Blake Lively, once the ultimate “it-girl” of Hollywood, is now facing a sharp decline in her public image. The actress, previously renowned for her charming personality and picture-perfect relationship with actor Ryan Reynolds, is currently enduring backlash over her recent, questionable career decisions.
The turning point appears to be her involvement in the much-anticipated film adaptation of “It Ends With Us,” which was released on Aug. 9. While the film was expected to be a significant milestone in her career, it has instead become a source of dispute.
Reports have surfaced about on-set clashes between Blake and her co-star, Justin Baldoni, the director and male lead of the movie. Sources indicate that their interactions were tense, with disagreements over key scenes and creative differences creating a strained atmosphere. It has reached the point where Blake and several other key cast members, including Aisha Tyler and Brandon Sklenar, have unfollowed Justin on Instagram. Surprisingly, even the author of the book, Colleen Hoover, has also unfollowed him, signaling that the tension was not just professional but deeply personal.
However, the drama did not end there. Many fans online have come to Justin’s defense, especially after interviews with Blake show her outwardly disregarding the central theme of the film adaptation––domestic violence. Blake’s promotion of the movie has raised eyebrows, with her encouraging viewers to “grab your friends, wear your florals, and head out to see it,” portraying the movie as a lighthearted story, rather than a serious narrative of intimate partner violence.
Comments like these have sparked backlash, with critics accusing Blake of failing to grasp the gravity of the subject matter. Adding to this backlash, an interview from 2016 has recently resurfaced. In the clip, Norwegian journalist Kjersti Flaa interviews Blake and co-star Parker Posey for the film “Cafe Society.” During the interview, Kjersti congratulated Blake on her pregnancy but Blake responded with a sarcastic remark, “Congratulations on your bump,” despite Kjersti clearly not being pregnant. It was later revealed that Kjersti is infertile, making Blake’s comment not only inappropriate but deeply hurtful.
In the wake of these controversies, Blake has made attempts to combat the backlash. She shared resources for abuse survivors in an Instagram Story and participated in a BBC interview where she tried to clarify her stance on the film’s serious themes. Yet, these efforts have done little to fix her public image, as people feel that her previous remarks and promotion of the movie have done irreparable damage to the intended message.
Even outside of her acting career, Blake’s reputation is under fire. Her haircare brand, Blake Brown, has been questioned by the public. Critics wonder whether this controversy is part of a broader publicity stunt to promote her haircare brand, or whether this timing is simply a coincidence. Despite the debates surrounding her, Blake Brown haircare has consistently been out of stock at Target; in fact, the controversy may have even boosted the brand’s popularity.
Nevertheless, the negative backlash has undeniably overshadowed Blake’s previous successes, leaving many to wonder how, or if, she will redeem herself.
Essentially, we are currently witnessing the fall of Blake Lively.
