Blake Lively has spoken out amid the 'It Ends With Us' backlash

It Ends With Us has proven to be a box office hit, earning over £30 million in its opening weekend, but the film's release has not come without controversy.

The highly-anticipated Colleen Hoover novel adaptation has been widely criticised for minimising its central theme of domestic violence, with its star and producer Blake Lively particularly coming under fire.

Lively, 37, has been accused by viewers of steering the adaptation away from being an informative drama about domestic violence, and towards romantic comedy status. In fact, it has been widely reported that Lively and It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni fell out over the creative vision of the film, with Lively allegedly commissioning her own cut of the movie.

And with the actress criticised for her "tone deaf" media approach - launching a haircare brand during the film's publicity, not to mention the resurfacing of past controversial interviews, Lively has faced a major online backlash.

While Lively has remained silent amidst the past few weeks of controversy, the 37-year-old spoke out this weekend for the first time since the backlash, sharing a message to her Instagram Stories.

The message in question was a review from Collider, stating: "Blake Lively excels in portraying Lily's transformation".

The actress has not commented further on the film's reception, but members of her family, including her sister Robyn Lively and brother-in-law Bart Johnson have released statements in defence of the star. Not to mention, her friends, with Lively's It Ends With Us co-star Brandon Sklenar releasing a statement to Instagram.

“Colleen and the women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance and for women choosing a better life for themselves,” read part of Sklenar's viral statement. “Vilifying the women who put so much of their heart and soul into making this film because they believe so strongly in its message seems counterproductive and detracts from what this film is about. It is, in fact, the opposite of the point.”

He later continued: “What may or may not have happened behind the scenes does not and hopefully should not detract from what our intentions were in making this film. It’s been disheartening to see the amount of negativity being projected online.

"All I ask is that before you spread hate on the internet, ask yourself who it's helping. Ask yourself if your opinions are based in any fact. Or if you simply want to be a part of something."

We will continue to update this story.