Jana Kramer is calling attention to Blake Lively's comments about domestic violence.
Though the 40-year-old country singer insisted she has "nothing against" the It Ends With Us star, 37, she did take umbrage at the idea that domestic violence "does not define you." On an episode of her podcast Whine Down with Jana Kramer released on Monday, August 26, she clarified, "It does define you."
"It's hard for people to talk about domestic violence when they haven't themselves ... in real life had the hands of domestic violence on them," explained Kramer. "So for people to say it doesn't define you... It has made me who I am... It is one of the biggest pieces of me, is domestic violence, and has been the biggest thread in my life."
Her comments seemed to be in reference to an interview Blake Lively gave to the BBC at the It Ends With Us premiere. "This movie covers domestic violence, but what's important about this film is that [my character Lily] is not defined by something [that] someone else did to her..." Lively said.
"She defines herself, and I think that's deeply empowering," she continued. "No one else can define you. No experience can define you. You define you."
Kramer added that all of the drama surrounding the It Ends With Us press tour "made me sad," because "I just want the messaging to be about domestic violence, and how to help people, and how to get help."
The issue is close to the One Tree Hill star's heart, as she has personal experience with ex-husband Michael Gambino, to whom she was married for less than one year in 2004.
After subjecting Kramer to horrific domestic abuse, Gambino was convicted on attempted murder charges in 2005, as reported by Us Weekly. He was sentenced to six years in prison, and passed away in 2012.
In June 2024, Kramer spoke with the publication about feeling "triggered" while filming the Lifetime movie Gaslit by My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story, another film aimed at bringing awareness to domestic violence.
The movie, which debuted June 9, starred her friend and fellow One Tree Hill alum Austin Nichols as her character's abusive ex-husband, Rodney Metzer.
"There was no one else I could have done this role with, because even that moment having that panic attack on set and having to essentially run outside, knowing he was there, [I felt like], 'OK, he's a safe person for me,'" Kramer said.
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
