‘Serena was just her’: Blake Lively accused of being in her ‘JLo era’ while on the ‘It Ends with Us’ press tour

Just when you thought the It Ends with Us press tour couldn’t go more wrong, Blake Lively proved otherwise.

In the very-much-not-a-romcom, Blake Lively plays Lily Bloom, a character dealing with domestic violence. However, the actress’s blatant disregard for the film’s real theme has attracted much criticism and It Ends with Us received backlash for its marketing, which features flowers, pink pastels, and promises of girlhood and girl power.

Throughout the film’s press tour, Blake Lively has focused on other things: talking about Deadpool & Wolverine being sold out, her new hair line called Blake Brown, and wearing Britney Spears’ iconic Versace dress, calling it her “childhood dream.” While all these instances wouldn’t be bad taken separately, they take away from all the moments she could be using her platform to advocate and raise awareness to the real problem — domestic and intimate partner violence. Instead, she focuses on promoting herself.

Fans are calling it: Blake Lively is in her “JLo era”

Just as Jennifer Lopez got backlash for her apparent cluelessness and selfishness, Blake Lively is being read to filth for drawing the conversation back to herself and her brand, no matter the context or issue at hand. One stop on her press junket attracted a lot of negative attention for a particularly out-of-touch response. During the segment on Jake’s Takes, with Lively draped casually across the sofa next to her co-star Brandon Sklenar, interviewer Jake Hamilton asks her what she would say if someone who saw the film and connected to it on a personal level came up to her in public to talk about it.

It’s a valid question: It Ends with Us tackles a sensitive subject, and sometimes, people who are struggling get attached to characters and actors in trying to escape their own everyday battles. Of course, celebrities don’t owe the public anything but to keep us entertained during their business hours — premieres, photo ops, press tours, etc. However, here’s what Blake Lively said.

Lively asked, “Like asking for my address or my phone number or like my location-share? I could just location-share you. I’m a Virgo, so are we talking logistics, are we talking emotionally?” Of course, as a mom of four, she is always concerned about her personal space and safety, but there were many other ways she could’ve answered the question, like suggesting professional help instead of turning to a celebrity.

The interview went viral on multiple platforms. Many people noted that “this wasn’t the question,” and TikTok user cuntychanel, who reshared the video, specifically called out Lively being “in her JLo era.” She also touched upon how “charmed” everyone used to be by Lively’s relationship with her husband Ryan Reynolds, but that now they come off as “out of touch rich people, trying to be relatable.”

People in the comments noted the resemblance with her Gossip Girl fashionista character. “This makes me realize Serena was just her,” one observed, and another commented “OMG looks like Serena Van der Woodsen is promoting this movie, this can’t be real.” Another cleverly pointed out, “Jlo also loves to reference her astrological sign.”

This isn’t the first time Blake Lively has come under fire for her It Ends with Us promo era. Aside from showing off her outfits (she tried to make florist Lily relatable by rocking Louboutin boots), she also encouraged viewers to “grab your girlfriends, wear your florals” as if going to see a rom-com, instead of a drama involving domestic violence.

Let’s be honest here: Blake Lively has never been a movie star. She is an A-lister for her public appearances, amazing style, and her relationship with Ryan Reynolds, not for her acting. It Ends with Us was the perfect opportunity for her to show range, depth, and understanding of sensitive subjects, and to use her huge platform to advocate for something bigger than her haircare line. Unfortunately, she didn’t rise to the occasion, and the fact that she didn’t attempt to is even more disappointing.