JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The movie “It Ends with Us,” starring Blake Lively, has stirred up quite a bit of controversy for its portrayal of intimate partner abuse. But for one local woman, it did more than that — it inspired her to take action in her community.
Megan Gauthier, a busy nurse and mother of two, decided to watch the film with her friends. What was meant to be a lighthearted night out quickly turned into something much more serious.
“I was on TikTok beforehand, and Blake Lively said, wear your florals, come out with your girlfriends, and it’s gonna be a fun night,” Megan recalls.
But the evening took a darker turn when the movie revealed its central theme: domestic violence.
As Megan watched the story unfold, she found herself deeply affected.
“We’re sitting there in a theater of all women, and this love story starts unraveling, and then some domestic violence. I had no idea it was gonna become so graphic. By the end of the movie, I cried the whole time,” she shared.
For Megan, the film hit close to home. The smiles in her college photos hid the reality of a past abusive relationship.
“When I was a freshman in college, I was in a relationship that became horrible pretty quickly,” Megan said.
She endured six months of emotional and physical abuse, hiding it from friends and family, and even questioning whether it was abuse at all.
Megan’s experience made the movie particularly triggering.
“You start questioning yourself. Like, is what’s going on to me actually real? Is this what they’re talking about when they mention intimate partner violence? That’s the cycle,” she explained.
What troubled Megan most was what she felt was missing from the movie: a call to action.
“At the end of the movie, I was astounded that there was no number for a domestic violence hotline or a text message number. I just felt like it was incomplete,” said Megan, who first reached out to us through the News4JAX Help Center to share her story.
Determined to make a difference, Megan decided to take matters into her own hands. She created an Amazon wishlist with much-needed items for Betty Griffin House, a local women’s shelter.
The response was overwhelming.
“Your friend Margo shared your post on Facebook. What you’re doing is amazing. Hope this helps,” read one message from a donor Megan had never even met.
Through her initiative, Megan found a way to turn her painful memories into a force for good, helping others who might be going through what she once did.
“I knew I had a village. I knew I could walk away. That’s not the case for everybody,” Megan said. “But there are resources out there, like the Hubbard House hotline and the Betty Griffin House. They can help you come up with a plan.”
The small tattooed heart on Megan’s wrist serves as a daily reminder that while her story of abuse is over, it’s never too late for others to walk away — and they don’t have to do it alone.
If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
The links below provide resources for those in need and options for donations for those who want to help.
County-by-county help
Northeast Florida
Duval and Baker counties: Domestic Violence Services, Shelter, and Safety - Hubbard House
Clay County: Quigley House
St. Johns County: Betty Griffin Center – St. Johns County Support Services for Victims of Sexual & Domestic Abuse
Nassau County: Micah’s Place
Putnam County: Domestic violence center in Palatka (leeconleehouse.org)
Alachua, Bradford, Union counties: Peaceful Paths | Domestic Violence Agency | Gainesville
Southeast Georgia
Camden and Charlton counties: Camden House
Ware County: Magnolia House
Glynn County: Glynn Community Crisis Center