‘It Ends with Us’ has sparked discussion about domestic violence. Here’s what Blake Lively has said about the issue

The film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel “It Ends with Us” is looking to have a healthy second weekend at the box office, but some press around the film has been less sterling.

The film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel “It Ends with Us” is looking to have a healthy second weekend at the box office, but some press around the film has been less sterling. Beyond reports of creative differences and tensions on set between the film’s star and co-executive producer Blake Lively and her costar and director Justin Baldoni, attention has been brought to how Lively and the movie’s promotional campaign has – or, in some cases, hasn’t – addressed the issue of domestic violence, which is a central plot element in the film. “It Ends with Us” tells the story of Lily Bloom (Lively), who overcomes a traumatic childhood marred by abuse to realize her dream of opening up a flower shop as an adult. She soon meets Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni), with whom she has an intense connection. As the pair fall deeper in love, Lily soon sees worrying patterns that remind her of her parents’ relationship. The film, which came out on August 9, touted posters of Lively with flowers, with taglines including “We break the pattern or the pattern breaks us” and “We love. We break. We pick up the pieces.” But a post shared by the film’s Instagram account along with distributor Sony Pictures on the day of release, with the caption “grab your friends. wear your florals,” drew particular ire from users who criticized that message as “tone deaf” and a “massive disappointment.” CNN has reached out to representatives for Lively and Sony Pictures for comment. Not helping matters was the fact that Lively also used the film’s promotional tour as a marketing opportunity for her Betty line of cocktails, as seen in an Instagram post around the same time, with many users pointing out that pushing an alcohol brand around a movie detailing domestic abuse is problematic.