Blake Lively’s sister, Robyn Lively, has jumped to her defense amid ongoing backlash over her promotion of It Ends with Us.
As you may be aware, Blake has recently come under fire for her lighthearted promotion of It Ends with Us — a movie about the generational cycle of domestic violence.
In the film, Blake plays protagonist Lily Bloom, who navigates an abusive relationship with Justin Baldoni’s character, Ryle Kincaid.
While Blake has occasionally touched on the movie's darker themes, she has focused much of her energy on her floral looks, promoted her drinks company, and drawn attention to her newly launched hair care line throughout the film’s press tour.
Blake has also come under broader scrutiny when she sarcastically replied to a question about domestic violence during an interview. When asked how people affected by the movie’s subjects might approach her, she quipped, “Like, asking for my address, or my phone number, or, like, location share?”
Blake’s It Ends with Us costar Brandon Sklenar, who sat beside her in the controversial interview, later defended her against the online backlash in a written statement. “Colleen [Hoover] 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 distracts from what this film is about. 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,” he said.
However, the backlash reached new heights when a journalist shared an interview with Blake from 2016 that left her deeply uncomfortable and wanting to “quit” her job entirely. You can read all about that here.
Now, Blake’s sister has entered the conversation.
This week, Robyn shared a sweet post in honor of Blake’s birthday.
“That’s my bday queen right there! I love this girl, my sister, my best friend, my little piggy back buddy! You are one of the best humans I know. HAPPY birthday sissy britches!” she wrote on Instagram alongside a series of photos of the pair.
The post was quickly flooded with mixed comments, and Robyn wasted no time replying to a few users.
In response to someone who wrote, “Blake is a lovely human being!! I hope she knows that the multitudes of people who love her is so much greater than the negative voices,” Robyn said, “thank you for this.”
Another user commented, “Finally a post about Blake I can get behind! The ridiculous media has tried so hard to bring her down, I’m glad she is holding her head high & ignoring the negativity! Happy Birthday Mamacita! Enjoy it, bask in it, take a load off & run wild ladies.” Again, Robyn replied, “the best thank you so much.”
“Social media is so full of jealous people, saying they are defending a cause with violent dialogue themselves. You look both stunning!” someone else said, to which Robyn replied, “thank you so much.”
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger as a result of domestic violence, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help, you can call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or chat with an advocate via the website.