Bethenny Frankel likens Blake Lively to Jennifer Lopez amid escalating 'It Ends With Us' drama

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Bethenny Frankel sees a striking parallel between Blake Lively and Jennifer Lopez — a relentless drive to turn every opportunity into a marketing moment.

In a candid Instagram video, the 'The Real Housewives of New York City' alum didn’t hold back while discussing the 'Gossip Girl' star's much-debated 'It Ends With Us' press tour.

Bethenny Frankel criticizes celebrity 'smash and grab' marketing trend

Blake Lively has faced criticism for promoting her Betty Buzz cocktail brand and Blake Brown haircare line during the press tour of 'It Ends With Us', a film that tackles domestic violence.

In her video, Frankel observed, "Celebrities have now reached a fever pitch of trying to triple- and quadruple-dip in monetizing businesses other than their core business. It’s become a common practice to try to really bum-rush and smash and grab as much as you possibly can at the same time." 

She added that if Lively is already "dressed and in hair and makeup doing the press tour for a movie, leaving her family and kids and so is he [Ryan Reynolds], she is going to maximize it," adding, "This was an issue with Jennifer Lopez."

Frankel pointed to JLo, who was busy "marketing two movies, her drink, her relationship with Ben Affleck, an album, and a tour" all at once earlier this year.

'The Apprentice: Martha Stewart' runner-up didn’t mince words as she continued her critique, stating, "Her audience got waterboarded and didn’t want it."

She broke down why Lively’s usually "savvy audience" has been turning against her, pointing to the jarring contrast between promoting lighthearted products and a film dealing with "very sensitive subject matter."

Frankel summed it up with a blunt metaphor: "You can’t fit 25 pounds of s**t in a five-pound bag. It will explode, and then you’ll have s**t all over you."

In the caption accompanying her video, Frankel offered further context, sharing that her perspective comes from growing up in a home affected by domestic violence and having deep experience in media monetization.

She called the situation "the perfect storm, a cautionary tale, and a convergence of mishandled circumstances."

While 'The Big Shot with Bethenny' star made it clear she doesn’t support "pile-on cancellation," she expressed hope that people could learn from "other people’s blind spots and mistakes."

Blake Lively rejects 'victim' or 'survivor' labels for Lily Bloom character 

Blake Lively has remained mostly silent amid the backlash surrounding her floral fashion-filled press tour for 'It Ends With Us,' as reported by Page Six.

However, she did make a subtle move this week, sharing domestic violence resources on her Instagram Story—a gesture that didn’t go unnoticed.

Alongside this, Lively posted a clip from her BBC News interview, where she emphasized that her character, Lily Bloom, wasn’t simply "defined" as a "victim" or a "survivor."

Meanwhile, Justin Baldoni, the film's director and co-star, has been praised for consistently addressing its serious themes in his interviews.

The actor, who portrays Ryle Kincaid, has yet to share any press appearances or red-carpet moments with Lively, fueling rumors of a feud between the two. 

According to Us Weekly, Baldoni felt "sidelined" by Lively during filming, with insiders claiming she "stifled the creativity" on set.

On the other hand, Page Six reported that the actor's behavior made Lively feel "uncomfortable," with sources describing him as "extremely difficult" to work with.