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Brandon Sklenar has issued a statement amid rumors of a feud between his It Ends With Us costars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, urging viewers to not forget the key message of the film.
In a post to Instagram on Tuesday, following days of headline-making controversy, the 34-year old actor took a minute to ‘address all this stuff swirling online,’ referring to the alleged drama between the cast and Justin, who starred in and directed the film.
Brandon, who plays Atlas, starred opposite Blake’s Lily Bloom and Justin’s abusive Ryle Kincaid in the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s 2016 best-selling novel.
Despite performing well at the global box office, the film has been plagued with rumors of drama between Blake and Justin.
In his lengthy statement to Instagram, Brandon urged fans not to ‘vilify’ the women in the film and focus on the messages of it.
Brandon Sklenar, 34, has issued a statement amid the controversary surrounding It Ends with Us, urging viewers to not forget the key message of the film.
‘Colleen and the women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance, and for women choosing a better life for themselves,’ he wrote.
‘Vilifying the women who put so much of their heart and soul into making this film because they believe so strongly in its message seems counterproductive and detracts from what this film is about. It is, in fact, the opposite of the point.
‘What may or may not have happened behind the scenes does not and hopefully should not detract from what our intentions were in making this film. It’s been disheartening to see the amount of negativity being projected online.’
The actor went on to say someone close to him has been struggling with a relationship similar to Lily – played by Blake – in the film, and he feels a ‘responsibility’ to bring the story to life and ‘spread the message further.’
‘Prior to my involvement in this film, she had not heard of the book. It was only then that she read it. She credits Colleen’s book and subsequently this film with saving her life,’ he continued.
‘There isn’t a single person involved in the making of this film that was not aware of the responsibility we had in making this. A responsibility to all the women who have experienced generational trauma – domestic abuse – or struggle with looking in the mirror and loving who they see.’
He also called the film a ‘harsh reality check for the men who need to get their s**t together and take responsibility for themselves and their actions,’ adding that it was ‘meant to inspire,’ and also ‘validate,’ ‘recognize’ and ‘instill hope.’
‘Ultimately it’s meant to spread love and awareness,’ Brandon continued in his message.
Both Blake (left) and Justin (right) reportedly had ‘creative differences’ during the production of the film adaptation
Brandon, Blake and Ryan Reynolds at the New York Premiere of It Ends With Us
‘It is not meant to once again, make the woman the “bad guy,” let’s move beyond that together.
‘All I ask is that before you spread hate on the internet, ask yourself who its helping.
‘Ask yourself if your opinions are based in any fact. Or if you simply want to be a part of something. Let’s be a part of something better together. A part of a new story being written for women and all people everywhere.’
He then concluded the heartfelt post with: ‘Lead with love and please be kind.’
Brandon turned off comments on the post not long after it was published.
Since the movie — which some viewers believe needs a trigger warning — premiered on August 9, both of the leading stars made headlines as fans speculated what behind-the-scenes drama was going on during their seemingly tense press tour.
Between awkward interviews and questionable answers in an effort to promote a movie centered around domestic violence and a traumatic love story, the drama has only grown increasingly talked about.
Both Blake and Justin reportedly had ‘creative differences’ during the production of the film adaptation, with a source close to the director expressing that speculation of a feud was ‘overblown.’
The insider then revealed that the actress – who is married to actor Ryan Reynolds – ‘wants to direct the next movie, sidelining him and securing the rights from Colleen.’
A clip recently showed both Blake and Justin seemingly having an argument while filming on set of the movie in New Jersey in a video obtained by TMZ.
While talking to the Digital Spy in an article published over the weekend on Saturday, Blake made a rather barbed statement about having ‘intimacy safety’ on set of It Ends With Us.
She seemingly threw shade at her co-star and director amid claims that he made her feel ‘uneasy’ and there was tension on the movie set.
During an interview with the outlet, Blake dished about working with intimacy coordinators for passionate, physical contact scenes in the new romantic drama.
She called attention to the importance of having intimacy coordinators working with the cast on set to choreograph those on-screen actions ‘safely.’
