Anne Hathaway showed Blake Lively just what to do to swerve public backlash

• Anne Hathaway apologized to journalist Kjersti Flaa for being difficult in a 2012 interview.
• An uncomfortable interview Flaa did with Blake Lively in 2016 went viral in August.

Anne Hathaway just gave a masterclass in swerving public backlash — and Blake Lively should take notes, according to PR experts.

Kjersti Flaa — the journalist who went viral in August for her resurfaced interview with Lively — said Hathaway recently apologized for "giving me an awful interview" during the press junket for "Les Misérables" in 2012.

In the interview, which Flaa shared on TikTok on Monday, the actor answered questions with short, one-word responses and refused to play a game that involved singing one of her answers.

Speaking in an Instagram video on Tuesday, Flaa said she was sent a "personal note" by Hathaway's publicist, in which the actor apologized.

Flaa said Hathaway explained "what she was going through" during that time in her life, the details of which Flaa didn't share.

She added that Hathaway invited her to do another interview when her next film is released.

PR experts told BI that Hathaway's swift response will minimize potential backlash and strengthen her reputation as a relatable and genuine celebrity.

Jake Holyoak, a PR and crisis communications expert with 12 years of experience, told BI that Hathaway's "authentic" reply would "enhance" her personal brand.

"People respect that level of humility and openness, and it keeps her relatable to her audience," said Holyoak, founder of PR company One March.

Yely Kopan is a self-employed PR consultant with almost a decade of experience in the industry. Kopan, a former creative director at Input Communications, told BI that Hathaway's note to Flaa was "a smart move" because it showed she was willing "to take accountability, even years later."

"It helps reinforce her image as someone who's genuine and approachable, which ultimately strengthens her personal brand," Kopan said.

Hathaway is no stranger to online criticism

Flaa wouldn't share which personal circumstances Hathaway alluded to in her note.

However, it's worth noting that when the movie was released in 2012, Hathaway was at the height of her career and had experienced an excessive amount of online trolling.

"Les Misérables" was a success at the box office; it grossed more than $441 million worldwide and earned a total of $148.8 million in the US, Playbill reported.

In 2013, Hathaway received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Fantine in the musical film.

At around the same time, the actor's reputation took a hit after a wave of social media criticism dubbed "Hathahate." The star was condemned for her appearance, her energetic personality, and her award-show speeches, which some people said seemed too rehearsed, emotional, or self-involved.

"A lot of people wouldn't give me roles because they were so concerned about how toxic my identity had become online," Hathaway told Vanity Fair back in March.

Despite the setback, Hathaway continued acting, and in 2015, Forbes reported that she was the ninth-highest-paid female actor with a net worth of $12 million.

These days, Hathaway is busier than ever, having starred in "The Idea of You" and "Mother's Instinct" earlier this year. She recently announced that she had signed on to produce "The Princess Diaries 3."

Blake Lively could learn from Hathaway, experts say

Hathaway's response to Flaa was a complete contrast to Blake Lively, who remained silent after her 2016 interview with the same journalist went viral in August.

In the interview — which has more than 5.3 million views at the time of writing — Lively snapped at Flaa after the reporter congratulated her on "your little bump."

"Congrats on your little bump," Lively responded.

Speaking to MailOnline, Flaa said Lively's comments had been hurtful because she was unable to get pregnant.

"Looking back, I still feel that I handled it the best way I could," Flaa previously told BI.

"In these settings, they always blame the journalist if something goes wrong. It's never the talent's fault no matter what happens," she added.

At the time of writing, Lively has not publicly commented on the resurfaced interview. Representatives for Lively did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Holyoak said Lively could "definitely take a page from Anne's playbook" and apologize to Flaa.

"By reaching out personally and acknowledging any missteps, Blake could turn this around and potentially win back a lot of goodwill," he added.

Meanwhile, Kopan said Lively would show "maturity and self-awareness" if she followed Hathaway's lead.

"Even if she doesn't think she did anything wrong, acknowledging someone else's experience can go a long way in building trust," Kopan said.

Zoe Mumba is a PR expert with seven years of experience. Since 2022, she has handled PR for the tech company Bitmovin.

Speaking to BI, Mumba said Lively's silence has "compounded the issue, leading people to search for more interviews where she might be seen as rude and increasing scrutiny of her behavior."

The backlash surrounding Lively's interview coincided with the promotion of her latest film, "It Ends With Us." The movie was adapted from Colleen Hoover's book of the same name about a woman who experiences domestic abuse.

It earned more than $309 million in global ticket sales, The Hollywood Reporter said in September.

It has become Lively's most successful film to date, surpassing the 2011 film "The Green Lantern," which made more than $237 million in global ticket sales, People reported.

However, its success was overshadowed by the criticism Lively received for her lighthearted and comedic approach to the press for the film, which contrasted with the film's serious subject matter.

Mumba said it may not be enough for Lively to apologize to Flaa as it could appear "like she's simply jumping on the bandwagon."

Instead, she suggested Lively offer Flaa an exclusive interview for her next project, which would give the actor an opportunity to apologize in person.

"But this could still be viewed as too little too late," Mumba said.

Correction: October 9, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated when Flaa and Lively’s interview took place. It was in 2016, not earlier this year. An earlier version of this story also misspelled Jake Holyoak’s last name.