Last month, it seemed like the It Ends With Us backlash was finally starting to die down, and Blake Lively was back in the swing of things- posting on social media, attending events, getting spotted by the paparazzi, and more. However, in the wild world of celebrity PR, it has become tough to tell just how much of what the media shows is authentic. A celebrity publicist recently decided to chime in on the affair.

The publicist has a hunch that Blake Lively’s sudden shift in behavior and surge in public sightings are all part of her clever strategy to make a strong comeback from the It Ends With Us uproar.

The Daily Mail recently reported Joseph Hagan’s interview with FEMAIL, where he discussed Blake Lively's backlash from It Ends With Us. Hagan acknowledged that the controversy was “damaging” for the Deadpool & Wolverine star, but it seems she is busy doing some damage control. He suggested that Lively’s relatable rebrand is her team’s clever way of steering the ship back on course, and bringing back her "fun-loving personality, and her highly relatable marriage to Ryan Reynolds" to focus. 

Hagan pointed out that Lively's recent “non-diva” behavior is a way to come across as grounded and relatable at a time when public opinion about her is so fluctuating. “It’s a subtle but powerful way to show that she’s just like everyone else,” said the 37-year-old, adding, “which works in her favor following the controversy around It Ends With Us”. He specifically singled out Lively’s recent spotting around NYC.

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Blake Lively, last month, wowed everyone with her refreshingly down-to-earth behavior during an outing with a friend in the city.

The main reason Blake Lively got called out for her promotional push for It Ends With Us was that her campaign felt tone-deaf and out of sync with the very real and sensitive issues the film tackled. Fans trolled the actress for being too business-minded and for missing the mark on what really matters. Just after that PR misstep, Blake Lively had a few refreshingly relatable moments that showed her non-celebrity side. Last month, she was spotted waiting for a table at a trendy Italian restaurant in the West Village- just like any everyday person.

Insiders exclusively told Page Six that Lively waited around for about 10 minutes with a friend at the restaurant. She has also given her social media a more down-to-earth vibe, recently sharing tales of her old makeup blunders from high school- something that many can relate to. Now, whether all of this reveals Lively’s true self or just backs up Joseph Hagan’s claims is a matter of opinion; to each their own.

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What do you think about Joseph Hagan’s interview? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!