If you are a female anywhere from the age of eighteen to thirty, you have likely witnessed the recent deterioration of actress Blake Lively’s reputation on various social media platforms.
What sparked this downfall? Her disgustingly off-base promotion of her most recent summer film It Ends With Us.
Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel It Ends With Us is a romantic drama following the life of a young adult woman living in the midst of domestic abuse. The book’s protagonist, Lily Bloom, played by Lively, finds herself repeating the cycle of abuse that she witnessed her mother fall victim to within her own marriage.
This compelling story is about recognizing the red flags of violence and manipulation in romantic relationships. It’s about making life-altering decisions and sacrifices in order to protect those you love. It’s about providing hope for those in abusive situations and reminding them of their right, and often responsibility, to walk away.
While these incredibly heavy topics are depicted in the book’s 2024 film adaptation, produced by Lively and directed by Justin Baldoni, the leading lady’s promotion of the movie was viewed as careless and tone-deaf. Baldoni, who also plays the antagonist and opposite Lively, took several opportunities to discuss the film’s intense messaging.
Venture Magazine reported that while Baldoni walked the red carpet of the premier, he was told by an ET! interviewer, “‘This is your night.’” Baldoni humbly responded, “‘This isn’t my night. This is a night for all the women we made this movie for. This is a night for Blake, this is a night for Colleen.’” Contrastingly, Vulture reported that Lively urged audiences to watch the film while exclaiming, “‘Grab your friends, wear your florals, and head out to see it.’”
Many viewers took to TikTok to share their genuine shock after going into the theater expecting a fluffy chick-flick, as insinuated by Lively, and walking out deeply saddened (and retraumatized for those who have had similar experiences to Lively’s character.)
Her continuously lighthearted marketing of the film was scrutinized from all angles. The actress shamelessly and enthusiastically promoted her newly-launched haircare brand “Blake Brown” at the same time as the movie’s premiere and her 2023 alcoholic beverage line “Betty Booze” at the after-party. Cocktail names stayed on-theme with the movie, including titles like “Ryle you Wait” and “It Ends With Buzz,” according to the Betty Buzz Instagram account. Fans thought the alcoholic beverage line promotion was especially distasteful considering that, according to the World Health Organization, over half of domestic violence perpetrators commit acts under the influence.
One can’t help but conclude that this actress is extremely out-of-touch with the significance of her recent role which is, perhaps, the most profound of her career. How can someone who acted in scenes depicting physical abuse and attempted sexual assault fail to understand, or at least emphasize to the public, the movie’s true significance?
In this relatively new and intense era of cancel-culture, one may argue that critiques of artists are extreme and unnecessary. However, perhaps the regular questioning of celebrities’ character and, furthermore, praise, is a healthy practice. May we continue, as consumers, to be weary of our blind admiration for celebrities for anything other than what they are paid to do: perform.
