This post discusses domestic violence, abuse, and sexual assault.
Amid growing backlash over the promotion of It Ends with Us, Blake Lively is being called out for her response to a question about domestic violence in a new interview.
Blake stars alongside Justin Baldoni in the recently-released film, which is an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel. Focusing on the generational cycle of domestic violence, the story follows flower shop owner Lily Bloom, played by Blake, as she navigates an abusive relationship with Justin’s character, Ryle Kincaid.
Throughout the press tour, Blake has faced criticism for how she’s promoted the movie — which has, along with the book, been scrutinized by some for how it tackles the subject of domestic violence.
While Blake has touched on the movie's darker themes occasionally, she has undoubtedly remained lighthearted throughout most of the press tour. For example, she’s focused much of her energy on her floral looks, which reference her character's name and profession. She even says in the film’s official TikTok account’s promotional clip, “Grab your friends, wear your florals,” as she encourages people to watch the movie.
Blake has also used the film’s press tour to promote her drinks company, Betty Buzz, and her newly launched hair care line. Moreover, she recently posted a video of a “girl talk” at her apartment with some of the other women featured in the movie. “I’m gonna be sad when marketing is over and I don’t have excuses to sit on my couch dressed up with you ladies,” she wrote in the caption.
Additionally, Blake has involved her husband Ryan Reynolds, who is currently starring in Deadpool & Wolverine, in much of her promotion of It Ends with Us. It has been revealed that Ryan worked on parts of the movie — something that Blake drew large attention to — and, earlier this month, he jokingly interviewed Brandon Sklenar, who plays Blake’s other love interest in the film.
Blake’s lighthearted promotion of It Ends with Us has infuriated several internet users, who were hoping she’d use this press tour to draw attention to the movie’s darker themes.
“As a DV survivor, I am absolutely disgusted by the cutesy way this film is being promoted. Like it’s a rom-com, grab your girls and your florals? I wish you could feel empathy to the deep and dark things myself and other women have had to experience. Instead of making it about florals and sparkles,” one person wrote on Instagram. Another user wrote, “Disappointed that your promoting YOUR OWN hair care products and flower dresses rather then shining more light on DV.”
Amid the backlash, Blake recently shared a BBC interview clip filmed at a screening of It Ends with Us, in which she says, “This movie covers domestic violence, but what's important about this film is that she is not just a survivor and she's not just a victim and while those are huge things to be, they're not her identity.”
She also wrote over the clip, “Thank you to everyone who came out to show that people WANT to see films about women, and the multitudes we hold. It Ends with Us is a story of the female experience. All the highest highs, and lowest lows. And we are so proud of it. We have been in celebration of this film and of getting a message so important out there to the masses.”
Justin, on the other hand, has consistently promoted the movie very differently. Not only has he actively platformed anti-domestic abuse nonprofit No More, but he has focused his promotional interviews around the subject of domestic abuse.
“The message is the most important thing. That’s why [Colleen] wrote the book,” he said last week. “I was always thinking about the outcome and the why, and the one woman I was making this for who would sit in that theater and maybe not go back to her abusive relationship.”
Fast-forward to now, and Blake has been called out for another It Ends with Us promotional interview.
In a recent Jake’s Takes interview, hosted by Jake Hamilton, Blake — who appears alongside her costar Brandon — is asked about how people affected by the movie might approach her in public to discuss some of its themes.
“Most of us, if we’re lucky enough to run into a celebrity in public, we only have a few moments to maybe speak with you guys. But for people who see this movie who relate to the topics on a deeply personal level, they’re really gonna wanna talk to you. This movie is gonna affect people, and they’re gonna wanna tell you about their life,” the interviewer began.
“If someone understands the themes of this movie, comes across you in public, and they wanna really talk to you, what’s the best way for them to be able to talk to you about this? How would you recommend they go about it?” he asked Blake.
Blake proceeded to make a joke as she sarcastically questioned, “Like, asking for my address, or my phone number, or, like, location share?”
“I could just location share you,” she said before laughing. The interviewer quipped back, “Social security number?” to which Blake replied, “I’m a Virgo, so like, are we talking logistics, are we talking emotionally?”
As Blake spoke, Brandon — who didn’t laugh — awkwardly looked to the floor.
Blake then answered more seriously, “Yeah, what’s been beautiful about this movie is that, like, unfortunately, we all know at least someone, but we normally know a lot more than someones, we know some manys who have experienced this. And the beauty of this has been to see people, and to see this movie alongside women who haven’t experienced this — thank Goodness — go, ‘Woah, I fell in love, too. I saw the red flags, but they didn’t look red; they looked kinda fuchsia and cute. But you know, I ignored them.’”
Several internet users have been left “appalled” at Blake’s initial “dismissive” response to Jake’s question.
“The question was kind of serious, and she decided to make it about herself,” one tweet read, while another added, “this is so disrespectful knowing what the movie is about.”
“what was so hard about her taking this question seriously,” one more user wrote. “i’ve been so disappointed at how she’s been acting throughout this whole press run.”
Meanwhile, other users drew attention to Blake’s body language, questioning why she was sitting curled up on the sofa while Brandon sat upright in a more serious manner.
It’s worth noting that some people defended Blake, suggesting that she shouldn’t be expected to listen to other people’s experiences and that she was just setting that boundary with her answer. However, others argued that given she starred in and helped produce a film heavily centered around domestic violence, she should show a little more empathy when answering serious questions about the subject.
“Two things can be true: Blake Lively shouldn't be held responsible for holding others' trauma, AND her response, given how people will naturally respond to her film, is weird. It's as simple as saying, ‘I hope this film inspires meaningful conversations about DV and helps,’” one person said.
One user compared Blake with actor Jodie Comer, who highlighted statistics around sexual assault while promoting her Broadway show Prima Facie last year. In it, Jodie portrayed a lawyer defending men accused of sexual assault, who is assaulted herself.
“I can’t help but think of the stark contrast with Jodie Comer’s handling of Prima Facie- the respect, appreciation and compassion she showed victims is exactly what this woman should be trying to emulate. It’s not hard to be a decent human being,” they wrote.