Here’s why Blake Lively won’t be Googling herself again

‘It ended in full depression’

Blake Lively
(Image credit: Rex Features (Shutterstock))

‘It ended in full depression’

We have all Googled ourselves at some point – whether it’s to see how we appear to prospective employers or just to check what’s still showing up from our teenage years (old Myspace profile pictures, unfinished blogs from 2008, embarrassing tweets – the list is endless).

A personal Google session rarely goes down well and something cringe-inducing is always bound to resurface. You would think that Hollywood stars would be immune to such embarrassment, or at least too busy to care. According to Blake Lively however, living in the spotlight actually makes it a whole lot harder.

When asked recently whether she had ever Googled herself in a video for Variety, Blake replied: ‘I have before, and it just ended in full depression. So I think it’s a good rule of thumb not to Google yourself, because the Internet is not nice.’

Choosing to stop Googling yourself seems to be a popular decision with women in Hollywood, with other A-list actresses including Emma Stone and Reese Witherspoon previously opening up about their own disastrous internet search experiences.

Emma Stone at the Golden Globes

Emma Stone at the Golden Globes
(Image credit: Rex)

‘I don’t usually like what I find,’ explained Emma Stone. ‘But some of it is really funny’ she continued, referencing a string of online comments dubbing her a ‘bland basic bitch’, a term even she has come to use.

Others however find it more dangerous, with Reese Witherspoon explaining how she only Googles herself ‘in very, very very dark moments – moments of pure self-loathing’.

‘I know what I’m in for. You never read anything positive,’ explained Reese. ‘You’re fat, you’re ugly, you’re tired, you’re worthless, you don’t have a career anymore, you’re a bad actor. It’s just an affirmation of every horrible feeling you have about yourself.’

Scarlett Johansson also weighed in on the argument, explaining, ‘I’ve stopped Googling myself – nothing good ever comes of it. It gives you an inflated sense of yourself, too. It makes you feel like everyone is paying attention to you and they’re not.’

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The next time we don’t like what shows up about us on Google, at least we can reassure ourselves with the fact that we’re not famous.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.