In the latest development surrounding the promotional strategies of the much-anticipated film “It Ends With Us,” Blake Lively finds herself amidst considerable public scrutiny. The movie, which delves into the complex and distressing topic of domestic violence, has had its promotional campaign labeled by many as tone-deaf for seemingly glossing over its serious themes.
A vocal section of social media users is notably disappointed with Lively’s approach, accusing her of trivializing the film’s central theme by keeping press events light-hearted and avoiding in-depth discussions about domestic violence. This backlash has gained significant traction online, with various users voicing their frustrations and dismay.
Adding another layer to the narrative, Indian producer Rhea Kapoor recently entered the fray by leaving a supportive comment on Lively’s Instagram post. Kapoor’s comment not only defends Lively but also attempts to highlight the challenges filmmakers face when trying to bring women’s stories to the forefront. However, her defense has not been well received by the majority of Reddit users.
Kapoor’s comment reads, “The commentary on the marketing of the film is so sad. More power to Blake, Colleen [the author] and the producers for promoting the crap out of this movie. As a filmmaker, we know how difficult it is to bring real women’s stories into the mainstream and share them with as many people as possible. Celebrate women that we see every day that have been through this and come out stronger and embrace their light. Normalize telling their stories instead of throwing them into a box. You want to shame the actress for wearing pretty dresses for the press tour instead? What was she supposed to? Hide at home in sweats? A great way to ensure even fewer of these stories are told. And so what if she promoted her brand? She’s a businesswoman doing press; how judgmental are we?”
Kapoor’s comment also touched on the financial success of the movie despite the criticism, saying, “A movie about DV just opened to 40 million dollars.”
Reddit users quickly banded together to dismantle Kapoor’s defense. One user provided context, “For context, Blake is promoting the movie ‘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, in which a drink is named after the main character in a pun-like fashion.
. Her husband and she are styling it to be a power couple like PR strategy with Deadpool also side by side. There are rumors of a rift with her co-star and director Justin Baldoni. There’s heavy PR mudslinging from her team with a lot of allegations, including body-shaming and inappropriate behavior from him. There are also rumors she cozied up to the studio to get her version of the film released instead of his.”
Critics argue that Lively’s promotional tactics appear to undermine the gravity of domestic violence, a point echoed by numerous Reddit users. “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? It’s like, ‘oh, domestic violence, abuse, and assault? Well, at least you have one less worry with my shampoo line, which will guarantee great hair days even when something traumatic happens,'” one user noted with obvious disdain.
The backlash includes accusations of hypocrisy and insensitivity. Another incident that’s being scrutinized is the PR spread that claims her director/co-star asked an on-set trainer for her weight because he has a chronic back issue and needed to train properly for scenes where he would have to lift her. Critics view this defense as PR shooting itself in the foot.
Another user added a historical grievance, pointing out Lively’s controversial decision to have her wedding on a plantation, places infamous for their association with brutal slavery. “Like this plantation barbie—she 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—has her nose in the air and treats people very poorly. Blake and Ryan both are problematic & I kind of was giving them a pass till now but with the drama coming out of It Ends with Us … yeah, I am done with them both; they are not good people,” complained another user.
Adding a more personal jab, another comment questioned the motives behind Rhea Kapoor’s defense: “Why is it always a Kapoor? Does she think she will get noticed by Ryan & Blake and then Sonam will invite them to dinner?”
Furthermore, other comments highlighted the perceived privilege of both Blake Lively and Rhea Kapoor. “Women like Rhea and Blake come from privilege. They have no idea how the actual world works,” one user pointed out.
Despite the pushback, Kapoor remained steadfast in her support for Lively, emphasizing the importance of sharing women’s stories. As the discussion continues to develop, it remains to be seen whether this controversy will impact the film’s reception or its box office performance.
