Kjersti Flaa

Last updated
Kjersti Flaa
Born1973
Norway
OccupationEntertainment reporter

Kjersti Flaa (born 1973) is a Norwegian journalist and entertainment reporter. She is known for her resurfaced interviews which have gone viral on social media with celebrities such as Claudia Kim, Anne Hathaway, and Blake Lively. [1] [2] [3] Flaa was mentioned in The New York Times reporting detailing Justin Baldoni's alleged coordination with a crisis management team to smear Blake Lively following filming on It Ends with Us (2024). Flaa has denied any involvement in the smear campaign against Lively. [4]

Contents

Flaa filed a lawsuit against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) after being denied into their membership. Her lawsuit was dismissed due to lack of evidence which supported her claims of antitrust violations. [5]

Early life and career

Flaa was born in Norway in 1973.[ citation needed ] She began her career as a journalist, working primarily in New York before relocating to Los Angeles around 2015 to focus on entertainment reporting. [5] Flaa has written for Norwegian magazines and newspapers and has contributed to TV2’s "God Kveld Norge" ("Good Evening Norway"). [5] Additionally, she runs a YouTube channel where she conducts celebrity interviews. [5]

Notable interviews

Blake Lively

In August, 2024, Flaa uploaded a clip to her YouTube channel of a 2016 interview with actress Blake Lively and her co-star Parker Posey, from the press tour for the film Café Society . [2] Flaa titled the video "The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job." [2] [3]

During the interview, Flaa congratulated Lively on her pregnancy and "little bump", to which Lively responded with a sarcastic remark, saying "congrats on your little bump." [6] Flaa later revealed that the comment was particularly painful due to her struggles with infertility at the time. [7]

The interview also included a tense moment when Flaa asked the actresses about the film’s costumes, leading Lively to question whether male actors would be asked similar questions; the film in question being a period piece, Flaa responded that she would ask male actors the same question. [7]

The resurfaced interview sparked significant public discussion, with The Independent labeling Lively's response as sarcastic, [8] [7] and Business Insider reported that "The reporter who was humiliated by Blake Lively said it left her terrified to speak to other celebrities." [9] Flaa mentioned that she would welcome an apology from Lively but expressed doubt that it would happen. [10]

Alleged involvement in smear campaign

In their coverage of the Blake Lively smear campaign allegedly conducted by Justin Baldoni and crisis management agent Melissa Nathan, The New York Times mentioned that Flaa has produced content that aligned with crisis work Nathan was engaged in. Besides Flaa's negative postings on Blake Lively, The Times wrote that "it wasn’t the first time she had posted a video aligned with a client of Ms. Nathan." The newspaper noted that Flaa also published supportive videos of Johnny Depp tagged #JusticeForJohnnyDepp while Depp was a client of Nathan, during the defamation trial between Depp and Amber Heard. [11]

In December 2024, Flaa addressed rumors that she was involved in the smear campaign against Blake Lively, allegedly orchestrated by Justin Baldoni and his PR team. In an Instagram video, Flaa stated, “I have nothing to do with the smear campaign against Blake Lively… I would never take part in anything like that; that’s such an insult to me.” [4] Flaa emphasized her integrity as a journalist and denied any knowledge of Baldoni’s alleged actions until the lawsuit became public. Flaa claimed that her decision to repost the interview stemmed from her frustrations with Hollywood and was unrelated to the ongoing allegations against Baldoni. [12]

Anne Hathaway

In October 2024, Flaa uploaded to YouTube and other social media a previously unpublished interview with Anne Hathaway from a 2012 Les Misérables press event. Flaa had asked Hathaway to sing her response to a question, to which Hathaway replied, “Well I won’t be doing that, but you’re more than welcome to sing.” The clip drew mixed reactions, with some accusing Flaa of trying to profit from "canceling" female celebrities. However, Hathaway later sent Flaa a heartfelt email apologizing for her behavior during the interview. Flaa described the apology as deeply touching and unexpected. Flaa noted that cultural attitudes toward journalist-celebrity interactions have evolved, enabling more open discussions about disrespectful behavior. [13]

Kim Soo-hyun (Claudia Kim)

In November 2018, Flaa faced criticism after an interview with Korean actress Kim Soo-hyun, also known as Claudia Kim, during the press tour for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald . [14] During the interview, Flaa asked Kim whether she had read the Harry Potter books in English when she was in middle school. [14] The question was perceived as “racist” in the Korean press. [14] Flaa issued public apologies, explaining that her question was based on curiosity and was not intended to be offensive. [14]

Personal life

Flaa is originally from Norway and has since moved to California. [5]

HFPA Lawsuit

In August 2020, Flaa filed an antitrust lawsuit against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) after being denied membership on two occasions, in 2018 and 2019. [15] The lawsuit alleged that the HFPA operated as a "cartel," using its influence to monopolize entertainment journalism and exclude qualified journalists from joining the group. [15] Flaa claimed that certain members opposed her membership due to concerns that she would compete with them for access to Hollywood coverage in Scandinavian outlets. [15] [15]

The HFPA denied these claims, describing the lawsuit as a "publicity stunt" and asserting that membership could not be obtained through intimidation. [15] In December 2022, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a federal district court’s decision to dismiss Flaa’s case, finding no evidence to support her claims of antitrust violations. [16] [16] Despite the legal outcome, Flaa’s lawsuit had a lasting impact on the HFPA, prompting changes in its membership practices and increasing pressure for greater transparency and inclusivity within the organization. [16]

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References

  1. ↑ Writer, Sophie Hessekiel Contributing Entertainment (2024-08-14). "2016 Blake Lively interview resurfaces amid 'It Ends With Us' controversy". Newsweek. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  2. 1 2 3 "Blake Lively Faces Backlash Over 'Uncomfortable' 2016 Interview, Source Blasts Journalist's 'Rude Statement' (Exclusive)". People Magazine. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  3. 1 2 Crosbie, Eve. "Reporter from resurfaced Blake Lively interview says the actor's 'little bump' comment 'was like a bullet' as she was struggling with infertility". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  4. 1 2 Rubin, Rebecca (2024-12-23). "Journalist Who Went Viral for Criticizing Blake Lively Denies Being Part of Justin Baldoni's Alleged Smear Campaign: 'I Would Never Do That'". Variety. Retrieved 2024-12-24.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Maddaus, Gene (2020-08-04). "Norwegian Reporter on Her Fight With the Hollywood Foreign Press Association". Variety. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  6. ↑ "Blake Lively interviewer was struggling with infertility during 'traumatizing' junket". The Independent. 2024-08-17. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  7. 1 2 3 McGuigan, Molly (2024-08-16). "Reporter Reveals Why Blake Lively's 'Little Bump' Joke Was 'A Bullet'". Us Weekly. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  8. ↑ "Blake Lively interviewer was struggling with infertility during 'traumatizing' junket". The Independent. 2024-08-17. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  9. ↑ Friel, Mikhaila. "The reporter who was humiliated by Blake Lively said it left her terrified to speak to other celebrities". Business Insider. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  10. ↑ "Blake Lively interviewer would 'welcome' an apology after 'rude' chat goes viral". The Independent. 2024-08-17. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  11. ↑ Twohey, Megan; McIntire, Mike; Tate, Julie (December 21, 2024). "'We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine". The New York Times . Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Viral Journalist Denies She Was Approached for Blake Lively Smear Campaign". The Daily Beast. 2024-12-22. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  13. ↑ "Kjersti Flaa's Celebrity Interviews Are Intended to Start Conversations - The New York Times". The New York Times . 2024-11-08. Archived from the original on 8 November 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Norwegian reporter apologizes over 'racist' question for Korean actress". koreatimes. 2018-11-09. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Desta, Yohana (2020-08-04). "New Lawsuit Compares Golden Globe Voting Body to a "Cartel"". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  16. 1 2 3 "Dismissal of journalists' lawsuit against Golden Globes is upheld". Los Angeles Times. 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
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