Julia Roberts needs no introduction. She’s had an award-winning career that includes an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three Golden Globes, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and many other significant wins.
Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images
And, currently, a resurfaced interview about her 1991 film Sleeping with the Enemy is going viral after the release of It Ends with Us, starring Blake Lively.
Julia Roberts sits in a bathtub with wet hair, looking to the side with a serious expression
Blake Lively appears thoughtful, with long wavy hair, looking down and away from the camera
20th Century Fox / youtube.com, Sony Pictures / youtube.com
In both films, Julia and Blake play characters who are victims of domestic abuse.
If you’ve missed the drama surrounding the release of It Ends with Us, people are “appalled,” and Blake Lively is being called “out of touch” for her responses to serious questions about domestic violence depicted in the film.
Blake Lively is sitting on a brown couch, laughing, and wearing a floral-patterned dress with intricate jewelry
Blake Lively, wearing a floral-patterned dress, sits on a couch gesturing with both hands, appearing to be in a conversation or interview setting
Jake’s Takes / youtube.com
During one interview with Jake’s Takes, host Jake Hamilton asks Blake, “This movie is going to affect people, and they’re going to want to tell you about their lives. So, if someone who understands the themes of this movie comes across you in public, and they want to talk to you, what is the best way for them to be able to talk to you about this?” Blake responds jokingly, “Asking for my address, or like, my phone number. Or a location share! I could just location-share you…” she laughs.
People have also been upset at Blake’s promotional content, including using the press tour to promote her drinks company, Betty Buzz, and her newly launched hair care line. Some have also been disappointed in her purported push to fit her husband, Ryan Reynolds, into the narrative.
Twitter: @Ceilidhann
Julia, on the other hand, handled press for her film much differently. In this interview — the day after she had won the Golden Globe for Pretty Woman — she sat down with Bobbie Wygant.
Steve.granitz / WireImage
At 5:33 in the video — which is the clip that has gained over 2 million views on TikTok — Bobbie asks Julia how she would react if she were in her character’s shoes, facing the abuse.
Bobbie Wygant / youtube.com
Julia responds by explaining, “Thats not for me to really say. I can’t even fathom being in a situation quite that horrible, it’s not in my realm of understanding.”
Bobbie Wygant / youtube.com
Bobbie then replies with, “It’s not mine either but I think that, just my own makeup, I would just fight back, you know? I doubt I would be able to take it for three and a half years the way she did.”
A closeup of Bobbie
Julia Roberts in an interview, seated and wearing a textured sweater. The background includes plants and a curtain
Bobbie Wygant / youtube.com
“But I think it’s a process of manipulation that grows and becomes stronger than that. It’s not kind of that cut and dry. I think it’s amazingly psychological and very destructive, so I don’t think it’s quite that simple,” Julia concludes.
Bobbie Wygant / youtube.com
People on TikTok immediately pointed out how cognizant Julia was, especially for being in her early 20s.
@dammitsarah79 / tiktok.com
They also noted her respectable demeanor during the interview, which she handled with serious intent.
@dammitsarah79 / tiktok.com
Bobbie’s response to Julia, saying she would “fight back,” was also viewed as unwarranted since she disclosed she had never been in that situation personally.
@dammitsarah79 / tiktok.com
Overall, there was a deep level of appreciation for how Julia handled the interview as a whole.
@dammitsarah79 / tiktok.com
By and large, people applauded Julia’s empathetic and conscious response about domestic abuse.
