Blake Lively faces employee backlash over chaotic working conditions at Preserve

Hollywood actor Blake Lively (37) has been accused by former employees of her past lifestyle brand "Preserve" of creating "a harmful and chaotic work environment."

The British media Daily Mail reported on the 20th (local time), revealing testimonies from six former employees who worked at Preserve. They stated, "Preserve was a mentally draining and confusing workplace" and claimed, "Lively showed no interest in the brand."

In 2014, Blake Lively launched the e-commerce site Preserve, which sold handmade and lifestyle products, but the site was abruptly closed the following year. At that time, Blake stated, "I poured everything into it," but employees had a completely different memory.

One former employee said, "Lively appeared at home in a mess on the day of filming, and her brother Eric Lively, who was hired as creative director, frequently made employees wait in the cold outdoors due to his tardiness." Some employees alleged that they worked sitting on the studio floor without desks for months.

It was also reported that there were cases of unpaid salaries. Two employees revealed that they could not even afford subway fares, and some received settlement amounts of up to $300,000 (about 400 million won) after hinting at legal actions.

Additionally, employees collectively noted that, "Despite being a high-end brand run by a star from Gossip Girl, there was a significant lack of organizational management and professionalism." It was also claimed that Blake's long-time publicist Leslie Sloane was involved in the brand's closure and the cover-up of controversies.

A former employee stated, "Leslie Sloane quietly organized the whole company. All confusion was thoroughly buried."

In a 2023 interview, Blake acknowledged that she made "many mistakes and there were issues she didn't realize" regarding Preserve, but she kept quiet about the specifics of the internal situation.

Recently, Blake has raised allegations of "inappropriate conduct in the workplace" against actor Justin Baldoni. In response, former employees have expressed that "it's too ironic for Blake to criticize others," fueling another controversy.

Meanwhile, Blake Lively's net worth is estimated to be about $30 million (approximately 4 billion Hanwha) as of 2025. This figure is a comprehensive estimate from various outlets including Celebrity Net Worth, Forbes, and Wealthy Gorilla.

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