Netflix Comedy Roast Slammed For Untimely ‘C-Word’ Joke About Blake Lively

During Netflix’s comedy special Torching 2024: A Roast of the Year, former Summer House star Hannah Berner made a lighthearted joke about the controversy surrounding Blake Lively.

“The word c— was trending this year,” Berner, 33, joked in her stand-up set, which premiered on Friday, December 27. “I don’t think Blake Lively was that bad.”

After facing backlash for the joke, Berner addressed it on her Instagram Story on the same day, stating, “My joke in the Netflix roast was filmed before news of the lawsuit. To be 100 percent clear, I support Blake xoxo.”

Earlier in the year, Lively, 37, starred in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel It Ends With Us, playing Lily Bloom opposite Justin Baldoni, 40, who portrayed Lily’s abusive husband, Ryle.

Rumors of tension between Lively and Baldoni emerged during the film’s promotion, with reports of a “negative experience behind the scenes” leading to the actors not speaking to each other anymore.

While social media speculated about a feud, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni on December 20, accusing him of causing her “severe emotional distress” during production and creating a “hostile work environment.” The lawsuit also included allegations of sexual harassment and claims of a campaign to damage her career and reputation.

Denying the allegations, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, called the claims “completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious,” suggesting that the legal action was an attempt to repair Lively’s negative reputation.

Lively, who also served as an executive producer on the project, responded to these claims by stating, “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.”

Throughout this ordeal, Lively has received support from her family, including her sister Robyn and brother-in-law Bart Johnson, as well as colleagues from It Ends With Us such as author Colleen Hoover, and actors Brandon Sklenar and Jenny Slate.