Blake Lively stars as Lily Bloom in the emotional It Ends With Us

The Gossip Girl star plays one of her most serious, and heartbreaking, roles to date in the drama. Many may think It Ends With Us is just another chick-flick but the movie tells the story of a woman who is the victim of domestic violence in her past and present.

Viewers will undoubtedly adore Lily Bloom from the moment she appears on screen. She's a tough, unique, and determined woman, but one many people will relate to. Her life may look perfect on the outside but she's suffering behind closed doors.

Speaking about playing Lily Bloom, Blake Lively told Her.ie that it was important for her to make sure the focus was on her.

She shared, "This very much is Lily's story and Lily is a person who leads with empathy."

Lively said her characters want to understand everyone in her life, but she also wants to understand the way that they are.

Lily wants to understand her abuser, but that doesn't mean she forgives or excuses Ryle's behaviour.

"You can have empathy but that empathy isn't justification"

"But that doesn't excuse anyone's behaviour and I think that's clear," Lively stressed.

She explained that Lily is a complex character and it was important for them to show that in the film.

"You know you can have two things that can be true. You can have empathy but that empathy isn't justification. What I think is most important is I didn't think about the men too much with regard to Lily.

"She has these men in her life or powerful figures, for good or for bad or everything in between, but really it's her story."

"She's not defined by these men and she's not defined by what they've done to her," she shared.

"They are not her identity and nothing that's ever happened to her is her identity.

"I think that that's the most important thing to convey here is that this is something that happened to you but it's not who you are."

She stressed that domestic violence victims like her character Lily are not defined by the actions of their abusers or what has happened to them.

"You can change and there's space to define who you are because that's someone else's action towards you but that's not your identity," Lively added.

Lily is the priority in this story. She's more than the men in her life and what happens to her. Lively's focus on ensuring this is Lily's story is what makes It Ends With Us so moving and special.

The movie is about a woman finding her strength. It's about finding the power to walk away and find a better life for herself.

It Ends With Us is in cinemas now.

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