Blake Lively slammed by reporter for 'traumatizing' interview
What's the story
In a recent interview with Page Six, entertainment reporter Kjersti Flaa opened up about her experience while interviewing Hollywood actor Blake Lively in 2016. The now-viral interview took an awkward turn when Flaa congratulated Lively on her "little bump," referring to her pregnancy. To this, the actor replied, "Congrats on your little bump." The situation escalated when Lively ignored Flaa and instead spoke to her Cafe Society co-star Parker Posey.
Interview ordeal
'I didn't really understand all that...'
Flaa told the outlet, "It was a really traumatizing experience." She said, "I was just sitting there like, 'Oh'...I didn't really understand all that." "And then when I asked the next question about the costumes, [they] turned to each other and just ignore me." "That's when I started, you know, feeling like, 'Oh my God. They're actually doing this.'" "I was just sitting there. At first I was like, wow, this is really uncomfortable."
Career concerns
'You always have to take the high road'
Flaa said Lively and Posey were ganging up on her but she couldn't react to protect her career. "As a journalist, you always have to take the high road, you know?" "So when I was sitting there, I couldn't react to what they were doing to me in a sense of like leaving or talking back to them...because I knew if I did, then I'd never get opportunities like that again."
Industry dynamics
Worried about being blacklisted from future interviews
Flaa was scared of being blacklisted from future interviews, saying, "Not that I necessarily wanted to interview Blake again, but you know, she has a publicist, and then they talk, and then they blacklist you." "That's how it works, right?" "Everyone who's done these kind of interviews and been in those kind of situations knows how much pressure you have in a situation like that."
Legal proceedings
Legal battle between Justin Baldoni and Lively
Flaa was one of the people subpoenaed by Lively in her legal battle against her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni. Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and retaliation in December 2024, to which he responded with a $400 million countersuit. Both sides denied wrongdoing. Last month, a judge dismissed 10 of Lively's 13 allegations against him, including sexual harassment, conspiracy, and defamation.
Settlement response
'I was kind of looking forward to just poke holes...'
Lively and Baldoni recently announced their settlement with neither party winning any money. Flaa told Page Six she wasn't sure what she would have said on the stand if there had been a trial, but noted, "I was kind of looking forward to just poke holes in everything." She added it would have gone a long way if Lively had just "reached out" with an apology.