'A Low Blow': Blake Lively Gets Backlash for Poking Fun at Kate Middleton Photoshop Drama
Was Blake Lively's latest marketing campaign in poor taste?
On Friday, March 15, the actress poked fun at Kate Middleton's photoshop fiasco when she uploaded a clearly edited image to advertise for her beverage line Betty Buzz's newest products.
In the snap, the blonde beauty was photoshopped to be lounging by the pool, and her enlarged thumb and the random lemons awkwardly imposed into the image gave away that the picture was edited.
"I’m so excited to share this new photo I just took today to announce our 4 new @bettybuzz & @bettybooze products!" the mother-of-four captioned her Instagram upload. "Now you know why I’ve been MIA."
While the movie star surely had no ill will toward the Princess of Wales, some social media users weren't happy she was taking a jab at Kate, who has been out of the spotlight post-surgery and admitted to "editing" a photo of herself and her three kids.
"Very disappointed you jumped on the 'let’s make fun of Kate' dogpile," one person commented on Lively's post, while another said, "I really like you Blake but this is just gross. I will not be supporting you or your brand anymore."
"Trying to get attention for your products by making fun of a woman recovering from major surgery? I wasn’t aware till now that you like being a mean girl," a third individual said. "Not a good look for your three daughters [sic]. Is it ok for them to make fun of classmates?"
"Low blow. Just unfollowed," confessed a fourth Instagram user.
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The Gossip Girl alum, 36, hasn't responded to the backlash.
As OK! reported, Kate posted her edited image on Sunday, March 10, to mark Mother's Day in the U.K., but hours after uploading the shot, several photo agencies ordered a kill notice since they realized the image was manipulated.
"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she admitted after the drama exploded. "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day."
At the time, people had been wondering about Kate's health and her whereabouts, as in January, the palace announced the 42-year-old would be taking a break from the public eye to recover from abdominal surgery.
As the weeks passed, people started spreading conspiracy theories as to why she hadn't even been seen outside. Soon after, a photo was released that showed Carole Middleton driving her daughter around England, but many individuals thought the woman in the passenger seat wasn't Kate.
On Monday, March 18, video footage caught Kate and Prince William shopping at the Windsor Farm Shop — but some people still didn't believe the brunette woman in the clip was Kate, citing a few physical differences.
As the palace originally stated a few months ago, Kate is not expected to resume any royal duties until after Easter.