Colleen Hoover Reacts to Blake Lively’s ‘It Ends With Us’ Costume Controversy: ‘I’m Not Worried About It’

Blake Lively was blooming into her own as protagonist Lily Bloom in the upcoming It Ends With Us adaptation, but many devoted book fans criticized her outfits.

The Gossip Girl alum, 35, and costars Justin Baldoni, Jenny Slate and Hasan Minhaj kicked off filming last month in New Jersey, where Lively’s outfits quickly raised eyebrows. The actress — who plays the red-headed, aspiring florist — was spotted on set wearing baggy sweaters, visible boxers underneath cargo pants and camouflage prints. Book fans quickly took to social media to bash the wardrobe choices, asserting that Lily should be more fashionable.

"How do you make Blake Lively, known Hot Person, look FRUMPY,” one social media user tweeted in May. “Like I know NOTHING about It Ends With Us but I saw these pics and thought her character was a quirky single mom who’s not supposed to be cute. LIKE WHAT IS THAT OUTFIT AND PARTY CITY WIG.”

Another added: “Colleen Hoover books aren’t great BUT I was excited for it ends with us the movie UNTIL the cast was released and I saw the OUTFITS they’re putting Blake lively in ???! Like why.”

Hoover, 43, opened up to Jenna Bush Hager on Friday, June 23, revealing that she loves that the outfits have caused a vocal conversation because it means that so many people “care” about the project.

“I don't remember describing outfits at all. I don't care what they have on,” the bestselling author said during her annual Book Bonanza festival. “In my head, it's about the conversation they're having and the story. It's the same way in the movie. You've seen a couple of outfits that are completely out of context. I'm not worried about it.”

Hoover’s popular novel, which was published in 2016, follows new college graduate Lily Bloom amid her complicated relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (played by Baldoni, 39) after her first love, Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar), reappears in her life. The characters’ ages — Lily is meant to be 23 when the book begins — have also sparked backlash from dedicated fans.

“Back when I wrote It Ends With Us, the new adult [genre] was very popular. You were writing college-age characters. That's what I was contracted to do. I made Lily very young,” Hoover said on Friday of the book, which was inspired by her family’s own experience with domestic abuse. “I didn't know that neurosurgeons went to school for 50 years. There's not a 20-something neurosurgeon. As I started making this movie, I'm like, ‘We need to age them out, because I messed up.’ So that's my fault.”

It Ends With Us suspended production earlier this month amid the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. It is not known when filming will resume.