Blake Lively’s golden touch seemed to tarnish with the It Ends With Us debacle. Based on Colleen Hoover’s 2016 bestseller, the film project was announced in 2019, and skepticism began to brew from the outset, especially when Lively was cast as Lily Blossom Bloom. Fans expressed doubts about the suitability of Lively for the role, citing concerns over the character’s age, appearance, and the potential misrepresentation of the beloved book character.
As the promotional tour for It Ends With Us kicked off, it only heightened tensions. Tensions between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively became apparent, sparking further criticism. Criticism also grew over Lively’s handling of the film’s sensitive themes. However, recent reports have shed light on what might be the cause of the drama.
Blake Lively Faces Backlash Over Her It Ends With Us Promotion
It Ends With Us has been a major topic of conversation for quite some time now, initially sparking interest with its controversial set photos featuring questionable outfit choices. As the film’s release approached, it continued to stir debate due to a series of controversies.
Based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, the movie faced early criticism, but the main uproar began with Blake Lively‘s approach to promoting the film.
The story, which delves into the heavy and sensitive subject matter of domestic abuse, was largely promoted by Lively in a manner that many fans found inappropriate. Instead of focusing on the film’s serious themes, her promotional efforts seemed to present it as a light-hearted romantic comedy. Lively’s invitation for fans to “grab your friends and wear your florals” felt out of touch with the film’s tone, causing widespread discontent among audiences. Here is what the fans are saying,
Blake Lively is doing all that over THIS?!?? It’s a wrap for her. This is so dumb pic.twitter.com/lc6DgJVCy1
— Meech (@MediumSizeMeech) August 14, 2024
Wow I didn't realize Blake is a narcissistic douche bag! Just another Hollyweird millionaire promoting her beauty line, bragging she's married to deadpool and how they re-wrote a scene and then refused to sit in the same theatre as Baldoni the director, for a premiere.
— Sonya Kim (@Seoulnoni) August 14, 2024
This is how Blake Lively is promoting her movie about escaping an abusive relationship and breaking the cycle of the abuse…
Unhinged and tone deaf.
This isn’t Barbie! pic.twitter.com/ZM7HlGyrpE
— Gabriel Divina (@GabrielDivina2) August 13, 2024
Blake Lively spending the entire press run for her new film -which is about domestic violence and abuse- acting like it’s a fun gals night out like seeing Mamma Mia and promoting her businesses at the same time is INSANE behaviour.
— The Scarlet B!tch ᱬ (@thechildoftime) August 12, 2024
The backlash was further fueled by Lively’s unconventional comments during interviews and the simultaneous launch of her hair care brand. Her remarks, often perceived as jokes, appeared insensitive given the film’s subject matter (as seen on Jake’s Takes), and her promotional activities for her brand were seen as ill-timed. Collectively, these factors have contributed to growing frustration and criticism from fans, overshadowing the film’s release and creating a storm of controversy.
What Started the Alleged Justin Baldoni-Blake Lively Drama? It Ends With Us On-Set Incident
Beyond the film’s light-hearted promotional portrayal, another significant controversy that caught people’s attention is Justin Baldoni’s absence from the promotional tour. Baldoni, who directed and starred as Ryle, one of the central characters, was notably missing from the press events. Despite his previous enthusiasm for the project and Colleen Hoover’s endorsement when the film was announced, he was conspicuously absent during the film’s promotional activities.
Although there have been no direct conflicts between the parties involved, the tension is palpable. Adding to the drama, Jenny Slate, who plays Allysa in the film, avoiding questions about Baldoni, (as seen on Deadline’s TikTok) further fueled the ongoing controversy.
Reports suggest that creative differences between Blake Lively, also a producer on the film, and Justin Baldoni, led to two distinct final cuts of It Ends With Us. Speculation has swirled that Lively and Ryan Reynolds, took control of the project, rewriting scenes that clashed with Baldoni’s vision leading to the alleged rift. According to TMZ, these conflicts may have been triggered by a specific incident during filming.
TMZ sources report that Justin Baldoni’s inquiry about Blake Lively’s weight due to his health issues before a scene where he had to lift her upset her, as she saw it as fat-shaming. Additionally, tension arose during a kissing scene when Blake felt Baldoni lingered too long, making her uncomfortable. Thus, fans are also defending the actress saying,
Nah, from the sound of his whiny ass… he doesn't need to have that information. Last thing she needs is her weight advertised.
— Ե൫๙๔४ (@tracyn1991) August 15, 2024
You couldn't read the article right after that one saying he kept trying to kiss her after the set duration.
— am (@aaron_mmikael) August 15, 2024
Blake doing all this. Homie the entire cast has unfollowed him, and doesn’t associate with him. As well as his own podcast costar.
— BECCCCCAHHHH (@eyybeccs) August 14, 2024
After Jlo now it's Blake.Whoever pays for this spinning must be so powerful
— MonicN (@MonicN7) August 14, 2024
Overall, the controversy has garnered significant attention. Although no parties have publicly addressed the drama, it’s clear that there’s more to the story than what meets the eye, and fans are eager to uncover the full details.
It Ends With Us is now playing in theaters.
