Podcast Summary: Intentionally Disrupting

Host: Dr. Leslie Dobson
Episode: Blake Lively Expert Psychologist Part 2 – DARVO, Coercive Control, Manipulation, Institutional Fail
Date: January 24, 2026

Overview of Main Theme

In this episode, Dr. Leslie Dobson breaks down the explosive expert psychologist report commissioned by Blake Lively’s legal team. The episode unpacks the intricacies of DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender), coercive control, manipulation, and institutional betrayal, focusing on Lively’s widely-publicized lawsuit against Wayfarer Studios, Justin Baldoni, Sony Pictures, and more. With biting sarcasm and a darkly comedic tone, Dr. Dobson exposes how celebrity, power dynamics, and media spectacle converge in complex cases of workplace abuse, misogyny, and corporate complicity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Context: The Lively Hearing and Legal Strategy

• [00:00–03:50] Dr. Leslie introduces the setting: the contents of an expert report from psychologist Dr. Jennifer Freyd, retained by Lively's attorneys.
  • The case isn't just about Blake Lively, but workplaces everywhere and how women are protected—or aren't—from sexual harassment.
  • “This is about women having the ability to work and not fear sexual harassment. And if something were to occur, that they have the proper recourse and the perpetrators have consequences.” (Dr. Leslie, 01:40)

2. Betrayal Trauma: Navigating Authority and Abuse

• [03:50–08:30] Lively’s response to the abuse was complicated by her leadership role and the care she felt toward cast and crew, oscillating between awareness and hopefulness.
  • Notable quote from Lively:
    • “I just wanted a safe set. I just wanted a workplace that wasn’t controlled by their touch and their gaze and their lack of boundaries… I just wanted to do my job.” ([~06:40])
  • Lively continued to give Baldoni and Wayfarer the benefit of the doubt, seeking professionalism despite repeated sexual harassment.

3. Institutional Betrayal: Sony and Wayfarer’s Failure

• [08:30–15:10] Dr. Dobson details Dr. Freyd's findings that Lively’s experiences checked every box for institutional betrayal.
  • Wayfarer and Sony created a culture where misconduct was normalized.
  • Complaints to Sony’s Andrea Giannetti were minimized or dismissed; no human resources intervention was provided.
  • Example: Mr. Heath showed Lively a video of his nude wife at Baldoni’s instruction, with no meaningful consequence or action taken. “So Baldani lied to Heath saying Blake wants to see this when Blake did not want to.” (Dr. Leslie, 10:30)

4. Normalization, Minimization, and Gaslighting

• [15:10–23:30] Multiple instances cataloged of overtly sexual and inappropriate conduct—Baldoni calling Lively and other women “sexy”, suggesting she unzip her outfit, and then joking about missing the “HR meeting.”
  • Notable deposition moment:
    • “That’s not what I’m going for now.” – Lively responds to “you look sexy.” ([~17:45])
    • “Oh, well, I guess I missed the HR meeting. Thanks.” – Baldoni, dismissively ([~18:00])
  • Efforts to report or raise issues continuously met with minimization, gaslighting, and triangulation.

5. Systemic Obstacles and Lack of Recourse

• [23:30–30:15] The absence of meaningful HR resources—reporting on-set meant reporting directly to one's harassers.
  • Lively testifies: “I was never provided an HR resource… I had made attempts to file HR claims.” ([~25:00])
  • Any trainings or reporting mechanisms ultimately circled back to the accused, creating a closed loop of inaction.

6. DARVO in Action

• [30:15–40:00] Dr. Dobson and Dr. Freyd’s report outline textbook DARVO from Baldoni and Wayfarer: denying, attacking, and reversing victim/offender dynamics.
  • Baldoni’s texts illustrate defensiveness, self-victimization, and planning counter-campaigns:
    • “It’s all manipulation… punishment for standing my ground and not giving her the little things she wanted.” ([~32:05])
    • “It’s hard to feel so much of what they believe about me is false because they are so convinced that it’s real.” ([~33:50])
  • Attempts to undermine Lively’s credibility, label her as “manipulative”, and launch online smear campaigns.

7. Retaliation and Smear Campaigns

• [40:00–48:30] Wayfarer, advised by PR specialists, orchestrated a coordinated attack on Lively’s reputation, both publicly and within the industry.
  • The smear campaign included:
    • Framing her as a “mean girl,” “bully,” or “difficult.”
    • Blaming Lively for other team members’ job issues.
    • Seeking to “bury” her reputation—“Mr. Baldoni wants to feel like Ms. Lively can be buried.” ([~46:45])

8. Litigation as Weaponization

• [48:30–53:10] Wayfarer’s PR and legal arms used the courts to further reverse the victim and offender roles, suing Lively for damages and blaming her for production woes.
  • Example: Proposing her deposition take place at Madison Square Garden and livestreaming it for charity—a move Dr. Leslie excoriates as “a show trial and humiliation.”

9. Compounding Trauma, Institutional Betrayal, and Polyvictimization

• [53:10–59:00] Dr. Freyd’s expertise underscores that each new act of betrayal trauma and institutional betrayal increases harm, rather than building “immunity.”
  • “Sometimes people think that multiple traumas would protect the victim from new harm… However… the repeated abuse Ms. Lively suffered… confirms that Ms. Lively is at heightened risks.” ([~54:00])
  • Lively experienced classic complex PTSD symptoms, compounded by ongoing media and legal attacks.
  • “It is my opinion that Ms. Lively’s risk associated with the above symptoms to be extremely high. That’s really fucking crucial.” ([~56:25])

10. Bigger Picture, Precedent, and Public Response

• [59:00–1:06:00] Dr. Dobson places the case in the broader #MeToo context—raising the question: If this can happen to one of the world’s most powerful women, what does it say for everyone else?
  • Highlights the need for real, independent HR oversight and skepticism about corporate PR responses.
  • Predicted settlement and trial dates, noting further updates to come.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the significance of the case:
  • “You can’t just do this to even the most famous woman in the world… Misogynistic men can’t keep running the show. We… did we learn nothing from MeToo?” – Dr. Leslie (01:55)
• On gaslighting and minimization:
  • “Oh, well, I guess I missed the HR meeting. Thanks. Accountability.” – Baldoni to Lively ([18:00])
• On institutional betrayal:
  • “Ms. Gianetti never spoke to anyone in human resources about how to handle such concerns…” (Dr. Leslie summarizing, [20:50])
• On the effect of re-traumatization:
  • “Each new trauma compounds the impact of the prior traumas… not like immunity to a virus.” – Dr. Freyd as paraphrased by Dr. Leslie ([54:15])
• On the ongoing impact:
  • “Ms. Lively was subjected to experiences of betrayal trauma and institutional betrayal, along with subsequent aspects of DARVO…” ([57:35])
• On the judge’s recognition:
  • “The judge said today… sometimes small potatoes turn into a big meal… This is why. Because it’s subtle and no one wants to take the time to sit and read this hundred page report and actually understand everything.” ([1:01:00])

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Introduction to the expert psychologist's report, case context | | 06:40 | Lively’s intent for a safe, professional set | | 10:30 | The incident of the inappropriate video and the leadership enabling it | | 17:45 | Lively and Baldoni—"sexy" comments and gaslighting | | 25:00 | Lively's struggle to access any HR resource | | 32:05 | Baldoni’s defensive text messages; DARVO in real time | | 46:45 | PR planning: “Baldoni wants to feel like Ms. Lively can be buried” | | 56:25 | Dr. Freyd’s assessment on compounded trauma and polyvictimization | | 1:01:00 | Judge’s statement about “small potatoes” and subtlety of psychological harm |

Tone and Style Highlights

• Dr. Leslie weaves irreverent, sarcastic commentary (“Oh, yeah, that makes a lot of fucking sense, right?”) with sharp psychological analysis, clarity, and a relentless focus on the structural issues that transcend celebrity scandals.
• The mood is incredulous and darkly humorous, but always grounded in advocacy for survivors and a deep skepticism of institutional assurances.

Final Takeaways

• The Lively lawsuit exposes how even the most powerful women in media face daunting hurdles when reporting abuse—often encountering entrenched cultures of minimization, DARVO defense, and reputational retaliation.
• Dr. Freyd’s report is a landmark in connecting research on betrayal trauma and institutional failure directly to a contemporary media firestorm, with real-world stakes for how corporations address sexual misconduct.
• Dr. Leslie frames the saga not as a lurid celebrity feud, but as a grim case study in the ongoing fight against institutional misogyny—and a cautionary tale for anyone still convinced that “#MeToo” has fixed the system.

For listeners looking to understand the extent and subtleties of institutional abuse, gaslighting, and the weaponization of legal and PR machinery against victims, this episode delivers an unflinching, often darkly comic, but deeply informed account of the Lively v. Wayfarer case and what it means for us all.