Blake Lively called out for violating health code while serving donuts at cafe: ‘Little PR stunt’

WILTON, CONNECTICUT: Blake Lively has made headlines once again, but this time it’s not for another viral red carpet moment or the infamous 'It Ends With Us' legal battle.

Instead, the 'Gossip Girl' alum has come under fire for an alleged "gross" mistake while baking and serving donuts at a Connecticut shop owned by a friend.

Blake Lively works at Connecticut donut shop

Over the weekend, Blake Lively, 37, was all smiles as she whipped up sweet treats at Rise Doughnuts in Wilton, Daily Mail reported.

Lively "was in a really happy mood" during the visit "and said she is friends with the owner" of the donut shop.

However, eagle-eyed social media users were quick to notice one major health code violation, Lively hadn’t tied her long blonde hair back.

As images from her baking session surfaced, critics pointed out that her famous locks, around which she has even built a haircare brand (Blake Brown), dangled dangerously close to the trays of donuts.

The oversight was enough to spark backlash, with many calling it unhygienic and careless.

Blake Lively slammed over health code violation

Podcaster Zack Peter, host of 'No Filter', shared the images on Instagram, where the backlash was quick and fierce.

Peter didn’t just share the snapshots, he also weighed in on the controversy himself.

“Blake Lively is doing everything she can do to look cool and unbothered amid her legal saga with Justin Baldoni. This felt like an “I’m a down to earth; every day gal” PR stunt…” he wrote, referencing the actress’ ongoing legal dispute with her 'It Ends With Us' director and co-star.

This led to further speculation that the donut shop appearance was nothing more than a calculated PR move.

One person said, "Too late. And tie your hair back girl."

Then came ​the comparisons to Meghan Markle's cooking practices in the Netflix series 'With Love, Meghan,' where viewers criticized a scene showing raw chicken stored above vegetables, raising food safety concerns.

Not only so, Markle has also come under fire for pulling excessive PR stunts in a desperate attempt to regain public favor or build her brand. 

In the same light, a person stated, "I call this little PR stunt "pulling a Markle"."

Another chimed in, "She’s as desperate as Meghan Markle to look like a nice human."

Someone else noted, "I use to work in a bakery during high school and knew to tie my hair back and wear gloves when around products. Just gross."

"She looks miserable in the video, but trying," a comment read.

Another observed, "Everything but hygiene. Most of us prefer baked goods without hair draped over if not in."

Blake Lively’s attempt to reconnect with fans backfires

A source close to the situation, however, told Daily Mail that Blake Lively’s visit wasn’t something her team orchestrated.

“Blake did this on her own. She was not advised by her team to do this. She told her team after this happened and everyone thought that it was a harmless idea,” the insider revealed.

They further explained that while this may not have been a textbook PR stunt, it was likely an attempt to reconnect with fans by tapping into her warm, relatable persona.

“It is not so much a PR stunt as an effort to gain back her fans by showing her softer side, which people loved her for. She wanted to show that she truly cares about people. But in hindsight, she really missed the mark on this," the insider spilled.

Adding to the backlash, the source pointed out a major compliance issue, “Federal regulations in every state specify that women need to wear hairnets when handling food. Blake wore her long hair down. This is also the responsibility of the donut shop to make sure health regulations are adhered to. But everyone was so excited to have Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds there that this was likely overlooked.”

Blake Lively defends donut shop visit

Despite the criticism, Blake Lively has reportedly pushed back against the notion that this was a publicity stunt.

She emphasized that she was simply helping out a friend who owns the donut shop.

“Baking with genius food friends and their kitchen mixer the size of a car,” she wrote in an Instagram Story alongside a snapshot of her working.

“This is what my happy place looks like,” she added in another post, as per Page Six.

Sources told People that the actress was “in a really happy mood” throughout her time in the kitchen and was engaging warmly with customers.

Despite the backlash, one fan who met Lively wrote, "Blake Lively is sweet and lovely. 💗💗 Being so kind and caring to little ones and being patient to chat and willing to take photos with everyone @risedoughnut whole time."

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