Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni avoided media appearances together. (Photo Credits: X)
Blake Lively faces backlash for a ‘nightmare’ 2016 interview and her light-hearted promotion of It Ends With Us, a film centered on domestic violence.
Blake Lively is facing intense criticism after a Norwegian journalist shared a “nightmare” interview with the actor from 2016. This comes amid the ongoing backlash surrounding Lively’s promotion of her latest film, It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel about domestic violence and abuse.
Fans have slammed Lively, 36, for her tone-deaf approach to promoting the film, which includes launching a haircare line and releasing themed cocktails like “Ryle You Wait,” named after the abusive character in the story. The criticism has intensified as people question the appropriateness of such light-hearted commercial tie-ins for a film dealing with such a serious subject matter.
Amid this uproar, journalist Kjersti Flaa took to social media to share a clip of a 2016 interview she conducted with Lively, which she described as the most uncomfortable experience of her career. The interview was part of the promotional tour for Café Society, a Woody Allen film in which Lively starred alongside Parker Posey.
A reporter says to a pregnant Blake Lively, “Congrats on your little bump!” And she responds, to the clearly not pregnant reporter, “Congrats on YOUR little bump!” Hell is not hot enough pic.twitter.com/l1pBBFjHGX— Molly Mulshine (@mollymulshine) August 14, 2024
The interview began on a sour note when Flaa congratulated Lively on her pregnancy, prompting a sarcastic response from the actor: “Congrats on your little bump.” Posey attempted to lighten the mood by jokingly showing off her backside “bump,” but the tension was palpable. Lively continued to make snide remarks about women being asked about their costumes in films, questioning whether men would be asked the same questions.
Flaa, who tried to steer the conversation back to the movie, later described the interview as a deeply uncomfortable experience that made her “want to quit” her job. She shared the clip on YouTube, where it has since garnered over 723,000 views, with many viewers agreeing with her sentiments. Commenters accused Lively of being rude and engaging in passive-aggressive bullying during the interview.
The backlash against Lively has extended to her recent promotional activities for It Ends With Us, with fans criticizing her for seemingly prioritizing her brand and commercial interests over the film’s sensitive themes. The actor recently addressed the criticism by posting about domestic abuse on Instagram, but the damage to her public image may have already been done.
Adding to the drama are rumors of a feud between Lively and her co-star and director Justin Baldoni. According to reports, Baldoni has hired Johnny Depp’s crisis manager, Melissa Nathan, fueling speculation that tensions on set may have spilled over into the press tour.
As the controversy continues to unfold, Lively’s handling of both her past and present interviews has sparked a larger conversation about the responsibilities of celebrities when promoting films that tackle serious issues.
