Amid the online controversy surrounding the alleged feud between It Ends With Us stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, costar Brandon Sklenar is speaking out. The 1923 star posted a lengthy letter on Instagram defending Lively, author Colleen Hoover, and the rest of the female cast.
“Colleen and the women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance, and for women choosing a better life for themselves,” he began. “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. 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.”
He went on to say that someone “very close” to him had been “struggling with a relationship that has mirrored Lilly’s [sic] closely.” His friend had not heard of the book before his involvement in the film. But once Sklenar was attached, she read Hoover’s novel. “She credits Colleen’s book and subsequently this film with saving her life,” Sklenar wrote.
Regarding the backlash that Lively and the It Ends With Us team didn’t take the book and film’s subject matter seriously, Sklenar wrote, “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 that 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. This movie is a harsh reality check for the men who need to get their sh*t together and take responsibility for themselves and their actions.”
Sklenar stressed that the film “is meant to spread love and awareness. It is not meant to once again, make the women the ‘bad guy,’ let’s move beyond that together.”
He ended his letter with, “Let’s be a part of something better together. A part of a new story being written for women and all people everywhere.”
Notably, Baldoni was not mentioned in Sklenar’s post. The director, producer, and star has been promoting the film separately from the rest of the cast, which has fueled speculation of an alleged feud.
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