Blake Lively urged to 'take notes' from Julia Roberts' answers on domestic violence in 1991 interview - amid It Ends With Us backlash
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Blake Lively is being urged by fans to follow Julia Roberts' lead when it comes to speaking about domestic violence, a central storyline in her new film, It Ends With Us.
Amid backlash over how she's handled her press tour for the film adaption of Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel, social media users have come together to suggest the actress, 36, could benefit from approaching the sensitive topic in a more serious manner, like Roberts, 56, did while promoting her movie, Sleeping with the Enemy.
In a video, uploaded by a TikTok user, who goes by the username @dammitsarah79, of the Oscar winner during a 1991 interview with Bobbie Wygant, the mother-of-three can be seen taking the subject matter of domestic violence very thoughtfully as she is asked how she would 'personally react' if in her character's position.
As she thinks about the answer, Roberts, who plays a woman that is forced to fake her own death in order to flee her violent husband in the psychological thriller, replies that it's not for her 'to really say.'
'I can't even fathom being in a situation quite that horrible,' she stressed. 'It's not in my realms of understanding.'
Blake Lively is being urged by fans to follow Julia Roberts ' lead when it comes to speaking about domestic violence , a central storyline in her new film, It Ends With Us (seen earlier this month)
After the interviewer agreed that the violence was not in her realm of understanding either, she tells Roberts that she thinks she would still would 'fight back.'
'I doubt that I would have been able to take that for three and a half years the way [your character] did,' the journalist says.
This prompts Roberts to remind the reporter and viewers that victims of domestic violence, often, undergo a 'process of manipulation that grows stronger' from their abusers.
'It's not, kind of, that cut and dry,' she notes with sympathy in her voice. 'I think it's amazingly psychological and very destructive, so I don't think it's quite that simple.'
When asked if the film scared her, Roberts admitted that she 'screamed a couple times' and 'jumped a couple times as well.'
Following its release at the box office, Sleeping with the Enemy earned a whopping $175 million against a production budget of $19 million.
It is also praised as one of the 'first contemporary Hollywood movies to place the issue of domestic violence front and center,' according to Yahoo! Entertainment.
Under the post of the resurfaced footage, TikTok users flocked to praise the Pretty Woman actress for handling the subject with such empathy and compassion.
Amid backlash over how she's handled her press tour for the film adaption of Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel, social media users have come together to suggest the actress, 36, could benefit from approaching the sensitive topic in a more serious manner, like Roberts, 56, did while promoting her movie, Sleeping with the Enemy
In a video, uploaded by a TikTok user, who goes by the username @dammitsarah79, of the Oscar winner during a 1991 interview with Bobbie Wygant, the mother-of-three can be seen taking the subject matter of domestic violence very thoughtfully as she is asked how she would 'personally react' if in her character's position
As she thinks about the answer, Roberts, who plays a woman that is forced to fake her own death in order to flee her violent husband in the psychological thriller, replies that it's not for her 'to really say'
'Her tone is on point, it's a serious movie, so she's answering with sincerity aka not making jokes,' one commented, alluding to Lively's jarring use of sarcasm throughout her press tour for It Ends With Us.
A second wrote: 'That is how it's done. Bravo Juila for leading with compassion.'
A third user, who said they had experienced of domestic violence, complimented Roberts for 'completely' understanding survivors.
Others encouraged Blake 'to take notes.'
A handful pointed out that despite only being 24, at the time, Roberts handled each question with poise and emotional intelligence.
'She was already so wise and articulate,' another pointed out.
'I can't even fathom being in a situation quite that horrible,' she stressed. 'It's not in my realms of understanding' (seen in 1991)
In contrast, Lively took a starkly different approach while promoting her latest movie, which features scenes that depict domestic violence, generational trauma, physical abuse and rape.
Over the past month, Lively has been called out for being 'tone deaf' when addressing these subjects.
In her film, It Ends With Us, the performer plays a woman named Lily Bloom, who becomes embroiled in an abusive relationship with a man named Ryle Kincaid, portrayed by Justin Baldoni.
Earlier this month, she raised eyebrows while sitting down with fellow cast members Jenny Slate and Isabela Ferrer, as well as author Colleen last week to discuss the new flick.
The women surprised social media users for the lighthearted nature of their conversation, in which they giggled together as they discussed everything from their dream jobs to their zodiac signs, but not a word about domestic violence.
In contrast, Lively took a starkly different approach while promoting her latest movie, which features scenes that depict domestic violence, generational trauma, physical abuse and rape; seen on August 06, 2024
Lively, in particular, was slammed for partaking in the breezy questionnaire given the serious nature of the film, and for failing to speak about the topic.
Following the backlash, Lively took to Instagram to share information about domestic violence, as well as some resources for her followers.
‘1 in 4 women aged 18 and older in the US alone have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime,' her statement began.
'Intimate partner violence affects all genders, including more than 12 million people every year in the United States. Everyone deserves relationships free from domestic violence.
'The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides confidential support 24/7/365,' wrote Lively, who then linked access to the hotline.
She also encouraged those who need 'immediate help' to 'text "START" to 88788.'
It Ends With Us hit theaters last Friday — competing with Lively's husband Ryan Reynolds' superhero flick Deadpool & Wolverine at the box office — after weeks of global promo.
The film has already earned more than $100 million at the global box office after just a single week in theaters, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Over the past month, Lively has been called out for being 'tone deaf' when addressing these subjects (seen this month in London)
