It Ends With Us' Brandon Sklenar Defends Blake Lively And Colleen Hoover Against Backlash

21 August 2024, 16:11

By Sam Prance

"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."

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It Ends With Us star Brandon Sklenar has released a statement calling out fans for "vilifying" the women involved in the film.

Over the past few weeks, the It Ends With Us campaign has been mired in controversy. After fans noticed that Blake Lively and the cast haven't done press with their co-star and director Justin Baldoni, people began speculating that there was a feud between Blake and Justin. Neither star has addressed the rumours but they've since taken on a life of their own.

Not only that but the film tells the story of a woman who is a survivor of domestic violence and Blake and author Colleen Hoover have been accused of shying away from discussing the more serious themes of the movie in interviews. The discourse has now escalated to a point where Blake and Colleen have become the targets of trolling online.

Now, Brandon Sklenar, who plays Atlas in the movie, has defended his colleagues and asked people to "please be kind".

Read more: It Ends With Us Director Justin Baldoni Defends Changing Lily and Ryle's Ages From The Book

Watch the It Ends With Us trailer

Taking to Instagram, Brandon wrote: "I wanted to take a minute and address all this stuff swirling online."

Brandon then said: "Colleen and the women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance, and for women choosing a better life for themselves. 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."

Explaining himself further, he added: "It is, in fact, the opposite of the point. 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. It’s been disheartening to see the amount of negativity being projected online."

Brandon also revealed that a close friend of his in a similar relationship to lead character Lily Bloom has credited It Ends With Us with saving her life.

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A post shared by Brandon Sklenar (@brandonsklenar)

Addressing the criticism surrounding the film, Brandon said: "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 continued: "This movie is a harsh reality check for the men who need to get their s*** together and take responsibility for themselves and their actions. This film is meant to inspire. It’s meant to validate and recognize. It’s meant to instill hope. It’s meant to build courage and help people feel less alone. Ultimately, it’s meant to spread love and awareness."

Brandon ended by writing: "It’s not meant to once again make the women the ‘bad guy,’ let’s move beyond that together... Lead with love and please be kind".