CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses domestic violence.
Actor Brandon Sklenar has come out in support of his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively after the rumours swirling online of a feud between Lively and director Justin Baldoni following the film’s press tour.
Sklenar took to Instagram to break his silence over the gossip making worldwide headlines.
“I just wanted to take a minute and address all this stuff swirling online,” he began.
“Colleen [Hoover] and the women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance, and for women choosing a better life for themselves. Vilifying the women who put so much of their heart and soul into making this film because they believe so strongly in its message seems counterproductive and detracts from what this film is about. It is, in fact, the opposite of the point.
“What may or may not have happened behind the scenes does not and hopefully should not detract from what our intentions were in making this film. It’s been disheartening to see the amount of negativity projected online.”
Sklenar shared that someone close to him had been struggling with a domestic violence relationship that “mirrors Lilly’s closely” — Lively’s character in the film.
“Prior to my involvement this film, she had not heard of the book. It was only then that she read it. She credits Colleen’s book and subsequently this film with saving her life,” he continued.
During the chaotic press tour, some of the criticism that the actors — mostly Lively — have received is that they haven’t taken the subject matter of domestic violence seriously and have made the film seem like a light-hearted rom-com. Sklenar says this was never their intention.
“Trust me when I tell you, there isn’t a single person involved in the making of this film that was not aware of the responsibility we had in making this,” he wrote.
“A responsibility to all the women who have experienced generational trauma, domestic abuse or struggle with looking in the mirror and loving what they see.
“This movie is a hard reality check for the men who need to get their shit together and take responsibility for themselves and their actions.”
Skelnar concluded his statement by asking the audience to reflect before they decide to spread gossip online.
“All I ask is that before you spread hate on the internet, ask yourself who it’s helping,” he said.
“Ask yourself if your opinions are based in any fact. Or if you simply want to be part of something. Let’s be a part of something better together. A Part of a new story being written for women and all people everywhere.”
In short, all the It Ends With Us drama kicked off after fans noticed that director and star Baldoni wasn’t very present during the press run. Then, it heated up when online sleuths clocked that Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds had unfollowed Baldoni on Instagram. THEN co-star Jenny Slate gave a super weird interview where she did some word-gymnastics to avoid talking about Baldoni. It was a doozy.
Now, the internet is running wild with theories. For a full rundown on the goss, you can check out our detailed explainer HERE.
But for now, most of the cast seems to be on Lively’s side, while the internet is convinced that Lively is a mean girl and unearthing some nasty little interview clips. However, I think it’s worth noting that being a golden girl celebrity is cyclical. More often than not, successful, beautiful, talented women in the public eye can go from beloved to hated in a split second, the moment that they’ve had just a little bit too much exposure. Then eventually, they’ll find their way back to being favourable again.
But hey, that’s just my two cents.
The post Blake Lively’s Co-Star Brandon Sklenar Defends Her In The Midst Of It Ends With Us Drama appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
