Fans are criticizing Blake Lively for promoting It Ends with Us wrongly and being insensitive to the film’s theme of domestic violence. The movie hit theatres recently and has mostly garnered positive reviews. However, many have pointed out the misleading marketing hiding the film’s true theme. Moviegoers have taken to social media platforms to express their disappointments on It Ends With Us Marketing.
Here are more details on Lively’s involvement in the ongoing marketing controversy.
Blake Lively marketing controversy explained
Blake Lively has been pretty active in promoting It Ends With Us, which came out in theaters on August 9, 2024. She donned floral outfits to promote the movie at various premieres. In a promotional video, the actress says, “Grab your friends, wear your florals and head out to see it.” The clip stirred massive discussions on the internet around whether it was the apporpriate way to market a film about domestic violence.
Fans took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express their opinions on It Ends With Us’ misleading marketing. Some wrote that Lively should have respected the movie’s serious theme while promoting it.
Following the controversy, Lively posted an Instagram story wherein she wrote about her character in the film whilst also sharing an interview clip from the London premiere of the flick. “This movie covers domestic violence but what’s important about this film is that she is not just a survivor and she’s not just a victim,” the story reads. “And while those are huge things to be, they’re not her identity. She defines herself and I think that’s deeply empowering to remind people that no one else can define you. No experience can define you, you define you.”
In another story, she mentioned that “1 in 4 women aged 18 and older in the US alone have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.” In addition, she shared a link to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Amid the marketing controversy, there are also rumors about a feud between Lively and lead actor and director Justin Baldoni, as per The Hollywood Reporter. According to their sources, there was “a fracture” among filmmakers during the post-production process. The rumors were further amplified thanks to Baldoni’s absence from the movie’s joint press events and the fact that Lively and the cast reportedly do not follow the Jane the Virgin star on Instagram as of writing.
