As we step into 2025 it seems like nothing has changed when it comes to the safety of women at workspaces. The recent incident of Blake Lively’s sexual harassment case against Justine Baldoni is a testament to “men have no clue on what’s okay and what’s not.” The Gossip Girl star’s claims include inappropriate on-set behavior against her co-star, which is depressing.
The legal complaint includes sexual harassment and a smear campaign against Lively to ruin her reputation. Baldoni has, however, denied all the allegations, stating them as “categorically false.” The legal complaint includes mind-boggling points that are disheartening to go through.
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The complaint includes that he must not talk about “personal times when physical consent is not given in sexual acts” or “no personal or physical touching.” What makes the scenario even worse is the question, ‘Where are we really headed?’
The 30 stipulations mentioned include “no more description of their own genitalia,” “no more showing nude images or videos of women,” and “no more entering, attempting, interrupting, pressurizing or asking to enter Blake’s trailer while she is nude for any reason.”
The absurd takeaway from the shocking case of Blake Lively and James Baldoni is that these points had to be mentioned in the first place -which usually must be the code of conduct. The common male complaint is that women must know it all. Because how are men supposed to know what is acceptable and what’s not? Men can’t understand how women really want to be treated by them.
Apparently, as per some men, everything is left to interpretation. If women had been given a checklist of how they really want to be treated, there would have been no grey space. Even after several revolutionary movements, it seems impossible for some men to learn what is unacceptable.
Blake Lively’s incident is nothing but a showcase of that we haven’t really moved forward when it comes to creating safe spaces for women. Everything that is mentioned in the lawsuit should have been followed without saying. Actors facing inappropriate behavior at work make it to headlines but soon become the news of the past.
Having a catalog on how to behave with a woman is like carrying a placard that says, ‘Do not hit me in the face.’ How people know better than to attack other people, men too should know better than to make workplaces toxic for women.
The incident also highlights conversations on unsafe work environments and toxic workplaces. The discussion becomes even more important, considering that Justin Baldoni was recently awarded for “courage and compassion in advocating on behalf of women and girls.”
Justin Baldoni’s lawyer stated that the decision to hire PR crisis manager Melissa Nathan stemmed from “multiple demands and threats made by Ms. Lively during production.”
According to TMZ, Blake Lively’s demands included:
• no more showing nude videos or images of women to… pic.twitter.com/GZFYxzlQBd
— Pop Base (@PopBase) December 21, 2024
The Not All Men argument continues to surface in comment sections and tweets, but it’s time for a deeper reflection. Given that Justin has hosted multiple podcasts focused on women’s safety and rights, it raises the question: Which men are we talking about?
Blake Lively’s case has caught the public eye and has reignited the conversation around women’s safety at workspaces. But the incident extends beyond Hollywood. It is for every employee for whom speaking against harassment is an uphill battle. Whether you are on a set, office, factory, or anywhere else, the right to be safe and respected at the workspace is universal.