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Brandon Sklenar is opening up about blowback he got after speaking out about "stuff swirling online" during the It Ends With Us press tour
At the time, there were rumors of a rift between his costars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni
The actor told The Hollywood Reporter in a new interview that after he wrote an Instagram message during the movie's 2024 press tour urging people to be kind, some wrote things like "I hope you die"
It Ends With UsactorBrandon Sklenaris opening up about the blowback he received after speaking out about the drama surrounding the 2024 movie starringBlake LivelyandJustin Baldoni.
In a new interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, Sklenar, 35, said he saw a lot of hate directed towards him online after he posted a note on Instagram asking fans to be kind: "'You're a piece of s---,' 'I hope you die,' 'I hope your career ends,' things like that," he recalled to the outlet.
During the movie's press tour in August 2024 — four months before Lively, 38, sued Baldoni, 41, and some of his associates, alleging sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign after she spoke up about it — Sklenar wrote a note on Instagram to "address all this stuff swirling online."
At the time, there had beenrumors of a riftbetween Baldoni — who has denied Lively's claims — and his costar.They did not pose togetherat the movie's premiere, despite playing the lead characters in the film, which Baldoni also directed. Fans quickly took notice and took sides.
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In his Instagram post, Sklenar wrote thatIt Ends With Usauthor Colleen Hoover "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 added at the time. "It is, in fact, the opposite of the point."
Sklenar explained toThe Hollywood Reporterthat his note was not meant to be controversial. "I wasn't damning anybody, but I was just like, 'Can we focus on the ethos of this whole f---ing movie and not be so hateful to anybody?' I thought it was a nice thing to say, but apparently a lot of people did not feel that way," he said.
According to the outlet, Sklenar's agent urged him to stay off the internet, but he couldn't resist, which is when he saw what people were saying.
"Imagine you're walking down a hallway and there's a door to a room full of a hundred thousand people and they're all saying something about you. You tell me you're not going to put your ear to the door?" he asked rhetorically.
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After Lively made her allegations against Baldoni that December, Sklenarposted a screenshot of her complainton his Instagram Stories with a link to an archive of the documents inThe New York Times, which broke the news of her complaint. "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD READ THIS," he wrote.
On the red carpet of theVanity FairOscar party in March,The Hollywood Reporterasked Sklenarhow he is "hoping to support" Lively.
"It's a tough situation," he responded. "I just hope everyone remembers what the movie is about and why we made it in the first place. It's about love. It's about supporting women in general and helping people through tough times."
Continuing to echo his August 2024 Instagram post, he added, "I just want people to remember what it's about, why we made it, and to kinda keep it on that. That kind of, like, core ethos, you know what I mean?"
Sklenar currently stars in the thrillerThe HousemaidwithAmanda SeyfriedandSydney Sweeney, in theaters now.
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DirectorPaul Feigtold E! News on Dec. 2 that Lively — whom he worked with on 2018'sA Simple Favorand this year'sAnother Simple Favor—talked up Sklenarwhile he was castingThe Housemaid.
"Blake Lively had just worked with Brandon. She just kept going on and on about how great he is. And I met him and was like, 'Yes, you are great and I love you,'" Feig said.
Lively and Baldoni's trial at U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York isset for May 18, 2026. She is seeking $160 million in damages.
Read the original article onPeople
