It Ends With Us Star Blake Lively's Message For Domestic Violence Survivors: 'You Are So Much More Than Just A Victim'

With its release just around the corner, It Ends With Us has created a significant buzz. The film, adapted from Colleen Hoover’s acclaimed romance novel of the same name, stars Blake Lively in the lead role. It delves into themes of domestic abuse, emotional turmoil in relationships, heartbreak and more. On August 6, a grand screening of the film took place in New York where Lively discussed what domestic violence and generational trauma survivors might take away after watching the film.

In conversation with Deadline, Lively expressed her desire for domestic violence or abuse survivors to recognise their inner strength, stating, “You are so much more than just a victim. That is a huge thing. You are a person of multitude, and what someone has done to you doesn’t define you. You define you. What you have in you and what you are capable of, what you have done and will do is so much bigger than anything anyone else can do to you. That feels so empowering and grounding. I hope people see that as this is a story that covers domestic violence.”

Lively, who is portraying the character of Lily Bloom in It Ends With Us, was previously asked if she hesitated to play the character who is a victim of domestic abuse. “This story is one that covers domestic violence, but it also covers somebody having a lifelong dream and realising it and making it a reality.” Furthermore, what made her determined to take up this role was that the character, Lily was, “never defined by the men in her life,” Lively told 9Honey Celebrity.

The plot for It Ends With Us revolves around Lily Bloom, who falls in love with Ryle Kincaid. However, her life takes an unexpected turn when she reunites with her high school love, Atlas. Lily is forced to choose between staying with or leaving Ryle, who appears to be violent and unstable. Apart from Lively, Justin Baldoni, who is the director of the film, plays the role of Ryle Kincaid. The film also stars Brandon Sklenar as Atlas, Jenny Slate as Lily’s friend Allysa and Hasan Minhaj as Allysa’s husband. Alex Neustaedter and Isabela Ferrer play young Atlas and Lily respectively.

It Ends With Us is scheduled to release in theatres on August 9.