The cancellation culture is founded on a somewhat macabre principle, we refer to the belief that no one deserves a second chance. That’s why, if you are ever found to have done something questionable, many will attempt to define you as a person based solely on that regrettable action. Your other virtues will be ignored in order to label you as a figure that deserves only scorn. Because of a series of controversies, Blake Lively has faced this phenomenon after her last movie.
The suspicions began during promotional interviews for It Ends With Us, the new film starring Lively after a four-year hiatus. Instead of sharing the spotlight with the film’s director and co-star, Justin Baldoni, each was promoting the film individually, which is highly unusual for a romantic film. Thus, multiple rumors began to circulate claiming that the filming process was full of intense conflicts, which soured the relationship..
The plot of It Ends With Us is in the middle of the feud between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. The film explores the twisted nature of domestic violence, delving into the manipulative dynamics that abusers use to keep their victim on their side. It is not a romantic comedy, but touches on uncomfortable but important issues, which is why the film and its makers have been embroiled in so many scandals.
Creative differences
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni had two very different visions for how to adapt the book on which It Ends With Us was based. Baldoni sought to paint a realistic and brutal portrait of how a woman can suddenly find herself trapped in an abusive relationship, but seen from the perspective of the abusive man. On the other hand, Lively reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with that interpretation, advising that she give more weight to the female perspective and lighten the tone of the film a bit, concerned that a depressing and uncomfortable film to watch would be a box office flop.
One would assume that, as the film’s director, Justin Baldoni would have the final say; it’s up to him whether or not to follow the advice of his lead actress. However, in this case Blake Lively is also a producer of the film, in addition to having a very high profile as a celebrity. In other words, her suggestions carry much more weight, and not only that, but being married to Ryan Reynolds also increases the influence she has in Hollywood. Currently, they have managed to occupy the top of the box office as a couple, Reynolds for Deadpool and Wolverine and Lively for It Ends With Us..
The situation was complicated by the fact that Blake Lively often invites her husband Ryan Reynolds to collaborate on her projects and vice versa. According to multiple sources, Lively hired Shane Reid, the editor of Deadpool and Wolverine, to build her own version of the film, sought to convince executives that his version was superior to the director’s. Ryan Reynolds reportedly participated in this convincing. Justin Baldoni understandably resented that these superstars had interfered with his vision. Asked if he would be interested in directing the second book in the series, Baldoni rejected the possibility, suggesting that Lively is ready to take on that task.
Blake Lively even went further, claiming in an interview that Ryan Reynolds was responsible for writing the rooftop scene, considered the most iconic in the film. But the It Ends With Us screenwriter disagrees with that, explaining how complicated it was to adapt the iconic scene from the book to the screen. She claims that Ryan was not part of the writing process, but may have advised his wife on the details of her performance. Despite all this, the rest of the cast seems to be on Blake’s side, several of them unfollowed Baldoni on Instagram. There are also indications that the director became rude to her during filming, which may have escalated the conflict.
Accusations of insensitivity.
Aside from the creative process, Blake Lively is being heavily criticized for the way she used publicity events related to It Ends With Us to promote the brands she represents. The famous tiktoker specialized in marketing, Be Better, published a video detailing how the actress promoted her personal ventures in an insensitive way, taking into account the subject matter of the film. Starting with the fact that she never mentions the topic of domestic violence during her interviews, seems to pretend that it is a romantic comedy, so many people were surprised to see the film and discover its true nature.. What she did mention repeatedly was her line of hair care products, taking the opportunity to advertise at every turn.
Lively’s alcohol company, called Betty Booze, sponsored all the premieres of It Ends With Us. To do so, they prepared a menu of drinks with funny names related to the movie. For example, “Ryle you wait,” the character who abuses his wife is named Ryle, or “It ends with buzz,” punning on the title. Many found these details insensitive because of the film’s story, also considering that alcohol is a factor in most cases of domestic violence..
The Internet’s reaction has been mostly quite negative towards Blake Lively. In this age of social media, authenticity and empathy are qualities highly valued by the public. Blake failed on both criteria in trying to lighten the tone of a film about domestic violencethen using the film’s promotional tour to advertise her personal brands over the film she starred in. Those who accuse her of insensitivity are right, but she still has a chance to redeem herself.