With some discomfort, I admit that I have probably been a victim of fake news, even when I try to verify sources and evaluate the facts with a balance. Recently, the case involving Blake Lively brought to light a crucial question: are we prepared to deal with the complexity of truth in the digital age? This story connected the actress to figures such as Amber Heard, Angelina Jolie, and Meghan Markle, all women who have faced smear campaigns and relentless public trials.

The case of Blake Lively is particularly emblematic. Although her reputation was already tarnished by criticism about her behavior with journalists and sensitive issues surrounding domestic violence, new evidence shows that there was an orchestrated campaign to destroy her publicly.

According to messages revealed in a lawsuit, the crisis team of Justin Baldoni — her co-worker on It Ends With Us — allegedly used Blake’s own words against her to manipulate the online narrative. The discovery is disturbing, but it leads us to a broader reflection: why is the judgment of women always so ruthless?

The Misogynistic Pattern

The culture of blaming women for men’s mistakes is old and persistent. Yoko Ono is still accused of being the cause of the breakup of the Beatles, despite the musicians themselves denying it. In the 1950s, Wallis Simpson was seen as the woman who “made” King Edward VIII abdicate the throne, even though he was inept and uninterested in the monarch’s role.

Other stories are even more devastating. Mia Farrow had her career and reputation destroyed after being swapped for her adopted daughter by Woody Allen, whom she had taken in as a child. Allen, to this day, defends himself against the accusations of sexual abuse made by his daughter Dylan Farrow, claiming that it was all an invention by Mia driven by revenge. The narrative that she is an unbalanced and vengeful woman persists, while the emotional impact of this story is underestimated.

This pattern continues to repeat itself, with women’s images often being molded to suit male interests, while their flaws, real or exaggerated, are used to justify attacks.

Yes, when they shout that “not everything is misogyny” that is already misogyny in itself. It’s simple: when a woman says there is misogyny, there is. We know it. It starts with simple examples like when a woman speaks, 9 out of 10 she is interrupted. When a woman takes a stand, she is often ridiculed. In the Blake Lively case, an example of misogyny is when the actress is described as “powerful”, or when they remind her that she is “married to Ryan Reynolds”, and that she is “Taylor Swift’s best friend”, etc. None of this makes any difference in the face of what is being discussed, so why mention it?

The Amber Heard Factor

The #MeToo movement has brought about an essential shift in the way we approach allegations of sexual harassment and violence. However, it has also revealed how the system is still rigged to discredit women. Amber Heard is a prime example. Before her marriage to Johnny Depp, she was a rising actress. After their divorce, her life became a legal and public battleground.

Depp lost a defamation case in the UK but won another in the US, which earned him massive support online. On the other hand, Heard has become the poster child for the “manipulating woman” who fabricates false accusations. Although the courts have unmasked some of Heard’s lies, her allegations of being the target of online smear campaigns have largely been ignored. Today, it’s impossible to discuss the case without acknowledging the impact of social media on shaping public perception—something that also affects figures like Blake Lively and Meghan Markle, for example.

Amber Heard doesn’t have a significant professional career, not even to be the butt of jokes, but by destroying an idol of several generations like Johnny Depp, she became the villain of the moment. But, unlike Blake, who had access to the personal messages of the people involved in Baldoni’s communications, Amber didn’t convey credibility in her testimonies and the Internet devoured her for it. She may feel targeted by a campaign, but it’s a much harder case to change opinions than the one that is shaking Hollywood in the final week of 2024. That said, nothing can be ruled out.

The Problem of Modern Communication

There is a market problem that has bothered me for years, precisely because I experience it. I did not study Marketing, but JOURNALISM. The basic principle of one area is the opposite of the other. However, since social networks transformed everything into a PRODUCT, texts, and photos into CONTENT, and even more so, people into BRANDS, marketing professionals have controlled communication in general – including writing. Different ethics and objectives, I have to mention.

Unsurprisingly, we are in this lousy scenario of transparency and honesty. All public relations positions, once occupied by journalists, are now 100% in the marketing area. Therefore, when they say that journalism is over, it is not exactly (only) because of reporters, but because of the marketing advance in the area that should not have control.

Because this is the reality that today no source – for or against – is clean. And it is so painful to admit this.

The Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Case: Burying Reputations in the Digital Age

Early on, when allegations started to emerge that Justin Baldoni had engaged in sexual harassment on the set of a film, his team hired crisis management experts to “reverse the narrative.” This included highlighting instances when Blake Lively had been rude to reporters or had shown a disconnect when addressing sensitive topics like domestic violence. The messages revealed in the actress’s lawsuit are alarming: “He wants to feel like she can be buried,” wrote one member of Baldoni’s team. The response was even more disturbing: “You know we can bury anyone.”

The result was devastating for Blake. Her flaws, real or fabricated, were magnified while her attitude was disproportionately attacked. The same pattern is seen in cases such as Meghan Markle, whose battle with tabloids includes allegations that her own family contributed to her defamation, and even Angelina Jolie, who faces an ex-husband who is intent on publicly tarnishing her reputation.

The Blake Lively case exposes how information manipulation today is used to destroy reputations in digital media, most of all. Social media has become a breeding ground for smear campaigns, where legitimate criticism is mixed with planned attacks, making it difficult to separate what is true from what is fabricated.

Most of these stories reveal how unbalanced the scales of public opinion are, where women are judged with a severity that rarely falls on men.

And now what?

My conclusion is disturbing. I recognize the flaws of figures like Blake Lively, Meghan Markle, Angelina Jolie, Mia Farrow, and Yoko Ono, but they do not justify the intensity of the criticism they receive. Structural misogyny continues to shape public narratives, putting women at a disadvantage even when they have evidence in their favor.

In the case of Blake Lively, her final words are a warning: “I hope my legal action will help expose these sinister retaliation tactics to harm people who speak out about misconduct and help protect others who may be targeted.”

Even though I do not entirely sympathize with her personal stance, I cannot ignore the gravity of what has been revealed. The manipulation of information has never been so dangerous, and we must exercise greater discernment when forming our opinions.

Let’s follow the developments — and hope that the truth prevails.

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