"I Can Promise You The Truth Has Not Come Out Yet": Blake Lively's Brother-In-Law Bart Johnson Defended Blake Amid The "It Ends With Us" Controversy

By now, I'm sure you've heard at least a little bit about the controversy surrounding the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's book It Ends with Us.

The film focuses on a florist named Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) as she navigates an abusive relationship with Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni). The main theme of the movie is the generational cycle of domestic violence, flashing back to Lily's youth when her father abused her mother.

Rumors of a feud between Blake and Justin, who is also the film's director, began after social media users noted that Blake and Colleen do not follow Justin on Instagram. Blake and Colleen were photographed together at the movie's premiere and did several press interviews together, while Justin did both solo.

Eric Charbonneau / Getty Images for Sony Pictures

Fans have also pointed out that some of the press surrounding the film has avoided the topic of abuse and focused on the value of female friendship. Specifically, the comments sections on some of Blake and Colleen's posts about the film have been flooded by fans questioning their promotional approaches.

@itendswithusmovie / tiktok.com

It is also worth noting that amid the controversy, Blake shared an Instagram story linking out to resources for those affected by domestic violence. "1 in 4 women aged 18 or older in the US alone have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Intimate partner violence affects all genders, including more than 12 million people every year in the United States," she wrote.

Blake has also been accused of using this film to cross-promote her alcohol and hair brands, Betty Booze and Blake Brown, and her husband Ryan Reynolds's newly released movie, Deadpool & Wolverine.

@allocine / tiktok.com

Needless to say, there's a lot of mess surrounding this film.

And now Blake's brother-in-law Bart Johnson has stepped into the picture to defend Blake.

Earlier this week, Bart shared a video tribute for Blake's birthday on Instagram with a heartfelt caption. "When I grow up I wanna be just like her. I’ve got a long ways to go. LOVE YOU BLAKE!!!" he wrote.

An Instagram user commented on the post, saying, "Shame she’s so set on promoting happiness in a domestic violence setting without any regard for any victims. Disappointing from Blake but also disappointing that daddy Bolton supports it"

The High School Musical actor quickly came to Blake's defense, saying, "Ellen I’m really sorry you feel that way. 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 my entire life. Because it meant so much to her. 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. Were mistakes made? Yes. I make mistakes in life. But they aren’t under a microscope. Anyway, I respect your views. I got nothing but love for you. ❤️"

The Instagram user left a kind thank you to Bart saying, "thanks for your lovely comment. Lots of love♥️" and Bart replied, "thanks for that kind response Ellen to that Ellen. Means a lot. ❤️❤️ The truth hasn’t come out yet. It’s going to."

Sadly, it looks like this drama won't be ending any time soon...

You can see the entire exchange here.