Gina Rodriguez calls Justin Baldoni one of her ‘closest friends’ amid Blake Lively drama: ‘We talk all the time’
Gina Rodriguez finds Justin Baldoni to be someone great.
The 40-year-old recently shed light on her friendship with her former “Jane the Virgin” co-star as speculation continues to circulate about tension between the “It Ends With Us” cast.
Rodriguez revealed she would like to see Baldoni — who officiated her wedding to Joe LoCicero in 2019 — make a cameo on her new game show, “Lucky 13.”
“I would love Justin to come,” she told Us Weekly in an interview published Friday. “Justin would definitely come. Justin is super busy. But Justin is also one of my closest friends and we talk all the time. I could get him to come on the show.”
He’s not the only star Rodriguez would be happy to see appear next to her and co-host Shaquille O’Neal on the game show.
“I would love Brett Dier. I would love Michael from ‘Jane the Virgin’ to come on the show because he is probably my favorite human being,” the “Players” actress gushed. “He is absolutely wonderful, bizarre, incredible, brilliant and fascinating.”
“He would be hysterical,” Rodriguez continued. “And then he can donate the money.”
Fans may see Dier appear before Baldoni, as the “It Ends With Us” director has his hands full promoting the newly released romantic drama.
Amid the film’s box office success, reports have surfaced that Baldoni has hired crisis public relations manager Melissa Nathan.
Rumors first started circulating after fans noticed that Baldoni — despite being both the director and a male lead — has not been doing press with any of his co-stars.
He also opted out of red carpet appearances alongside his leading lady Blake Lively — who served as a producer on the movie — Brandon Sklenar, Isabela Ferrer and Jenny Slate.
At the New York premiere on Aug. 6, Baldoni and Lively were in different movie theaters to watch the flick based on the best-selling novel by Colleen Hoover.
Lively was with her family and friends in one theater, while Baldoni and his guests watched in another.
Social media sleuths also discovered that the cast does not follow Baldoni on social media, but they do follow Lively.
Meanwhile, Baldoni has made it clear that he doesn’t plan on returning to direct a sequel movie based on Hoover’s novel “It Starts With Us.”
“I think there are better people for that one,” he admitted to “Entertainment Tonight” at the NYC premiere. “I think Blake Lively’s ready to direct, that’s what I think.”
The “Wedding Daze” actor also alluded to creative differences on set while talking to ELLE Canada in an interview published Monday.
“There are all these things that happen every day on set, there’s always friction that happens when you make a movie like this,” Baldoni explained. “Then at the end of the day, it’s that friction, I believe, that creates the beautiful art. Everything in life needs friction to grow.”
