Brandon Sklenar Explains His Decision to Speak Out Amid ‘It Ends With Us’ Drama

Brandon Sklenar wants to put the It Ends With Us drama behind him.

The 34-year-old actor, who played Atlas Corrigan in the film adaptation of the Colleen Hoover novel, is shedding light on his decision to speak out amid fan backlash to the movie’s press rollout and reported behind-the-scenes drama.

“I put that [statement] out and I was like, ‘[Let’s] see how this goes.’ I don’t know. It just seems silly to me. It’s kinda defeating the whole purpose of the thing to spread any negativity,” Sklenar told Access Hollywood in an interview published on Thursday, September 5. “It’s an important film for so many women and for so many survivors of domestic abuse. That’s what it’s all about, is making people feel heard and strong and loved. So, to project anything but that just seems counterintuitive.”

Sklenar shared the statement in question via Instagram last month. He wrote that Hoover, 44, and “the women of this cast,” including star and executive producer Blake Lively, “stand for hope, perseverance and for women choosing a better life for themselves.” Sklenar noted that “vilifying the women who put so much of their heart and soul” into the project “detracts” from the film’s message and is “the opposite of the point.”

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“Trust me when I tell you, there isn’t a single person involved in the making of this film that was not aware of the responsibility we had in making this,” he continued.

It Ends With Us chronicles Lily Bloom’s (Lively) abusive relationship with Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni, who also directed) at a time when her ex Atlas comes back into her life. The novel was inspired by Hoover’s parents’ relationship.

Ahead of and after the film’s August 9 release, Lively, 37, faced criticism from fans who claimed she glossed over the film’s serous subject matter while promoting it. Sony Pictures Entertainment Chair-CEO Tony Viniquerra defended the actress in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter last month.

“Blake, Colleen and so many women put so much effort into this remarkable movie, working selflessly from the start to ensure that such an important subject matter was handled with care. Audiences love the movie. Blake’s passion and commitment to advancing the conversation around domestic violence is commendable,” Vinciquerra said. “We love working with Blake, and we want to do 12 more movies with her.”

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Behind the scenes, the film was also reportedly plagued with tensions and a falling out between Lively and Baldoni, 40.

“There were two camps on the film — team Blake and team Justin,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly last month. “This creative struggle set the tone for the negative experience behind the scenes and grew into them not speaking anymore.”

The insider said that director Baldoni was “made to feel that his vision wasn’t as important as Blake’s, and it stifled the creativity on set,” while a second source told Us that “any changes or input by Blake was to create the best film possible and honor the book.”

Neither Baldoni nor Lively has publicly addressed the alleged feud.

If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.