The It Ends with Us drama has been spiraling out of control with every new day! And netizens keep digging up clips from the bottom of the internet to make their case against Justin Baldoni, or Blake Lively, depending on who they side with.
This time around, a fairly recent interaction that involves Baldoni is being re-examined. Is he truly complimenting Lively, or taking a jab at her? Let’s look at what he says, understand the context, and decide if the actor truly meant his words.
Justin Baldoni’s remarks and Blake Lively’s promotional approach
During the promotional tour for It Ends with Us, Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively were never seen together. As the film’s lead actor and director, he did separate interviews, and in one of them, he happened to praise Lively, “ Blake was involved in all aspects of this production, and she is also a marketing genius.”
Baldoni emphasized that he had nothing to do with the film’s promotional content and his high praise for Lively might seem like a compliment at first glance. But once you know about the backlash she faced for her marketing tactics, his comment can be interpreted as sarcasm or a veiled critique of the actress.
Despite the film having themes of domestic violence, Lively’s approach towards it was lighthearted and casual (via Vox). According to fans, her upbeat promotional ways trivialized the movie’s sensitive matters. Plus she was also seen promoting her haircare line, and beverage company, and made statements like, “Grab your friends, wear your florals, and head out to see it.”
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have different takes on the It Ends with Us marketing mishap
The feud has led to both parties filing multi-million dollar lawsuits against each other, with Blake Lively taking the first shot. Lively claimed that the film’s marketing direction was met with significant conflict (via TMZ). She wanted a more upbeat approach which was solidified as the final plan, but Baldoni deviated from it and chose to go off-script by focusing on domestic violence.
The actress’s lawsuit also claimed that a smear campaign was launched by Baldoni to destroy her reputation. In response to the mounting allegations, Baldoni’s legal team stated that Lively “deliberately and systematically” robbed the actor and his studio out of creative control (via Rolling Stone).
These legal entanglements have not only brought public scrutiny for Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, but have also drawn other people into it, like Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, and her friend, Taylor Swift. As their disagreements continue and more details emerge, only a trial could settle this unending feud.
You can watch It Ends with Us on Netflix.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
