Blake Lively is getting support from her loved ones.
Amid ongoing backlash over the promotion of It Ends With Us, Blake’s brother-in-law Bart Johnson, who is married to her older sister Robyn Lively, is coming to her defense.
In fact, when the High School Musical actor—who recently posted a birthday tribute to Blake on Instagram—spotted a comment accusing the actress “promoting happiness in a domestic violence setting without any regard for any victims,” he decided to reply.
"I’m really sorry you feel that way,” the 53-year-old, who portrayed Coach Bolton in the HSM films, wrote. “I’m sure you have a huge heart and want the best. I can promise you the truth has not come out yet. Blake worked harder on this film than anything I’ve seen her do in my entire life. Because it meant so much to her.”
Continuing to show his support for his sister-in-law and the film based off Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, Johnson added, “The message is in the book. And in the movie. Not in short clips/interviews. She is the reason the message/this movie/is getting out.”
However, despite his stance, Bart admitted that the controversial promotion of the film, which was released earlier this month, has not gone completely smooth.
“Were mistakes made? Yes,” he wrote. “I make mistakes in life. But they aren’t under a microscope. Anyway, I respect your views. I got nothing but love for you.”
Rumors of an on-set feud between Lively and the film’s director and star Justin Baldoni have plagued the cast throughout the promotion. Lively has also been criticized for glossing over the film’s more painful topics of domestic violence in interviews.
In his birthday tribute to Lively, Johnson shared that he’s known the Gossip Girl star for the past 30 years and that she helped him “gain favor of her older sister Robyn (now my wife of 25 years) who didn’t know I existed for years after knowing Blake!!”
He went on to praise the actress, calling her, “Someone that wants to make the world a better place and has been such an exceptional role model in a million kinda ways to care for others, spread kindness and my personal favorite, putting her family first and being an AMAZING wife and mother.”