After ‘nasty’ Blake Lively joke on Netflix, comedian Hannah Berner clarifies her stance
Berner faced criticism for a derogatory joke about Blake Lively. She clarified her support, stating the joke was filmed prior to the actress's legal battles
Comedian Hannah Berner has publicly expressed support for Blake Lively after using a derogatory term for women in her recent Netflix comedy special. Following the backlash, Berner took to Instagram to clarify that her joke was filmed before news of Lively's legal action broke. The Gossip Girl star earlier sued her It ends with Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment, accusing him of creating a ‘hostile work environment’ and launching a ‘smear campaign’ against her.
Hannah Berner clarifies her Blake Lively joke
In her three-minute segment on Netflix's Torching 2024: A Roast of the Year, Hannah Berner cracked a joke about the viral use of the word "c--t," referencing Blake Lively’s recent legal battles with Justin Baldoni. "The word 'c--t' was trending this year. I don't think Blake Lively was that bad," Berner humorously remarked while roasting pop culture moments.
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Lively’s case, blew up during the movie's promotional tour and thus contributed to the film's lackluster performance. And now, Berner is clarifying the situation on Instagram on Dec. 27, explaining that the joke was filmed before the news broke. "To be 100 percent clear, I support Blake xoxo," she wrote, ensuring her backing for the actress. The special was filmed on Dec. 17 at The Bellwether in Los Angeles.
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The joke also poked fun at various pop culture moments, including Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's relationship, Ellen DeGeneres' move abroad amid Trump's return, Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly's breakup, and more. Berner didn't go into detail about the joke, but it’s highly likely she was alluding to several past interviews with Lively that resurfaced during the controversial It Ends With Us press tour.
Hollywood celebrities supporting Blake Lively
Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, accusing him of multiple offenses, including changing intimate scenes without her consent, unwanted kissing, and probing into her personal life with husband Ryan Reynolds. Additionally, she claimed Baldoni launched a smear campaign after the scandal broke.
According to the lawsuit, a meeting was held with Lively, Reynolds, Baldoni, and their lawyers to address these allegations. Lively’s conditions for continuing work on the film, as detailed in the lawsuit, included demands such as “no more nude videos or images being shown to her,” “no references to Baldoni's alleged pornography addiction,” “no discussions about sexual conquests in front of her,” “no further mentions of the cast and crew's genitalia,” “no questions about her weight,” and “no more references to her late father.”
After the lawsuit, several Hollywood A-listers, including Colleen Hoover the author of It Ends With Us, America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel, Gwyneth Paltrow, Amy Schumer, Paul Feig, Amber Heard, Jenny Slate, Brandon Sklenar, and others like Lively’s best friend Taylor Swift, have defended the actress and are showing their support for her on social media.
