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Former employees of Blake Lively’s failed lifestyle brand, Preserve, have accused the actor and her brother Eric Lively of presiding over a toxic and chaotic workplace that resulted in legal threats, burnout, and six-figure settlements.
The business, launched in 2014 and closed within a year, was originally envisioned as a rival to Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, selling high-end artisanal goods. But staff have described an “emotionally draining” and “unprofessional” culture, marked by erratic leadership, inappropriate behavior, and serious HR red flags.
At the heart of the allegations is Eric Lively, who served as creative director. According to former staff, he regularly overslept, left employees waiting outside in winter temperatures, and hosted meetings in a sparsely furnished Manhattan studio apartment that also served as his home. Several staff recalled working for months without desks or chairs, sitting on the floor during long workdays.
Settlements, burnout and reputational risk
At least three staffers claimed Eric had a sexual relationship with an employee. Others described a volatile atmosphere involving alcohol, marijuana, and prescription pills on the premises. Employees said they were often expected to work up to 20 hours a day with no clear direction, driven by what they characterised as disorganised and reactive management.
Boiling point | 1,000 Starbucks baristas strike over dress code row
The result, according to multiple sources, was burnout, high attrition, and ultimately a number of threatened legal actions. Staff say some were paid up to $300,000 in settlements and were required to sign non-disclosure agreements to prevent public fallout.
Despite these concerns, no reports surfaced at the time. Ex-employees credit this silence to the efforts of Lively’s long-term publicist, Leslie Sloane, who also features in Blake Lively’s current legal dispute with actor Justin Baldoni over workplace conduct.
Preserve’s brief existence involved a rapid move from a professional marketing agency in Los Angeles to Eric Lively’s downtown New York apartment, where neighbors lodged formal complaints over alleged zoning violations and the number of people working in the space.
‘Culture-risk’ startups
It demonstrates the risk inherent in celebrity-led startups and founder-led ventures without established HR practices in place. Former staff say there was no clear HR department, no policies to manage relationships, and no credible escalation routes for complaints.
The Preserve team included mostly young professionals in their twenties, many drawn from digital design and marketing. Staff described being “captured” in a dysfunctional environment where charisma and celebrity stature replaced competence and boundaries were blurred.
The allegations of inappropriate leadership come as Blake Lively raises her own concerns about workplace behavior in a separate legal dispute. Some former staff say the contrast between her public claims and the internal reality at Preserve adds to their sense of disillusionment.
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As one put it: “The irony is extreme. It was one of the most toxic, disorganised environments you could imagine.”
Lively is in a legal tussle with her ex-co-star Justin Baldoni, who is accused of sexually harassing her while filming an adpatation of the novel It Ends With Us months after rumors of on-set conflict plagued the romantic drama’s release.
The actress alleges that there had to be an “all-hands” meeting about the lead actor and director in which he was warned to no longer show Lively “nude videos or images of women” and to stop mentioning his past “porn addiction” and sexual conquests. Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, was reportedly present for the discussion.
Baldoni was also told to no longer make any mentions of “cast and crew’s genitalia,” inquire about Lively's weight or her “dead father,” as well as a request to not add more sex scenes, oral sex or climaxing on camera “outside the scope” of the pre-approved script.
