Brandon Sklenar Addresses Rumored ‘It Ends With Us’ Drama “Vilifying The Women”: “It’s Been Disheartening To See The Amount Of Negativity”

Brandon Sklenar called out the negativity around the rumored drama “vilifying the women” behind It Ends With Us .

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The actor who plays Atlas Corrigan in the film adaptation of the Colleen Hoover novel shared a post on social media defending Hoover and star Blake Lively.

“I wanted to take a minute and address all this stuff swirling online,” Sklenar wrote in a statement posted on Instagram . “Colleen and the women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance, and for women choosing a better life for themselves. 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.”

He continued, “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.”

Rumors about the drama between director and star Justin Baldoni and Lively have been swirling online, with online conspiracy theorists noting that the lead actors have not been seen together during the press tour.

It Ends With Us is an adaptation of the 2016 Colleen Hoover novel of the same name. The film, directed by Baldoni from a screenplay by Christy Hall, follows Lively’s Lily Bloom, a recent college graduate who moves to Boston to start a new chapter in her life. When Lily meets Baldoni’s Ryle Kincaid, a neurosurgeon finishing his residency there, the two gravitate toward each other.

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“Trust me when I tell you, 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,” Sklenar said. “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.”

Amid the rumored drama, Baldoni hired a crisis PR management . All the chatter about the stars allegedly feuding has not deterred moviegoers from seeing the film, which recently crossed $100M at the domestic box office .

“This movie is a harsh reality check for the men who need to get their shit together and take responsibility for themselves and their actions,” Sklenar added. “This film is meant to inspire. It’s meant to validate and recognize. It’s meant to instill hope. It’s meant to build courage and help people feel less alone. Ultimately it’s meant to spread love and awareness. It is not meant to once again, make the women the ‘bad guy,’ let’s move beyond that together.”

See Sklenar’s complete statement below.

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