Abigail Breslin says she was branded ‘hysterical’ after reporting male co-star’s ‘unprofessional behaviour’

‘Little Miss Sunshine’ actor threw support behind Blake Lively amid Justin Baldoni lawsuit

Abigail Breslin has recalled being deemed “hysterical” when she reported a male co-star’s “unprofessional behaviour” during filming for an unnamed movie.

The actor, who rose to prominence aged 10 when she played Olive Hoover in the 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine, posted a long message on Instagram in which she appeared to throw her support behind Blake Lively after the actor filed a lawsuit against her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, who is accused of sexual harassment. Baldoni has denied the allegations.

Pearl Harbour actor Kate Beckinsale was similarly inspired to share her own experiences of sexual harassment on set after Lively’s allegations were made.

Breslin took the opportunity to discuss her own experiences as a woman working in the entertainment industry, writing: “As I see the news each day, I realise this is the world we seem to live in. In light of recent events regarding the attempt to destroy the career and livelihood of a fellow actress and woman, I have felt compelled to write this, as I have unfortunately been subject to the same toxic masculinity throughout my life.”

She continued: “In my recent career, I’ve brought forward concerns about a male colleague and was deemed ‘hysterical.’ I was told my fears were figments of my imagination. Now, as I’m seeing this pattern pop up more, I realise this is the norm.”

Breslin explained that she made “a confidential complaint against a co-worker for unprofessional behaviour” and was then met with a lawsuit filed against her. The lawsuit was eventually withdrawn.

“I had the silly and naive impression they would believe me,” she wrote. “Instead of being believed and protected, a suit was filed against me for having the audacity to speak up,” she said. “I was made to seem like someone who just goes after men, rather than being seen as someone who has been dealing as a professional in this world, since I was a child, standing up for herself…This was after I had taken all of the recommended, reasonable and appropriate measures of reporting confidentially to my union. The experience left me with a lot of questions, of the professionals in my industry, of the public, and of men.”

Breslin asked a number of questions such as, “To the public…Why are we so always so excited to see the takedown of a woman?” and “When did the word woman become synonymous with scapegoat?”

Abigail Breslin pictured in 2021 (Getty Images)

Breslin ended her post by asking: “Why are we always so quick to defend a man after he is accused of bad behavior, but if a woman speaks out … she’s clearly a liar? I find most people believe the approval of a man is far more significant than the burden of supporting a woman. For men, it is always innocent until proven guilty. For women it is the opposite. ‘Prove your fear.’ ‘Prove your discomfort.’ ‘Prove your pain.’ This MUST change.”

In her own post, Beckinsale said the lawsuit filed by Lively highlighted the “machine that goes into effect when a woman complains about something legitimately offensive, upsetting, harmful or whatever in this industry”.

In an 80-page legal complaint filed against Baldoni on 20 December, Lively alleged her co-star caused her “severe emotional distress” on the set of It Ends With Us and orchestrated a “smear campaign” against her after she asked for complaints to be addressed.

Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively (Getty Images)

The suit said Lively had set out several requirements after raising concerns about Balidoni’s behavior on the set of the film, which he also directed.

These requirements included “no more showing nude videos or images of women to Blake, no more mention of Baldoni’s alleged previous ‘pornography addiction’, no more discussions about sexual conquests in front of Blake and others, no further mention of cast and crew’s genitalia, and no more inquiries about Blake’s weight”.

Though the film’s distributors, Sony Pictures, approved Lively’s requests, the lawsuit said, Baldoni began a campaign to “destroy” the Age of Adaline star’s reputation in response. She cited texts from Baldoni’s crisis PR representative as evidence.

After the filing was made public, Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman called Lively’s allegations “false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt”.

Freedman alleged that Lively had caused issues by “threatening to not show up to set, threatening to not promote the film, ultimately leading to its demise during release”.