Blake Lively is facing significant backlash over her recent promotional campaign for the film *It Ends With Us*, which deals with the challenging subject of domestic violence. The controversy has intensified following a resurfaced interview from 2016 with Norwegian journalist Kjersti Flaa, who has publicly shared her discomfort with Lively’s behavior during their interaction.
In a recent interview, Flaa described her experience with Lively as a "nightmare," reflecting on how the actor’s sarcastic comment about her pregnancy deeply impacted her. Flaa, who was actually infertile and could not become pregnant, was hurt by Lively's dismissive remark when she congratulated the actress on her supposed pregnancy. Flaa expressed her feelings, saying, “To be honest, it hurts because I obviously wasn’t pregnant, and I could never get pregnant. So to me, that comment was like a bullet... It was such a traumatizing experience for me.” She added that the encounter made her feel belittled and demoralized, leading her to question her desire to continue with such interviews in the future.
Flaa posted the 2016 interview on her YouTube channel last week, captioning it as “The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job.” She detailed how the interaction with Lively and her co-star Parker Posey for the film *Cafe Society* was fraught with discomfort and how it became the most challenging interview situation she had ever faced.
A source close to Lively provided insight into the situation, explaining that although they had not discussed the specific 2016 interview with her, they understood Lively’s reaction. The source commented, “You’re a female journalist in Hollywood interviewing a working mom, and you can’t come up with anything better to kick off the interview with than 'Congrats on your little bump?' Of course Blake got annoyed.”
Despite the ongoing controversy surrounding the promotional efforts for *It Ends With Us*, the film is projected to perform well at the box office. The movie, which also stars Justin Baldoni, Brandon Sklenar, Jenny Slate, and Hasan Minhaj, is expected to draw attention for its serious exploration of domestic violence, highlighting the challenges faced by individuals affected by such issues.
Lively’s film, set against the backdrop of a critically important topic, aims to shed light on the complexities of domestic violence and provide a platform for discussions about this pressing issue. The film’s success at the box office will likely be a testament to its ability to resonate with audiences and spark important conversations.
