Part 4/10:
Not only did Lively’s early comments reflect a troubling insensitivity, but they also began to signal deeper issues with how she navigated her public persona. In a strikingly revealing interview from 2006, when Lively was still attempting to carve out a niche in Hollywood, she recounted an instance of applying bronzer in a bid to resemble a Black girl for a crush. The carefree recounting of this past incident in a light-hearted manner demonstrated a complete lack of understanding regarding race and privilege, leading to immediate backlash online.