'I manage one of Australia's most-hated women. Here's why we all fell for the Blake Lively smear campaign.'

Blake Lively is Hollywood's golden girl. 

Or at least, she was — until a few carefully chosen words painted her as 'difficult,' 'cold,' and 'unprofessional' on the set of her latest film.

But as leaked text messages from her co-star Justin Baldoni's PR team revealed, this wasn't an organic public opinion… it was carefully orchestrated.

Watch: Bonnie Blue shares how she has made money. Post continues after video.

"[The] press is overwhelming."

"We've confused people. So much mixed messaging. It's actually really funny if you think about it."

"The majority of socials are so pro Justin and I don't even agree with half of them lol."

"The narrative online is so freaking good and fans are still sticking up for Justin."

These words were painfully familiar to me. Because they're the kind of conversations I see all the time in my line of work.

About a month ago, I was hesitant to share details about what I do for work. At networking events, I'd casually say, "I have a PR agency," which would inevitably lead to, "What sort of clients do you service?" To which I'd vaguely reply, "Adult content creators," hoping no one would catch the emphasis on 'adult'.

The reality is: Porn stars. Sex workers.

I'm not ashamed of what I do — far from it. But there are dynamics that come with being a publicist in this space that make professional small talk… difficult. People assume the sex industry is inherently unserious, and that I must be 'capitalising on dumb girls', a comment I've heard far more often than you'd think.

So, I keep it vague. But the details have a way of slipping through, and someone will inevitably ask: "So what do you think about Bonnie Blue and Annie Knight?" referring to my two clients' involvement in stunts like filming with schoolies, or being 'Australia's most sexually active woman,' or [insert latest headline-worthy controversy here].

Needless to say, I have a vested interest — they're my clients.

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A post shared by Bonnie Blue (@bonnie_blue_xox)

But here's the thing. I understand how the media works. Actually, I used to work as a writer at Mamamia. And, over the past few years, I've pivoted my way out of the reporting side, and into the publicity machine that helps create the stories you see in the news. For me, it felt instinctual.

Working in the media, you start to notice patterns. Specifically, how women are treated in the media.

We've seen it countless times with the cancellation of celebrities like Chrissy Teigen or Ellen Degeneres — their crimes far more 'trivial' than those of male counterparts accused of sexual assault or harassment. 

We saw it with Amber Heard. What should have been a complex, nuanced discussion about abuse in relationships became a public stoning. People weren't just siding with Johnny Depp — they were gleeful about the opportunity to 'cancel' Amber. The hatred was incredibly intense and, in most cases, publicly acceptable. Despite an equal measure of abusive claims from Amber's camp against Depp, he emerged victorious — and in the eye of the public, as a hero and victim.

And this week, we saw it again with Blake Lively.

For years, Blake carefully curated her image in a way that made her one of the industry's most likeable figures. But the moment a co-star needed her to appear 'untrustworthy', it took mere days to dismantle that same reputation.

A few choice words repeated across headlines, a couple of strategic social media leaks that painted her as 'mean,' and suddenly we had our villain.

And as the PR team noted in private texts — the story took on a direction of its own. The appetite to tear down a 'perfect villain' is strong. And it's something my clients have capitalised on in ways that make them millions.

I understand that the idea of deliberately inflammatory content won't sit right with a lot of people. But I don't believe it's an individual woman's responsibility to reduce her earning capacity for a 'greater good' — especially in a world that rewards outrage. And the same has never been asked of men in far more damaging fields.

Like it or not, in 2024, outrage is currency. And if the smear campaign against Blake Lively is anything to go by, it's one that men are using to tear down their peers.

The public wants a villain, and while Blake had no say in the matter, in the case of Bonnie Blue or Annie Knight, we have women (entrepreneurs) who are happy to play the part. The benefits far outweigh the negatives for them, because they understand the choice words they choose to show up with online are not a reflection of who they show up as in personal relationships.

Take Bonnie. The Bonnie I know is witty, thick-skinned, generous, loves her pets, her family and the life she's living. The Bonnie the public knows is 'unlikeable', 'soulless', 'morally misguided', 'dead behind the eyes', and 'must have daddy issues' — if the comment section of her most recent post is anything to go by.

Blake, Bonnie and Annie are playing different roles in the same machine.

Bonnie leans into her set role as a wealthy, successful, female villain, using it as a tool to accelerate her personal branding with a male audience. Blake spent years curating her image as Hollywood's golden girl. But the moment her reputation became inconvenient, it took mere days to dismantle it.

And yet, our cultural response to all women is the same: Blame Bonnie for being provocative. Blame Blake for being difficult. Blame Amber for being manipulative.

I hope the details of the smear campaign against Blake Lively lead the public to interrogate whether their immediate response to 'women villains' is really their own. While I'll always welcome conversation about gender and morality, it is the level of criticism directed at women that needs to be reconsidered.

Because if even Blake Lively — someone beloved, with decades of goodwill in the public eye — can become 'unlikeable' overnight, then no woman stands a chance.

Emma Gillman is the founder of the Siren Group, a PR agency for spicy brands and creators. Follow her on Instagram.

Feature Image: Supplied.