‘You’re afraid’: Blake Lively on defending yourself in Hollywood

Since the creation of the Hollywood machine, we've known that women have had to fight for both the recognition and roles they deserve.

Paid less than their male counterparts. subject to more intense scrutiny and battling an industry which rarely celebrate the older female, women in Hollywood have to grow a thick skin in order to survive the revolving door system.

And if women do seek to have their voices heard? They're swiftly dubbed 'divas' by industry insiders  – something Blake LIvely addressed in a recent interview.

Speaking to People, the 30-year-old actress admits that fear for her burgeoning career stopped her from speaking up at certain times.

"As a woman, you’re afraid of a label you may acquire by demanding fair treatment for yourself that you know that you’ve earned," she explained.

"I think that sometimes you’re not encouraged to stand up for yourself," Blake added.

“It doesn’t even mean in really dramatic ways,” she added. “That just means that if you’re working too many hours, or you aren’t being paid what someone else at your work level is being paid, or if you’re being treated differently than someone else on the crew, or whoever."

Acutely aware that challenging the norm left her vulnerable to criticism, Blake remained stoic when observing the ins and outs of an industry she joined at just 10-years-old.

"I didn’t feel like I could fight for myself in the same way, because I was afraid of coming across as a diva or difficult or demanding," Blake admitted.

Interestingly, Blake admitted she had no trouble challenging injustices which didn't directly effect her – an approach she wished she could have applied to herself.

"I’d encourage myself to love myself and fight for myself, as hard as I fought for other people," she says of her younger self.

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