It Ends With Us actor breaks silence to defend co-star Blake Lively

Brandon Sklenar has broken his silence to address the It Ends With Usdrama which has clouded the film's release.

The actor who plays Atlas Corrigan starred alongside Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni who played characters Lily Bloom and Ryle Kincaid in the film based on the Colleen Hoover bestselling book.

During the promotion of the film, social media users began to speculate about a rift between Lively and Baldoni as the pair were never seen together for interviews and weren't snapped together at the premiere - despite being the main characters in the film.

It led internet sleuths to conclude that there were creative tensions between Baldoni who was also the film's director and Lively who additionally had a co-producer role on the project.

Then, Lively went on to receive backlash as people accused her of being "tone deaf" during interviews about the film by telling fans to "grab your friends" and "wear your florals" to cinema screenings.

In particular, social media users said the actor had not emphasised the serious theme of domestic violence in the plot enough.

"Lily is a survivor and a victim and while they are huge labels, these are not her identity," Lively told the BBC.

"She defines herself and I think it's deeply empowering that no-one else can define you."

Lively was additionally criticised for promoting her brands during the press tour and doing crossover promotion with her husband Ryan Reynolds' film Deadpool & Wolverine.

Now, Sklenar has released a statement via Instagram where he described how it has been "disheartening to see the amount of negativity being projected online".

"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," he wrote.

(L-R) Brandon Sklenar, Blake Lively, and Ryan Reynolds attend the "It Ends With Us" New York Premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on August 06, 2024 in New York City. Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images

He went on to mention a friend of his who had been in a similar situation as protagonist Lily finds herself in and says she "credits Colleen's book and subsequently this film with saving her life."

On the film's theme of domestic violence, Sklenar added: "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."

He commented on the speculation of a behind-the-scenes rift: "What may or may not have happened behind the scenes does not and hopefully should not detract from what our intentions were in making this film.

"This film is meant to inspire. It’s meant to validate and recognise. It’s meant to instil hope. It’s meant to build courage and help people feel less alone.

"Ultimately it’s meant to spread love and awareness. It is not meant to once again make women the 'bad guy', let’s move beyond that together."

Sklenar concluded by urging everyone to "...be part of something better together. A part of a new story being written for women and all people everywhere."

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