Blake Lively is a prominent figure in the entertainment world, gaining great attention for her leading role in It ends with us. The film is based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Colleen Hoover and also deals with themes such as love, domestic violence and the difficult decisions that affect a person’s life.
While her lead role as Lily Bloom has been well-received by audiences and critics alike, she has faced backlash recently, especially for the way she has been promoting the film recently. At the same time, her Instagram story about domestic violence has sparked fierce criticism from fans.
Blake Lively makes headlines for her treatment of It ends with us
Blake Lively’s newly released romantic drama deals much more intensively with the beautiful side of love. It ends with us revolves around her character Lily Bloom, who finds herself in a complex love triangle between her new crush Ryle Kincaid and her first love Atlas Corrigan.
The film is told in two timelines – the past and the present. She meets her first love in her past timeline while going through a tragic childhood. He reappears in her present timeline when she finds herself in another unexpected situation.
While the drama novel deals with domestic violence, the promotion for the film suggests a different theme. The earlier press tour in particular focused too much on aesthetics and glamour rather than the seriousness of the topic.
She recently shared two Instagram stories that subtly responded to the claims made by her promoting the film. She shared a clip from an interview with BBC News in which she reflected on her character, explaining:
She’s not just a survivor and she’s not just a victim. Those are huge things, but they don’t define her identity. She defines herself and I think that gives her a lot of strength. … No one else can define you. No experience can define you. You define yourself.
On the next slide, she posted an awareness story about the problem of domestic violence, along with a hotline link and access to immediate help. However, the timing of the post led many to view it as an attempt at damage control.
Blake Lively receives backlash from fans
The drama surrounding the film began when fans noticed a stark contrast between the way the leading stars promoted their project.
While director and actor Justin Baldoni approached the film’s themes in a more serious tone, often talking about adapting a story around domestic violence, fans noticed that Lively focused more on her floral looks and promoting her brands.
Even her recent Instagram story only added fuel to the fire, as her fans perceived it as damage control rather than a serious attempt to raise awareness.
Additionally, Instagram user @tiffanie.vu expressed her frustration by saying: “Sister, an Instagram story will not improve your image after everything that has come out,” This was well received by many, as the comment received over 6,000 likes.
Other users also chimed in, sharing similar thoughts. Another explained: “That was my first thought. Too little, too late. It was honestly strange to see the stories from her now. That should have been the energy on release day.”
Not only on Instagram, but fans on X also commented, accusing the actress of using a sensitive topic to deflect criticism amid the drama of the film. You can see the tweets here.
The backlash has raised concerns about the actress’ handling of the subject matter. However, her fans have come to her defense and proved that she has been addressing the serious subject matter all along, even in her promotional campaigns. As for the film’s performance, it has grossed over $93.4 million at the box office worldwide, according to the figures.
It ends with us is in cinemas.
