Blake Lively interviewer denies involvement in Justin Baldoni's alleged smear campaign

In August, reporter Kjersti Flaa had shared a snippet from the 2016 ‘nightmare’ interview with Blake Lively that made her want to quit her job.

Updated on: Dec 23, 2024, 15:43:19 IST

By Santanu Das

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Blake Lively accused It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni of harassment and a smear campaign to destroy her reputation a few days ago. Now, journalist Kjersti Flaa has denied any involvement in the smear campaign, sharing a new video statement on her Instagram.

Interviewer Kjersti Flaa shared a snippet from the 2016 interview with Blake Lively a few months ago.

In August, when the drama around It Ends With Us was grabbing limelight, Flaa had come out with a 2016 interview with the actor and claimed to be “the most uncomfortable interview situation” she's ever experienced. (Also read: Blake Lively source blames ‘rude statement’ for 2016 ‘nightmare’ interview backlash amid It Ends With Us drama)

What the interviewer said

In the new video statement, Flaa stated, “Okay so I have to say something because now I am starting to see that things are starting to snowball and people start thinking that I had anything to do with the smear campaign against Blake Lively that was orchestrated allegedly by Justin Baldoni and his team. I see there has been so much dirty work going on behind the scenes. I just wanted to say I have nothing to do it. I would never take part in anything like that. That is such an insult to me. I don’t want a part of this. I posted a video [showing] how Blake Lively was behaving in my interview and that’s it.”

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A post shared by KJERSTI FLAA (@kjersti_flaa)

More details

The 2016 interview was from the time Blake Lively was promoting the Woody Allen directorial Cafe Society. When Flaa began the interview by congratulating the actor on her ‘little bump’ Blake in turn responded: “Congrats on your little bump.” Flaa uploaded the YouTube video titled, “The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job.”

Meanwhile, in an 80-page complaint, Blake has now accused Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign against her. The lawsuit also mentions key figures in his production company and individuals who were allegedly involved in the campaign, including the film's lead producer, Jamey Heath, Wayfarer co-owner Steve Sarowitz, and several others. Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, have denied the allegations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

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