“You picked the wrong side”: 1 Celebrity is Paying a Heavy Price Amid the Blake Lively-Ryan Reynolds-Justin Baldoni Drama

Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, and Brandon Sklenar star in 2024’s It Ends With Us, based on Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel, which is probably one of the most talked-about movies. Directed by Baldoni, the movie follows a florist and her tumultuous relationship with a neurosurgeon. Their relationship starts to get aggravated when the florist’s ex-boyfriend re-enters her life.

The movie received mixed reviews upon release as ardent book readers felt that certain things that were very significant in the story were not included in the movie. They also noted the difference between the movies that were promoted, which divided their opinion on the fact of whether the movie was a romantic drama or focused on emotional and domestic abuse, which was the core theme. It Ends With Us performed well on the streaming platform, but the recent legal battle between Lively and Baldoni has tainted its success. But there is one actor who is sort of collateral damage in the situation.

It Ends With Us star Brand Sklenar defended Blake Lively from ‘online hate’

Blake Lively surprised everyone when she filed a lawsuit in December 2024 against It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni along with his production company. She claims in her lawsuit covered by The New York Times, that she was subjected to s**ual and emotional harassment at the hands of Baldoni, along with him hiring a PR firm to launch a smear campaign against her.

The majority of the public sides with Justin Baldoni, especially after he recently launched a website that reportedly includes all the evidence that allegedly proves that he’s innocent. But Baldoni did not get much support from his fellow co-stars from It Ends With Us, as they all decided to side with Lively. However, Brandon Sklenar, who played Atlas Corrigan in the movie, defended the actress from online hate and backlash.

Sklenar took to his social media to write,

I wanted to take a minute and address all this [hate and backlash] stuff swirling online. Colleen and the women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance, and 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.

The actor noted that what may or may not have occurred behind the scenes does not and hopefully should not detract from what their intentions were in making the film. He added that it has been disheartening to see the amount of negativity being projected online. The actor mentioned that the movie is a harsh reality for men who need to get their shit together and take responsibility for their actions.

The hate was followed after fans noticed the difference between Lively’s promotions compared to Baldoni’s promotions. Where Lively promoted the movie as a romantic drama and was accused of putting a bigger spotlight on her brand deals and new hair care line instead of talking about domestic violence, which the entire story stands for. (via IndieWire)

Baldoni, on the other hand, was focused on talking about the themes of the story and urged the audience to watch the movie and understand the seriousness of the topic.

Is It Ends With Us star Brandon Sklenar collateral damage in Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni drama?

Now with Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s scandal turned legal battle getting messier with each passing day, fans took it to Brandon Sklenar’s social media to remind him that maybe he picked the wrong side to defend. One of the comments under his recent post read,

You picked the wrong side.

Another user commented that ‘having someone back in private vs. in public is two different things…the fact that y’all know she’s wrong and continue to not speak up is distasteful.’ The third user also pointed out that the actor went to the movie premiere knowing that the director was in the basement with his entire family, and there was no remorse.

The public has majorly decided to side with Justin Baldoni and accused Blake Lively of using the #MeToo movement according to her convenience. After Justin Baldoni launched a website detailing the legal battle in order for fans to access the legal documents. Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, reportedly said that the website chronologically traces the facts from the case from beginning to end. (via Complex)

This has led to Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds receiving backlash from the fans and being deemed as ‘toxic and bullies.’ Baldoni has filed a $400 million lawsuit against the couple. (via Complex) Their trial date is set for March 9th, 2026.

However, Brandon Sklenar, who defended the hate and backlash Lively received ahead of the release of the movie, has been getting the same amount of hate for defending the actress.

Brandon Sklenar will appear in the upcoming thriller Drop, in which he stars opposite Meghann Fahy along with Jacob Robinson, Violett Beane, and more. The movie’s trailer was recently released and it is scheduled for release on April 11, 2025.

It Ends With Us is streaming on Netflix.