LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Blake Lively is facing backlash after announcing her Betty Buzz brand of alcoholic drinks, despite being a non-drinker herself. The 35-year-old actress took to Instagram to share promotional shots, featuring her unveiling the new drink selection.
In her caption, the 'Gossip Girl' star wrote, "Drinking isn't my thing. But for f* sake, flavor is." "Homemade recipes. Real fruit. Real ingredients. Quality booze. No crap. Also a real time saver. Which is why I really did it," she added.
'Mixers are the unsung heroes of the drink world'
Betty Buzz, the sparkling mixers launched by Blake in 2021, has been a passion project for her. She said, "Over the past many years of mixing but not drinking cocktails, it became clear mixers are the unsung heroes of the drink world and deserve just as much love as alcohol. We spent over three years crafting Betty Buzz and are so excited for people to finally taste it."
She explained her appreciation for mixers and how they influenced the creation of Betty Buzz. The name of the brand holds personal significance, paying tribute to her father's side of the family. "My dad's name was Ernest Brown Jr but he was known as Ernie Lively. He gave up his last name when he married my mom and any success here, or I, have experienced has been in a name that isn't his," Lively continued.
"So when I was working hard to build this company, I wanted any success to be in a name that was meaningful to him. Betty was his mom and his sister's name. Also, Ernie would not be the best name for a mixer," she added. It's worth noting that Blake's husband Ryan Reynolds owns the gin company Aviation American Gin, which he recently promoted for Father's Day.
'Don’t sell something you yourself would never drink!'
Internet users criticized Blake for selling a product that she doesn't consume and accused her of pursuing financial gain through a controversial move. A user wrote on Instagram, "How can you market/create a product you don’t openly consume yourself? ? come the f on now." Another added, "This is so irritating as someone who drinks in moderation and is sick of people either bragging about not drinking or shaming those of us who are glad to have a glass of wine sometimes. Don’t sell something you yourself would never drink!"
A third claimed, "What a confusing way to promote your alcohol, by saying drinking isn’t your thing…" However, a fan defended her writing, "Blake seems like a consummate hostess. And a hostess always knows the best recipes regardless of what they care for. She doesn’t drink because she doesn’t like it, but knows others do. I think it’s great that she has tailored something great tasting for those that hold different preferences! She knows good flavors and can provide for those looking for that that also want to drink. I’m excited to try. ?" Another user thought she was promoting her movie and noted, "Who else thought we were about to get ‘a simple favor 2’ news ?" Yet another displeased user questioned, "So she’s smart enough not to drink alcohol but wants people to spend their $ on alcohol so she can get richer?"
