Kate Beckinsale opens up about having to do a photoshoot while recovering from a miscarriage to avoid lawsuit

Kate Beckinsale recently revealed harrowing experiences in the entertainment industry, including being compelled to participate in a photoshoot while recovering from a miscarriage. The actress shared her story in an Instagram post on December 29, contextualizing her experiences within the ongoing legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.

Blake Lively has accused Baldoni of s*xual harassment on the set of It Ends with Us and of retaliating against her with a smear campaign.

Kate Beckinsale, 51, stated that she has never met Lively or Baldoni but felt compelled to share her experiences to highlight systemic issues in Hollywood. She expressed gratitude to Lively for drawing attention to what she described as an ongoing problem.

In the video, Beckinsale detailed being "forced by a publicist, that I was employing, to do a photo shoot the day after I’d had a miscarriage."

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Kate Beckinsale on harrowing on-set experiences

Recounting the incident, Beckinsale said, "I said, 'I can't. I'm bleeding. I don’t want to go and change my clothes in front of people I don’t know and do a photo shoot. I’m bleeding out a miscarriage.'" She was told, "You’ll have to, or you’ll be sued." This was just one of several distressing incidents she recounted in her video.

Kate Beckinsale also revealed she had been referred to as "that c***" and "that b*tch" on a movie set after raising concerns about a co-star’s behavior. According to her, the actor was drunk daily, causing hours-long delays and preventing her from spending time with her daughter. Instead of addressing her concerns, the studio’s response was to provide her with a bike to ride around the lot while waiting.

Additionally, Beckinsale spoke about being placed on such extreme diet and exercise regimens for two films that she lost her periods. She also recalled sustaining injuries during fight scenes in two separate projects and undergoing MRIs to confirm her injuries. At 18, she was s*xually harassed by a crew member, only for her co-stars to deny the incident occurred.

Kate Beckinsale noted that despite the progress of movements like #MeToo, systemic issues persist. The actress also discussed being blacklisted by Harvey Weinstein, though she acknowledged being one of the few fortunate enough not to have been assaulted by him. She emphasized that abuse often results in further retaliation, saying,

"Complaining about abuse should not beget more abuse, particularly at work where there should be inviolable safeguarding in place."

"Because it is so public and so globally public, and very quickly becomes clickbait, it can also destroy someone’s livelihood, mental health, and reputation, and that can be very difficult to recover from," she wrote.

Kate Beckinsale called on men and women in the industry to work together to eliminate these harmful practices.

Kate Beckinsale's revelations come amid Blake Lively’s s*xual harassment lawsuit against Justin Baldoni. Filed with the California Civil Rights Department on December 20, Lively’s complaint alleges Baldoni harassed her on the set of It Ends with Us and retaliated with a smear campaign. In response, Baldoni’s lawyer called the allegations "false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious."

By sharing her story, Kate Beckinsale hopes to 'amplify the conversation' about systemic abuse in Hollywood and beyond.