- Abigail Breslin reflected on her own experiences with toxic masculinity in support of Blake Lively and the latter’s sexual-harassment complaint against Justin Baldoni
- The Miranda’s Victim actress alleged that her own past with an abusive partner was “brought up as ‘unfounded claims’ ” during a recent lawsuit against her, which said arose after she made complaints about a coworker and has since been withdrawn
- “And so here we find ourselves again, in a vicious cycle of crucifying another woman for speaking out against a man,” Breslin added of the Lively-Baldoni case
Abigail Breslin is speaking up about her own experiences with toxic masculinity in support of Blake Lively and her recent sexual-harassment complaint against Justin Baldoni.
The Stillwater actress, 28, shared her feedback about Lively’s situation in the context of her own past and the post-#MeToo era, in a Tumblr postthat she made and cross-posted to Instagram on Dec. 28.
“When did the word woman become synonymous with scapegoat?” began Breslin. “As I see the news each day, I realize 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.”
As of November 2023, Breslin herself was at the center of a legal battle after accusing Aaron Eckhart of “aggressive, demeaning and unprofessional behavior” on the set of their film Classified, according to a complaint filed by producers of the film.
While she didn’t name a specific project in her Tumblr post, Breslin continued, “In my recent career, I’ve brought forward concerns about a male colleague… I was told my fears were figments of my imagination. Now, as I’m seeing this pattern pop up more, I realize this is the norm.”
The actress went on to say she “had hope in change” at one point, “especially in the latter part of 2017 when many brave women came forward during the #MeToo movement,” which “felt different.”
“There seemed to be an uprising, a new wave of recognition for those who had been abused, degraded, slandered, silenced and it was loud,” she wrote. “But it was the kind of noise I can only liken to a firework. It can wake you up out of a sound sleep, it burns so bright and shocks the s— out of you but then, it burns out — just like that.”
“And when the smoke in the sky clears and the ashes and debris are swept away from the sidewalk, behind closed doors — to them — we are still just noisy women,” added the Scream Queens alum. “So we all go about our business until the next wave of injustice comes.”
Breslin said that “men and anyone who enables abusers” were “annoyed that they might have to change their own dehumanizing behavior,” explaining, “I remember the shift from ‘Yasss!!! Go women!!!! We are woke af!!!! We got your back!!!!’ To ‘God, didn’t these bitches have their moment a few years ago? Get over it.’ “
“As if centuries of women being underpaid, undervalued, under-appreciated, raped, harassed, terrified and used for the benefits of dick-wielding heroes would be erased because you commented on your second cousin’s #MeToo Instagram saying, ‘Stay strong,’ ” she added. “It was a pat on the head, a consolation prize accompanied by an eye roll as if we were just all constantly complaining that the gas station didn’t sell our preferred brands of tampons.”
Abigail Breslin in Los Angeles on March 15, 2024.
Donato Sardella/Getty
Breslin went on to bring up a since-withdrawn lawsuit (seemingly, the case related to Eckhart, 56) filed against her, after she made “a confidential complaint against a coworker for unprofessional behavior,” saying, “I had the silly and naive impression they would believe me.”
“Instead of being believed and protected, a suit was filed against me for having the audacity to speak up,” she wrote.
The Academy Award nominee also alleged that her “previous abuse” in a relationship was “brought up as ‘unfounded claims’ ” during the case, “and 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,” Breslin said. “The experience left me with a lot of questions, of the professionals in my industry, of the public, and of men.”
Near the end of her post, Breslin questioned why women are second-guessed by the public, 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?”
Abigail Breslin in Van Nuys, California, on Oct. 16, 2021. Jesse Grant/Getty
“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,’ ” she wrote. “This MUST change.”
The Miranda’s Victim star implored men “who have such a difficult time believing that women are truthful” to consider the questions, “Do you know what happens to us if we report anything? Do you know that most of the time when a woman reports a concern about a man, the burden of proof lies solely on us? Do you know how it feels to be treated as a second-rate citizen solely because we don’t have an appendage we can stick into anything we feel we own the right to?”
“And yet … you need us. You can’t charge your phone without an outlet, right? And is that all we are? Outlets? Something you can take your anger and vitriol and push that into us and onto us?” Breslin said. “It leads us to the impossible double-edged sword we face every day. If we don’t speak up, we’re weak and aiding in the problem. If we do, we are over dramatic, bitchy, bossy, divas.”
Speaking of Lively, 37, and Baldoni, 40, she continued, “And so here we find ourselves again, in a vicious cycle of crucifying another woman for speaking out against a man. Watching as the world splits in two over who is telling the truth, no matter how much evidence is presented. Because how could a woman do anything but lie or exaggerate?”
“To change the narrative, we do not need more women to scream. We just need a lot more men to shut up and listen,” Breslin concluded.
