‘It Ends With Us’ Marketing Underplays Domestic Violence, Triggers TikTok Controversy: ‘I Have Never Been More Disgusted’

“It Ends With Us” may be a hit at the box office, but the film’s marketing has sparked a new wave of criticism for Colleen Hoover’s best-selling domestic violence drama.

The project’s stars Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively have notably not been seen together on the press tour, raising eyebrows from fans at home.

The film, based on Hoover’s bestseller, follows the complicated story between Lily Bloom (Lively) and Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni). What starts as a steamy romance quickly turns into a situation that Lily herself cannot comprehend as abuse, initially.

The ‘creative differences’-style feud feels similar to that of Olivia Wilde’s “Don’t Worry Darling,” but this time, domestic violence survivors are boycotting the movie.

“It Ends With Us” topped the box office in its opening weekend with $50 million, second only to Lively’s husband’s film “Deadpool & Wolverine.” Fans sniffed out the couple’s attempts to create another Barbenheimer with Hugh Jackman’s appearance on the carpet and Ryan Reynolds’ interview with Lively’s on-screen love interest. However, audiences did not buy into their banter and lighthearted promotion of the film this time around.

Lively, who plays the heroine who (spoiler alert!) ultimately leaves her abusive relationship to break the cycle of abuse, told fans to grab your girlfriends and your florals and make your way to the theaters. The “Gossip Girl” star’s carefree attitude felt incongruous with the tone of the film for some viewers.

Many people who went to the movies expecting to see the rom-com Lively was selling were not aware of the serious turn the film takes.

Director Baldoni optioned the film in 2019 with his production company Wayfarer Studios and worked with Hoover to adapt the BookTok sensation into a Sony motion picture. Per the author’s suggestion, the “Jane the Virgin” actor decided to star in addition to directing.

He has been noticeably absent from much of the press tour. Baldoni completed interviews solo and did not appear alongside Lively, Hoover or any of the rest of the cast in junket interviews or on the premiere red carpet. Sleuthing TikTok fans also noted that neither Lively nor Hoover now follow the director on Instagram, while he follows them both.

Before the film hit theaters, fans were quick to find this Internet activity suspicious, sending theories flying about Baldoni’s behavior on set. The star even hired a crisis PR team this week, according to The Hollywood Reporter. But after audiences saw the film, people changed their tune.

“Nothing has ever portrayed domestic violence in the way that I experienced it so accurately. That being said there needs to be disclaimers before the movie and before the book,” Mik Zazon said in a TikTok video amassing over 300,000 likes.

“It seems there were two separate agendas. You have Justin on one end advocating for domestic violence survivors. And then on the other side you have Blake saying go put on a floral dress, go out with your girlies and come to the theater, it’s gonna be a great time,” she continued.

Baldoni, from the beginning, noted that he made this film for survivors of domestic abuse. He brought on nonprofit organization No More to work with his production company directly in each stage of production for “It Ends With Us.” In much of his public interviews for the film’s rollout, he has directed them back to resources provided and explained “why” he took on the project as a male director.

Fans have criticized Lively’s promotion of the film, saying she used the publicity more to platform her new hair care line and her husband’s Marvel movie than to advocate for domestic abuse survivors that resonated with Lily’s story.

The actress has since posted a series of Instagram stories with resources for survivors of intimate partner violence, but some fans do not think that’s enough.

“I have never been more disgusted, disappointed, angry and upset over a PR nightmare,” Katie Howell, another fan, said. “It really just shows her true colors.”

More users made parodies of Lively’s campaigns for the movie, poking fun at her new “Blake Brown” hair care brand and “Deadpool & Wolverine” cameo.

Other TikTok videos parodied her lighthearted promotion of the movie for other films that deal with dark topics, like “Schindler’s List” and “12 Years a Slave.”

For more social media reactions to the marketing of the film, keep reading:

“It Ends With Us” opened in theaters Aug. 10.

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