Amidst the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book on domestic violence, “It Ends with Us,” lead star Blake Lively has been under fire on social media for her alleged disregard of the movie’s serious topics. A majority of the criticism has come from Lively’s words against her co-star and director of the film Justin Baldoni and her promotion of the film.
Rumors about conflict on set ensued when Baldoni and Lively were not together during movie press. According to Yahoo Entertainment, Baldoni hired Melissa Nathan, the PR manager that represented Johnny Depp during the Amber Heard trial, fueling the gossip on social media. While nothing has been confirmed by either actor, rumors sparked that Lively accused Baldoni of having bad behavior on set and, alongside her husband Ryan Reynolds, attempted to edit the movie behind Baldoni’s back.
Lively has been heavily criticized for dismissing the movie’s sensitive topics. A promotional video was posted on the film’s official Instagram page featuring Lively promoting the film by saying: “Grab your girls, wear your florals!” She has also been seen promoting her hair care line, Blake Brown Beauty, during interviews for the film.
In contrast, Baldoni has promoted the film as a movie about a woman suffering from domestic violence (DV). Baldoni released a letter to DV survivors on his Instagram page, and updated his Instagram biography with DV resources.
According to MSNBC News, the “It Ends with Us” novel and movie received backlash for seemingly “glamorizing domestic violence.” A major complaint is the book being categorized as romance instead of fiction. DV is commonly romanticized in media as seen in movies such as “Fifty Shades of Grey” and “365 Days.” According to the Adolescent Health Center, one in three teenagers have experienced verbal or psychological abuse while one in 10 have experienced physical violence.
DV is categorized as aggressive or violent behavior in a relationship or home. It usually involves a partner being either physically, emotionally, or verbally abused. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 12 million Americans a year suffer from either rape, violence, or stalking from a partner.
Bay Area Women Against Rape: (510) 800-4247
One Love Foundation: joinonelove.org
