Brandon Sklenar Drops Deeply Personal Confession About Ties To Domestic Violence

Brandon Sklenar is no stranger to emotionally intense roles, and for the actor, the subject matter sometimes hits closer to home than audiences may realize.

In a new interview, Brandon Sklenar spoke candidly about his involvement in a trio of film projects that center around domestic violence, revealing that it’s a theme that’s long been present in his personal life.

“It’s a theme that’s been around me and in my life for a long time,” he said to The Hollywood Reporter. “Someone very close to me has been dealing with it for many years, and I’ve been helping her navigate that space as much as I can.”

Audiences were first introduced to Sklenar’s portrayal of Atlas Corrigan in 2024’s "It Ends With Us," the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel. The story follows Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) as she escapes an abusive relationship with Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni), navigating the complexities of love, trauma, and healing.

Sklenar’s character, a symbol of safety and second chances, became a fan favorite in the emotionally charged drama.

Up next for Sklenar is "The Housemaid," an adaptation of Freida McFadden’s gripping 2022 novel. The suspenseful story follows Millie, a homeless woman hired to work in the seemingly picture-perfect home of a wealthy couple, only to discover unsettling truths about her employers. The cast also includes Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried.

While the narrative is rooted in psychological tension, Sklenar explained that themes of domestic abuse surface here as well. “Perhaps, by the grace of God, it keeps finding its way into my sphere as a theme because it’s a theme in my own life,” he told the outlet.

Following "It Ends With Us," Sklenar stepped into yet another project that touches on similar subject matter.

He stars alongside Meghann Fahy in "Drop," a horror film currently in theaters, where abuse also plays a role in the story’s background. “It’s something that we touch upon in 'Drop,' given Violet’s history, but it’s not necessarily in the forefront as much as it is with 'It Ends With Us,'” he explained. “That film is directly about [domestic violence], and the entire plot revolves around it."

He added, "So it was just purely coincidental that it’s a theme in this film. Oddly enough, it also reoccurs in 'The Housemaid,' which I just wrapped.”

Despite the narrative overlap, Sklenar emphasized that any repetition was unintentional.

“It seems to keep coming about,” he said, later adding, “there is a way” to tell these stories responsibly and thoughtfully.

“'Housemaid' touches upon it. It’s a suspense thriller, but it’s not as true to life as 'It Ends With Us,'” he noted. “The character is dealing with very real traumatic things, but it’s elevated in the way the story is told. So that hopefully takes just a little bit of the edge off as a result, and lets people digest it in a different way."

He added, "'Drop' does it in a similar way, as well. The film itself is elevated, and so it’s able to address the topic without being fully consumed by it.”

While Sklenar remains focused on the importance of portraying these stories with care, "It Ends With Us" has been overshadowed by controversy.

In the months following its release, Lively accused director and co-star Baldoni of sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment, and attempting to damage her reputation. Baldoni has denied the allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit, which Lively moved to dismiss in March.

Sklenar, for his part, has not commented directly on the legal dispute. Instead, he’s chosen to elevate the film’s underlying message.

“Colleen [Hoover] and the women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance, and for women choosing a better life for themselves,” he wrote on Instagram in August 2024. “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.”

He continued, “It is, in fact, the opposite of the point. 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. … I feel a responsibility to bring this to life and help spread that message further.”

As he steps into another high-stakes role, Sklenar’s mission remains steady, and that is to tell stories that matter, and to do so with empathy and integrity.