Abigail Breslin Felt ‘Compelled’ to Respond to Blake Lively’s Lawsuit Against Justin Baldoni; Says She’s Been Subjected to ‘Same’

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As a seasoned actress with over two decades of experience in the industry, I, Abigail Breslin, find myself deeply troubled by the recurring instances of toxic masculinity and abuse that have been brought to light recently, particularly in the wake of Blake Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit against Justin Baldoni.

I too have faced similar challenges throughout my career, where I have been subjected to inappropriate behavior and toxic masculinity. One instance comes to mind when I called out a male colleague for his unprofessional actions, only to be dismissed as “hysterical” and told that my fears were imaginary. It’s disheartening to see how such patterns are not isolated incidents but the norm in our industry.

Last year, I took a stand against the producers of my film Classified by filing a lawsuit, alleging that my co-star and co-producer exhibited “aggressive, demeaning, and unprofessional behavior” that put me in danger multiple times. Unfortunately, my complaint was not taken seriously, and I had to endure a counter lawsuit claiming that my allegations were hysterical and imaginary. The experience left me publicly shamed, defamed, and tainted the image I had spent two decades building.

I became the crazy, paranoid, and “hysterical” woman who apparently just had it in for men. It seems that women are always expected to suffer in silence while men receive the benefit of the doubt. The double standard is glaringly obvious – for men, it’s innocent until proven guilty; for women, it’s the opposite.

I can’t help but wonder why society finds it so exciting to watch a woman’s downfall while turning a blind eye to men’s misconduct. It’s as if we’re living in a world where the rules are rigged against us, and the only way to survive is to speak up, even if it means being ridiculed or shamed.

On a lighter note, I guess it’s true what they say – comedy is tragedy plus time. Maybe one day we’ll look back at this era of Hollywood and laugh at how ridiculous it was that we ever tolerated such behavior. But for now, I’ll continue to use my voice, however loud or hysterical it may be, to demand change and fight against the toxic masculinity that has plagued our industry for far too long. #TimesUp #MeToo #EndToxicMasculinity

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of abuse and sexual harassment. 

Following Blake Lively’s lawsuit against Justin Baldoni over accusations of sexual harassment and a smear campaign, Abigail Breslin, well-known for movies like Little Miss Sunshine, Zombieland, No Reservations, felt moved to offer support to Lively. In response, she penned an essay on Tumblr, expressing her thoughts on the situation.

Starting her message, she expressed that recent events involving an attempt to undermine another actress’s career and livelihood prompted her to write this. She disclosed that she has encountered “toxic masculinity” throughout her life unfortunatley.

In recent times, she pointed out an inappropriate action by one of her male colleagues, but she was labeled as hysterical and told that her concerns were unfounded. However, Lively’s lawsuit made her understand that such incidents are common occurrences. “I’ve come to recognize this as the standard,” she stated.

Last year, I found myself filing a lawsuit against the team behind my movie, Classified. The reason being, my co-star and fellow producer displayed behaviors that were aggressive, disrespectful, and unsuitable for a professional environment, putting me in harm’s way on more than one occasion.

In her essay, the actress shared that the accusations she made were later retracted. She admitted that when she confidentially reported a fellow worker for unacceptable professional conduct, she foolishly assumed they would support her.

In response, the producers sued her for making excessive and exaggerated claims that they deemed unfounded. According to Breslin, this was a penalty she had to endure due to her “boldness” in voicing her opinions. “I was publicly humiliated and falsely accused,” she remembered.

In light of recent events, I found myself being painted as an overzealous, paranoid individual, hurling unfounded accusations. To put it bluntly, I’ve been labeled a hysterical and erratic woman, supposedly harboring a grudge against men.” (The Slayers actress emphasized.)

In my recent post, I pondered aloud about an intriguing conundrum: why does the fall of a woman ignite such fascination, while men seem to skate by with a clean slate for their actions? It appears that the standard seems to be flipped; for men, they are considered innocent until proven guilty. However, this doesn’t hold true for women.

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2024-12-31 18:53