with Blake and all I can say is she’s one of the most professional, creative, collaborative, talented and kind people I've ever worked with," Feig shared. "She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. I think it's awful she was put through this."
I’ve now made two movies with Blake and all I can say is she’s one of the most professional, creative, collaborative, talented and kind people I’ve ever worked with. She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. I think it’s awful she was put through this. https://t.co/K3vcWN3VfNDecember 23, 2024
In an Instagram Story posted on Monday, Morrone said that, "it is usually not my thing to make those kind of videos, but I think it’s time to stand up for a person that I really love, and this person is Blake Lively."
"I personally met Blake during A Simple Favor 2, we shot this incredible film together and I felt something was wrong. And I felt the pain. We had the opportunity to talk about [it] me and her. Blake was in pain. And I'm really tired to see those cruel and bad comments about her without knowing the situation. So that's why I want to link right here an article [from] The New York Times, just to make you understand, before commenting, what happened. That's all I ask, and that's all I want you to do. Alright?
He ended his story with a comment directed at Lively herself, saying, "Blake, I love you so much. Keep it up, and we’re going to see each other very, very soon."
It goes without saying (but we'll say it anyway), no one deserves to be mistreated or sexually harassed while at work. We commend anyone who stands up against this sort of behavior and the vilification of women who speak out against it.
