Since the premiere of It Ends With Us, the Blake Lively and Brandon Sklenar starrer has been engulfed with rumors and speculations surrounding Lively’s behavior towards the production and her rift with director Justin Baldoni. Many have even criticized the way the author of ‘It Ends With Us’ approached the subject of domestic abuse and called out Lively’s callous behavior during promotions.
In an effort to clear aspersions and lay to rest accusations against Hoover and Lively, Brendon Sklenar wrote a lengthy note on Instagram. He writes, ” Hey everyone, I wanted to take a minute and address all this stuff swirling online. Colleen and the women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance, and for women choosing a better life for themselves.”
He continues, “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 distract from what our intentions were in making this film. It’s been disheartening to see the amount of negativity being projected online.”
He continues, “Someone very close to me has been struggling with a relationship that has mirrored Lilly’s closely. I feel a responsibility to bring this to life and help spread that message further. Prior to my involvement in this film, she had not heard of the book. It was only then that she read it. She credits Colleens book and subsequently this film with saving her life.”
Brandon Sklenar’s Role in the Movie and the Drama
Brandon Sklenar plays the role of Atlas Corrigan in ‘It Ends With Us.’ In the movie, Sklenar’s character Atlas plays the love interest of Lively’s character who is a victim of domestic abuse. On the subject of domestic abuse, he writes in the same post, “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.
A responsibility to all the women who have experienced generational trauma- Domestic Abuse- Or struggle with looking in the mirror and loving who they see. This movie is a harsh reality check for the men who need to get their shit together and take responsibility for themselves and their actions.”
It Ends With Us premiered on the 9th of August and its cast has been under constant scrutiny. There have been several reports of unprofessional behavior and on-set strife between executive producer Blake Lively and her costar and director, Justin Baldoni. On this Sklenar writes, “This film is meant to inspire. It’s meant to validate and recognize. It’s meant to instill hope. It’s meant to spread love and awareness. It is not meant to once again, make the women the “bad guy,” let’s move beyond that together.”
He closes the note with a request for everybody, “All I ask is that before you spread hate on the internet, ask yourself who its helping. Ask yourself if your opinions are based in any fact. Or if you simply want to be a 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. ”
During the film’s promotion, Lively also came under fire for not addressing the seriousness of domestic violence. To add to this, old interview clips of Lively have resurfaced where the actress was extremely hostile and rude towards reporters. Baldoni has skirted away from similar controversy, however, TMZ did report that Baldoni had allegedly fat-shamed Lively and made her feel uncomfortable.
