Indian producer Rhea Kapoor recently found herself at the center of a social media storm after leaving a comment on Blake Lively’s Instagram. The comment was in response to mounting criticism surrounding the promotional campaign for Lively’s latest movie, “It Ends With Us.”
Blake Lively is currently facing backlash for how she’s handling the press tour for the film. Many people are dismayed by her approach, feeling that she’s sidestepping the film’s serious subject matter—domestic violence—by keeping interviews light and fun. Fans and critics alike have taken to social media to express their disappointment, accusing her of trivializing the issue.
Amidst this uproar, Rhea Kapoor stepped in to defend the Hollywood star. In her comment, Kapoor stated: “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. 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 and she’s doing press god how judgmental. Are. We.”
Kapoor also applauded Lively for her role in bringing a film about domestic violence to the mainstream, noting, “A movie about DV just opened to 40 million dollars.
.”
However, Kapoor’s defense didn’t sit well with many on the internet, particularly on Reddit, where users were quick to criticize both her and Lively. One Reddit user provided some context to the controversy, stating, “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 (in which a drink is named after the main character, in a pun-like fashion), her husband and her 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 of 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.”
Another user was blunt in their criticism: “She is getting a lot of flak 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? It’s ‘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’ like attitude which people are bashing her for.”
The user continued, “Just to add to the body shaming thing … her PR shot itself in the foot by releasing stories saying the director/co-star asked the on-set trainer for her weight cuz he has a chronic back issue n wanted to train properly for scenes where he has to lift her. Like this plantation Barbie (she chose to get married on a plantation—which has 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 v poorly. Blake n 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.”
The sentiment was echoed by another user who questioned Kapoor’s motivations: “Why is it always a Kapoor? Does she think she will get noticed by Ryan & Blake and then Sonam will invite them to dinner?”
The criticism continued, with another user highlighting the perceived disconnect between privilege and reality: “Women like Rhea and Blake come from privilege. They have no idea how the actual world works.”
The debate around Lively’s promotional tactics and Kapoor’s defense touches on broader issues of privilege, the responsibilities of public figures, and how sensitive topics are handled in the media. As the controversy rages on, it remains to be seen whether either party will address the backlash directly or if the situation will gradually fade from the public eye.
Blake Lively’s approach to promoting “It Ends With Us” and Rhea Kapoor’s defense have sparked a heated discussion about the fine line between marketing and sensitivity, especially when handling topics as serious as domestic violence. While Kapoor’s intentions may have been to support a fellow woman in the entertainment industry, the response indicates a much more complex dialogue about accountability and awareness in public discourse.
