Comedy timing is everything, but sometimes the universe just decides to pull the rug out from under you. Ask Hannah Berner. She’s currently dealing with the fallout of a punchline that aged like milk in a hot car. You’ve probably seen the headlines or the TikTok clips: Hannah Berner makes a joke about Blake Lively, things get awkward, and suddenly the internet is picking sides again.
It’s a classic case of pop culture moving faster than a Netflix production schedule. One minute, everyone is side-eyeing Blake Lively over a press tour that felt a little tone-deaf; the next, a legal bombshell drops that changes the entire narrative. Honestly, it’s a lot to keep track of.
The Joke Heard 'Round the Internet
So, what was the actual joke? It went down during Netflix’s Torching 2024: A Roast of the Year. Hannah was doing a quick three-minute set, riffing on the absolute chaos that was the last twelve months. She brought up the fact that a certain derogatory word—the "C-word"—had been trending heavily on social media.
Then came the kicker. Hannah deadpanned: "I don't think Blake Lively was that bad."
At the time she recorded it, the crowd laughed. Why wouldn't they? For most of the summer of 2024, the internet was flooded with "mean girl" compilations of Blake Lively. People were digging up old interviews from 2016 and dissecting her every move during the It Ends With Us press run. Calling her "that word" had basically become a sport on X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok. Hannah was just tapping into the current mood.
The problem? By the time the special actually hit Netflix on December 27, 2024, the vibe had shifted. Heavily.
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Why the Timing Was a Disaster
Here is the part that most people get wrong. They think Hannah was attacking Blake while she was down. In reality, the special was filmed on December 17 at The Bellwether in Los Angeles. At that point, the "Blake is a mean girl" narrative was still the dominant one.
But then, just four days later on December 21, the world found out that Blake Lively had filed a massive lawsuit against her co-star and director, Justin Baldoni.
The allegations in that lawsuit changed everything. Blake accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment, and—this is the big one—orchestrating a coordinated smear campaign to ruin her reputation. Suddenly, those viral "mean girl" clips didn't look like organic fan outrage anymore; they looked like part of a calculated PR attack.
By the time viewers saw Hannah’s joke on their TV screens, the public had largely swung back to Team Blake. Calling her the "C-word" suddenly felt less like a topical roast and more like joining in on a smear campaign.
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Hannah Berner Sets the Record Straight
Hannah didn't wait around for the backlash to build. She jumped on Instagram Stories almost immediately after the special dropped to clarify things. Basically, she wanted everyone to know she isn't a mind reader.
"My joke in the Netflix roast was filmed before news of the lawsuit. To be 100 percent clear, I support Blake xoxo," she wrote.
It’s a tough spot for a comedian. When you’re doing a "Roast of the Year," you’re betting on what people will still care about in a few weeks. Usually, celeb drama sticks around for a while. You don't expect a legal filing to flip the script entirely in the 72 hours between your filming and your release date.
The Complexity of the Blake Lively Controversy
We have to be honest here: the It Ends With Us drama is one of the messiest Hollywood stories in years. On one side, you have the "mean girl" allegations—the awkward Kjersti Flaa interview where Blake made a joke about a "bump" that the reporter didn't have, or the way she seemed to dodge the movie's heavy themes of domestic violence to talk about floral arrangements.
On the other side, you have the lawsuit. Blake’s legal team claims Baldoni was "sinister" in his tactics. They even produced text messages from PR flacks allegedly scheming to take Lively down. Supporting Blake became a matter of supporting a woman speaking out against misconduct, which makes any joke at her expense feel pretty heavy.
What We Can Learn From the Fallout
This whole situation is a massive reminder of how quickly the internet "consensus" can be manipulated. One week a celebrity is a villain; the next, they're a victim. For someone like Hannah Berner, whose career is built on being plugged into the zeitgeist, it's a occupational hazard.
If you’re following this drama, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Production Delays Matter: Most "live" feeling specials are actually recorded weeks in advance. What feels "current" to the performer might be outdated by the time you see it.
- Check the Timeline: Before joining a pile-on, look at when a comment was actually made. Context is literally everything in comedy.
- The "Smear Campaign" is Real: Regardless of how you feel about Blake Lively’s personality, the legal evidence regarding a coordinated PR attack against her is something that shouldn't be ignored.
The next time you see a clip of a comedian taking a shot at a celebrity, take a second to look at the date. Usually, they aren't trying to be "mean"—they're just trying to keep up with a cycle that moves at the speed of light.
To stay informed on how this legal battle develops, you should follow the official court filings regarding the Lively v. Baldoni case, as more internal communications are expected to be unsealed throughout 2026.