Blake Lively's ex-employees accuse her of running 'toxic and unprofessional' workplace at failed company
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Blake Lively is making headlines again after six former employees of her now-closed lifestyle company, Preserve, have come forward with claims of a “toxic” and “emotionally draining” work environment, according to a detailed expose published by the Daily Mail.
The 'Gossip Girl' alum, who founded the brand in 2014 to sell artisanal goods, shut it down within a year, but former staffers now claim that the behind-the-scenes experience was marred by chaos, poor leadership, and unfulfilled promises.
Ex-employees slam Blake Lively over alleged 'toxic' work environment at failed lifestyle brand
“The entire company was an absolute disaster,” one ex-employee told the outlet, describing the work environment as highly dysfunctional and “disorganized to the point of absurdity.”
Lively's recent claims about Justin Baldoni’s workplace behavior feel especially ironic to those familiar with the situation.
“The workplace allegations that Blake is making now (against Justin Baldoni) are deeply ironic, given that it was one of the most insane, toxic, emotionally draining, and disorganized environments you could imagine,” the employee said.
Several staff members criticized Lively’s management style, claiming she appeared disengaged and unprepared during professional engagements, including one notable incident where she allegedly emerged “disheveled” before a scheduled photo shoot at her home in Westchester, New York.
A former employee, who worked at Preserve, recalled, “The impression Lively left on me after I worked at Preserve is that she doesn’t care,” before adding, “It was a really toxic work environment.”
Some employees at headquarters of Blake Lively's brand were 'unpaid for extended periods'
Employees also alleged that the work environment at Preserve’s Manhattan headquarters was ill-equipped and unprofessional. According to their accounts, the company lacked basic office infrastructure for months, with team members reportedly sitting on the floor before furniture arrived.
Some staffers alleged they were unpaid for extended periods and struggled to afford subway fare. “Eric was completely unqualified to run a company. There were a lot of ways in which the employment was unprofessional,” one former worker claimed, adding that legal pressure later resulted in settlements, some reportedly as high as $300,000.
Further criticism was aimed at Lively’s brother, Eric Lively, who was brought in as creative director.
Former staff members accused him of regularly showing up late or not at all. “For many weeks or months, there were no desks,” said one source. “The irony of it being a lifestyle site that was selling these really expensive wares was not lost on anyone.”
One former team member described Eric as someone who seemed to be “acting the part of creative director.” Several ex-employees also spoke about “a crazy amount” of hours they were expected to work.
Two former employees shared that delayed paychecks left them so strapped for cash, they couldn’t even afford subway fare to get to work.
While Lively has previously acknowledged in interviews that Preserve was a learning experience, these new allegations paint a more damaging picture of the company’s short-lived run.
In a 2023 Entrepreneur interview, she admitted, “I poured everything I had into that company.” Still, she admitted therwasre a lot of “behind-the-scenes stuff that we just couldn’t figure out.”
The timing of the resurfaced claims is noteworthy, coming as Lively is locked in a high-stakes legal dispute with actor-director Justin Baldoni.
She has accused him of harassment and launching a smear campaign against her, while Baldoni has countersued her, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist Leslie Sloane for defamation and extortion.
