As Blake Lively continues her legal showdown with actor-producer Justin Baldoni, fresh accusations have emerged—this time from her own professional past. Multiple former employees of her now-defunct lifestyle brand, Preserve, have stepped forward, calling the work environment “toxic,” “chaotic,” and “emotionally draining.”
Preserve: A Glamorous Dream That Turned Into a Workplace Nightmare
Launched in 2014, Preserve was pitched as a curated online marketplace for artisanal lifestyle products. The brand shut down just a year later, but those who worked behind the scenes say the story was far from the romantic, Pinterest-perfect vision it sold to the public.
“An Absolute Disaster”: Former Staff Speak Out
In a Daily Mail exposé, six former employees broke their silence about what they described as a mismanaged and deeply unhealthy work environment. One insider bluntly called it “an absolute disaster,” pointing out the irony of Lively accusing others of unprofessionalism.
“She Didn’t Care”: Lively’s Leadership Called Into Question
A former staffer said they walked away from the experience with the impression that Lively was indifferent to the chaos. “It was a really toxic work environment,” they claimed, adding that Lively showed up to one photo shoot looking like “an absolute mess.”
Family Business — Or Family Drama?
Much of the dysfunction, according to the sources, was linked to Lively’s brother, Eric Lively, who served as the creative director. Staff say he often overslept and left employees waiting in the cold outside the Manhattan studio apartment that doubled as company HQ.
No Desks, No Chairs, No Paychecks on Time
Reports of missing furniture, unpaid wages, and extreme working hours paint a bleak picture. Employees say they had to sit on the floor for months and couldn’t afford basic transportation due to delayed payments.
“Totally Unqualified”: Criticism of Eric Lively’s Role
Former employees also alleged that Eric lacked the experience and structure needed to run a brand. One described him as “just playing the part of a creative director,” contributing to the company’s lack of professional standards.
The Lifestyle Brand That Didn’t Walk Its Talk
Several insiders noted the irony of a luxury lifestyle platform that couldn’t provide basic resources to its team. “The fact that we were selling expensive homewares while sitting on a floor was absurd,” said one former team member.
Silenced by Settlements and PR Control
According to the exposé, some former staffers received settlements as high as $300,000 after threatening legal action. The fallout, they say, was buried by Lively’s longtime publicist, Leslie Sloane, who allegedly worked to suppress the controversy.
As Legal Battles Continue, Public Scrutiny Grows
The timing of these revelations is especially significant, coming just as Lively is embroiled in legal action against Baldoni. With her past now under renewed examination, questions about how the actress manages her off-screen ventures may grow louder.
