Blake Lively, the renowned Hollywood actress, is currently facing a wave of criticism surrounding her approach to the promotional campaign for her latest film, “It Ends With Us.” The film, which delves into the sensitive and complex issue of domestic violence (DV), is being touted by Lively in what many feel is an overly light-hearted manner, seemingly brushing over the gravitas of its central theme.
Social media has been rife with disappointed reactions from fans who expected a more serious and respectful approach to the promotion of a movie dealing with such a poignant topic. Instead, Lively has chosen to keep her interviews fun-filled and bubbly, focusing on her personal brand and lifestyle products. This has not gone down well with a large section of the audience who feel she is trivializing the core subject of domestic violence.
Adding to the controversy, Indian producer Rhea Kapoor recently stepped into the fray by commenting on Blake Lively’s Instagram. Kapoor defended Lively, commending her for adeptly handling the marketing of the film and rebuking the negative commentary. “The commentary on the marketing of the film is so sad. More power to Blake, Colleen, and the producers for promoting the crap out of this movie,” Kapoor wrote. She emphasized the challenges filmmakers face in bringing women’s stories into the mainstream and celebrated the portrayal of strong women emerging from adversity.
Kapoor’s defense, however, was not well received on platforms like Reddit. Users voiced their discontent and were nonplussed by Kapoor’s remarks. One Reddit user provided a detailed backdrop to the promotional tactics employed by Lively. “For context, Blake is promoting the movie she starred in, ‘It Ends With Us,’ which is centered around domestic violence. However, so far she has been promoting the movie as though it’s a rom-com, promoting her hair care brand alongside her alcohol brand too.”
This user continued, highlighting the perceived insensitivity in Lively’s approach: “People are bashing her for her attitude to the movie.
. Why star in a movie about DV if you are going to treat and promote it without the seriousness of the subject matter it deals with? With an alcohol brand no less?”
Another user highlighted further damage stemming from the promotional campaign, referencing allegations and rumors of a rift between Lively and her co-star/director Justin Baldoni. The user elaborated, “There are rumors of a rift with her co-star and director Justin Baldoni, with a lot of allegations of body-shaming and inappropriate behavior from him.”
The Reddit discussion did not stop at the promotional tactics but also veered into personal criticism. One user was particularly caustic, pointing out some of Blake Lively’s past choices and branding her as out of touch with reality. “This plantation Barbie chose to get married on a plantation – which have a tremendously bad history of being places where slaves were employed and treated brutally and poorly, they are not places of celebration at all. Her nose in the air and treating people poorly… Blake and Ryan both are problematic.”
The backlash didn’t spare Rhea Kapoor either. “Why is it always a Kapoor? Does she think she will get noticed by Ryan & Blake and then Sonam will invite them to dinner?” commented one peeved user, addressing Kapoor’s apparent need for celebrity attention.
Yet another user echoed a common sentiment, stating, “Women like Rhea and Blake come from privilege. They have no idea how the actual world works.”
As the criticism continues to swirl, a notable point raised by Kapoor in her defense of Lively remains relevant. She acknowledged Blake’s decision to take on a challenging film about domestic violence and pointed out its box office success: “A movie about DV just opened to 40 million dollars,” she noted. While her defense was aimed at directing attention to the film’s success and the strength of its storytelling, it has not pacified the growing clamor for a more sensitive promotional strategy from Lively.
In summary, the ongoing controversy serves as a poignant reminder of the scrutiny celebrities and filmmakers alike face when maintaining the balance between promoting a film and respecting its thematic essence. The debate over Lively’s promotional tactics and Kapoor’s ensuing defense highlights the importance of tact and sensitivity when dealing with subjects as severe as domestic violence.
