Trigger warning: This article contains references to domestic violence and suicide
Jenna Kramer is among the many critics questioning the message of Blake Lively’s latest release, It Ends With Us . The One Tree Hill alum reflected on her own experience with domestic violence to underscore her thoughts on Sunday’s episode of her Whine Down podcast, where she said, “It’s hard for people to talk about domestic violence when they themselves, in real life, haven’t experienced domestic violence.”
Referencing Lively’s BBC News interview, in which the actress claimed it was “deeply empowering” to show how her character, Lily Bloom, is not “defined” by the abuse she experienced, Kramer, 40, said, “It doesn’t define you, it defines you. It made me who I am. And although people may say it doesn’t define you, it (does).”
“The biggest part of my life is domestic violence,” she said.
Also read: Is It Ends With Us based on author Colleen Hoover’s life story? What the reports say
For those who don’t know, Kramer, who expressed disappointment in the film’s marketing as a romantic comedy, suffered abuse during her marriage to Michael Gambino in 2004. According to US Weekly, he was convicted of attempted premeditated murder in 2005 and was sentenced to six years in prison before committing suicide in 2012.
Kramer said on her podcast that she would prefer the message of Colleen Hoover’s book-to-screen adaptation to be centered on domestic violence, rather than everything else being said about the project, including alleged on-set disagreements between the actors. The Christmas in Mississippi actress said she “started hearing some of that” and “got sad because (she) wants the message to just be about domestic violence and how to help people and get help.”
Lively, in particular, has faced criticism from netizens for marketing her newly launched hair care line and a relatively old alcohol brand during the promotion of the film, in which her character, Lily Bloom, falls in love with neurosurgeon Riley Kincaid (Justin Baldoni) without revealing much about her past trauma, which later makes her an abusive partner in their marriage. This happens right around the time Lily reconnects with her teenage boyfriend, Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar).
The backlash also brought to light past interviews by Lively, where she had made sarcastic comments about her past appearances and in one case allegedly insulted a reporter.
Amid rumors of a feud between Lively and Baldoni, Brandon Sklenar defended his co-star on social media last week without naming anyone. “Defaming the women who put their heart and soul into making this film because they believed so strongly in its message feels counterproductive and distracts from what this film is all about,” the 34-year-old actor wrote on Instagram.
Without mentioning Lively directly, Sklenar called recent headlines about the actress “besides the point.”
Lively, on the other hand, has maintained silence on the controversy amid the dramatic turn of events.
If you need help or know someone who is going through domestic violence or assault or abuse or is thinking about suicide, please reach out to your nearest mental health professional, NGO or just talk to someone. There are many helplines available for this.
Also read: It Ends With Us 2: Has the drama between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni doomed the sequel?
