Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims are no less valid just because you don't like her.

Blake Lively is the next in a long line of women who deserve an apology from the internet.

On Saturday, December 21, she launched a lawsuit against her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment on set and a social media smear campaign against her.

During promotion of the movie, Baldoni was painted in a positive light — a male on a mission to put an end to hatred of women and domestic violence. Meanwhile, Lively was seen as 'difficult' and 'tone deaf'.

But, according to Lively, this public perception was carefully engineered. And additionally, she claims Baldoni is not the feminist he paints himself to be.

You see, the lawsuit alleges that Baldoni entered the actress' trailer without consent while she was undressed, improvised kissing scenes without prior approval, added explicit sexual content to the script, and allowed his "friends" to watch intimate scenes being filmed.

Additionally, Lively has accused Baldoni of launching a social media smear campaign against her, allegedly facilitated by a "crisis management" team.

Her lawyers subpoenaed a series of text messages, including one from his publicist, stating Baldoni wanted Lively to be "buried" but cautioned not to directly say they would "destroy her."

In light of the lawsuit, the narrative surrounding her and her co-stars is beginning to change course.

So, how did we get here?

A wrong-footed press tour becomes a hate maelstrom.

After several blunders during the It Ends With Us press tour, including promoting her hair care line Blake Brown at the premiere and encouraging people to "grab your friends, wear your florals," to see a film about domestic violence, Lively was heavily criticised for her tone-deaf promotion of a movie with such heavy subject matter.

But the hate did not stop there.

Blake Lively has filed a lawsuit against her co-star Justin Baldoni. Image: Getty.

Clips of Lively began circulating around the internet, including an interview from years ago, during an uncomfortable interaction about her then baby bump.

Lively's comments were framed as 'being rude' on social media. The internet pile-on came on fast, and soon, Lively became one of the most hated women on the internet.

The negativity sticks like cement.

The backlash against Blake Lively from It Ends with Us fans escalated quickly, growing into a witch hunt that extended far beyond the original criticism.

What started as a simple dislike of her casting in the movie soon spiralled into harsh attacks on her personal style, sarcastic remarks, and even her past behaviour.

Things that people once admired about her — her bold fashion choices, her witty and sometimes biting sense of humour — became ammunition for those looking to tear her down.

People dissected every aspect of her appearance and attitude, twisting it into a narrative that painted her as unworthy or unfit for the role.

Listen to Out Loud discuss Lively's new lawsuit here. Post continues below.

A legal filing turns the tide.

The internet, collectively, turned its back on Lively, but her lawsuit paints everything in a different light.

It begs the question: Have we collectively lost the ability to see nuance?

Was Lively's approach to promoting a movie about domestic violence inappropriate? Yes. Has she been rude to interviewers? Most likely. But does that mean we shouldn't listen to her claims? No.

The hate against Blake Lively spiralled out of control online. Image: Getty.

Regardless of how Lively is perceived — we, the public, have no idea what happens behind closed doors.

She does not deserve to be subjected to an unsafe working environment or experience alleged sexual harassment on set. And we must listen to her.

For her voice is loud, while many other victims are silenced.

Why the Blake Lively saga isn't black and white.

In today's day and age, it often feels as though there can only be one winner, one person who is justified or believed, at any given point. There's a constant need for sides to be taken, and people rush to form opinions based on fragmented pieces of information.

The result of this seems to be that the complexity of real-life issues is often reduced to so-called "cast drama" — with little room for nuance or empathy for all parties involved.

It creates an environment where people may be reluctant to speak out or may feel like their voices will be overshadowed by the prevailing narrative.

Watching the breakdown of Blake Lively's public reputation has been incredibly harsh, even from the outside.

Just last year, she was out enjoying life — attending NFL games with Taylor Swift, celebrating her personal milestones, and appearing to have fun in the public eye. However, since the It Ends with Us controversy, her every move seems to be under a microscope, with her life and behaviour being scrutinised to an absurd degree.

Just recently she was seen shopping for Jellycat stuffed animals for her children — perfectly normal.

But the comments on TikTok, rather than showing empathy, focused on how miserable she looked, criticising her for not appearing happy in a moment that most people would simply consider a normal errand. It all seems to have blown out of proportion.

"She gave you such a cold look," one user commented.

@rylee.metts

Serena and Deadpool #deadpool #gossipgirl #serenavanderwoodsen #blacklively #ryanreynolds #nyc #newyork #serena #blairwaldorf #marvel #faoschwarz #jellycat

♬ original sound - jaccirai

Beyond the drama of It Ends With Us between Lively and Baldoni, the need to seek out a "perfect victim", who has never made a mistake or has no personality flaws, seems to have overtaken much of any dialogue about abuse claims.

What's even more troubling is how some people have used this campaign against Lively to justify dismissing her allegations of sexual harassment. It's as if the argument goes, "She's not a nice person, so she doesn't deserve empathy or support."

Image: Getty.

It's a dangerous way of thinking.

The truth is, no one needs to be a saint to have their allegations of abuse or harassment taken seriously.

There is no such thing as a "perfect victim," and the idea that a person's past mistakes or perceived personality flaws discredit their suffering is deeply harmful.

Just because someone is sarcastic, brash, or not universally liked doesn't mean their experiences are any less valid.

The focus should always remain on the facts of the situation, not on creating a narrative that fits a simplistic mould.

Feature image: Getty.