'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Blake Lively's former employees from her lifestyle brand, Preserve, have accused the actress and her brother, Eric Lively, of creating "emotionally draining" work environment. Six ex-employees detailed their alleged "toxic" experience to The Daily Mail on May 20, 2025.
Calling the company a "disaster," they said the workplace harassment allegations Lively made against Justin Baldoni are "ironic."
"The entire company was an absolute disaster. The workplace allegations that Blake is making now [against Baldoni] are deeply ironic, given that it was one of the most insane, toxic, emotionally draining and disorganized environments you could imagine," one former staff stated.
Trending
For the unversed, Lively launched Preserve in 2014. The actress sold artisanal goods like vegan hot fudge, spoons, a chip-and-dip platter, leather bags, etc. At the time, Preserve rivaled Gwyneth Paltrow's brand Goop and Jessica Alba's The Honest Company. The company shut down in September 2015.
At the time, Blake Lively told Vogue that she decided to close down the firm because she felt she had launched Preserve before it was ready, and it failed to impact people's lives.
"We have an incredible team of people who do beautiful work, but we launched the site before it was ready, and it never caught up to its original mission: It's not making a difference in people's lives, whether superficially or in a meaningful way," the actress said.
What did the former employees say about Blake Lively's brand, Preserve?
The six former employees claimed the reported downfall of Preserve began when its office moved from Phenomenon Marketing's Los Angeles office to Eric Lively's studio apartment in lower Manhattan.
They also claimed that Eric was "unqualified" as the company's creative director. They were reportedly forced to sit on the floor and work because Eric didn't provide any furniture.
"[Eric] was completely unqualified to run a company. There were a lot of ways in which the employment was unprofessional. For many weeks or months, there were no desks. We had to sit on the floor. The irony of it being a lifestyle site that was selling these really expensive wares was not lost on anyone," one former staff stated.
The former staff recalled one incident when Eric allegedly hired film school students as interns for a shoot and made them frantically climb five flights of stairs with their equipment. They added that he slept and was reportedly intoxicated during work hours, and would let them stand outside in the cold.
"People would be outside in the cold and he wouldn't let them in because he was still lying in bed smoking a bowl. He was taking lots of prescription pills. He would openly smoke. He drank too. We'd get to the office and it would smell like weed. It was clear he partied the night before," they stated.
While some employees told the media outlet they allegedly weren't paid on time, one former staff member said that a senior Preserve staff member arranged a meeting with Blake Lively in a New York City hotel in 2015. The actress reportedly refused to talk about her brother and how he ran the company.
"[Blake] immediately shut it down and said she wouldn't be entertaining anything about her brother. The entire meeting was about Eric, and Blake just didn't want to hear anything about it, so it went nowhere," they said.
When the issues weren't fixed, some employees seemingly decided to take legal action; however, before the court documents were filed, the lawsuits were settled. One former staff member claimed that an ex-employee was allegedly paid $300,000 and that person then moved out of state.
All employees were then reportedly forced to sign nondisclosure agreements. According to the former staff, Blake Lively's longtime publicist, Leslie Sloane, ensured the employees didn't contact the media.
Blake Lively has not responded to the allegations at the time of writing.
