Abigail Breslin penned an emotional letter on social media regarding the double standard and harassment faced by women who deign to speak up about experiences of sexism or injustice in Hollywood, recalling a lawsuit filed by her employer after she addressed a male co-star’s “unprofessional behavior” on set. The Little Miss Sunshine actress heavily implied she was spurred to put forth a statement following the fallout from Blake Lively’s legal complaint against Justin Baldoni, the multi-pronged scandal that also recently moved Kate Beckinsale to detail her own industry experiences of assault and misogyny.
In a sizable essay shared to her Instagram and Tumblr, Breslin detailed being dismissed as a “hysterical and wild” woman who “apparently just had it in for men” after she had “taken all of the recommended, reasonable and appropriate measures of reporting confidentially to my union” what she had experienced on set. She also said her previous experiences of domestic abuse were brought up as “unfounded claims” to further denounce her. (Per previous reporting, Breslin was the subject of a November 2023 lawsuit surrounding 2024’s Classified, also starring Aaron Eckhart. Though she did not name the project nor her colleague, the movie’s producers sued the actress, claiming her “hysterical” and “imaginary” allegations of “aggressive, demeaning and unprofessional” behavior against Eckhart endangered the film’s release. The lawsuit, as Breslin noted in the post, was withdrawn.)
“I was told my fears were figments of my imagination,” she wrote in part. “Now, as I’m seeing this pattern pop up more, I realize this is the norm.” Adding later, she said, “I had the silly and naive impression they would believe me … I was publicly shamed and defamed in the process. A reputation I had cultivated for over 2 decades had now been tainted.”
Breslin later decried the lack of change seemingly promised by the #MeToo movement, saying that she and her female colleagues had hopes of improvement as a wave of women spoke up about abuse and dehumanization. “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.”
Though the My Sister’s Keeper actress does not name Lively nor Baldoni, she began her post by stating: “When did the word woman become synonymous with scapegoat?” Continuing, Breslin said, “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 the subject to the same toxic masculinity throughout my life.”
Breslin also called out social media toxicity, which she said is continuously “excited to see the takedown of a woman” but is “always so quick to defend a man after he is accused of bad behavior.” In her call to action, Breslin questioned why the burden of proof for a woman’s fears, discomfort and pain is laid on her shoulders, while men are “always innocent until proven guilty.”
“It leads us to the impossible double-edged sword we face everyday,” she said. “If we don’t speak up, we’re weak and aiding in the problem. If we do, we are over dramatic, bitchy, bossy, divas.”
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?”
As the Lively-Baldoni fallout has gripped Hollywood, its crisis PR machine and the digital public sphere, notable figures like Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Feig, Jenny Slate, Elizabeth Olsen and many others have stepped up to share their support of the Gossip Girl alumna. Amber Heard, herself subjected to a flurry of vitriol following her 2022 defamation case with Johnny Depp, which put a spotlight on her alleged experiences of sexual violence in the relationship, also joined in solidarity. In tandem, Breslin and Beckinsale’s statements recalling their horror stories exemplify the seemingly reignited conversation around prominent women’s vilification online, especially in the wake of reporting any abuse, harassment or mistreatment.
See Breslin’s post, in full, below:
