Inside the ‘It Ends With Us’ Drama: What Is Going on With Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni
It Ends with Us was one of this year's most anticipated summer movies, but it turns out that life behind the scenes was just as dramatic as it was on screen.
During the film's press tour, viewers noticed that Justin Baldoni — the director, producer and star of the film — was noticeably absent from every press junket attended by his co-stars and the novel’s author, Colleen Hoover. They also noticed that none of the cast members followed him on Instagram, a modern indication of distance between celebrities. Baldoni was also the only cast member not pictured with everyone else during the film's premiere.
The hints began to pile up, causing people on social media to dive deeper into the cast and notice just how differently Baldoni and Blake Lively were promoting the film. While Baldoni took the chance to try and raise awareness for domestic assault, Lively promoted the film as a fun and floral film to watch with friends, leading some people to call her tone-deaf and out of touch with what the film is really about. Still, others have supported the Gossip Girl alum, highlighting that her character – Lily Bloom – shouldn’t solely be defined by the domestic violence she experiences in the movie.
A source told PEOPLE that, “All is not what it seems. There is much more to this story. The principal cast and Colleen Hoover [the book's author] will have nothing to do with him [Baldoni]."
To dive deeper into the drama and learn what the cast has said about working together, keep reading!
What does the ‘It Ends With Us’ cast say about each other?
Originally, at the beginning of August 2024, Baldoni praised Lively's involvement in the film and even went as far as to say how “mesmerized” she was by her performance.
He then expanded on that by saying, “She's [Lively] a creative force; she's an executive producer on the film, and she is so brilliant. And I believe that her performance is going to help so many women feel seen and showcase this unique experience in a way that I don't believe I've seen in another film.”
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Cast members praised Baldoni as well, with Brandon Sklenar — who plays Atlas Corrigan – saying, “The entire crew that he [Baldoni] ensembled was so incredible. Everybody in this film is just on the top of their game across the board. It was a really pleasant environment to work in.”
Somewhere along the way, though, the switch flipped, and Baldoni didn’t comment on the cast, and the cast didn't comment on him.
Ryan Reynolds’ involvement in ‘It Ends With Us’
Movie fans all over social media have multiple theories about why there was such a sudden shift in friendship on set, and many believe it is about Ryan Reynolds' involvement in the film.
Reynolds is Lively’s husband and has been for 12 years.
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Said Lively: "The iconic rooftop scene, my husband actually wrote it…He works on everything I do. I work on everything he does. So, his wins, his celebrations are mine and mine are his."
Reynolds himself had a film entitled Deadpool & Wolverine come out a week prior, and social media users also pointed out that it feels like they tried to combine both press tours.
The latest on the ‘It Ends With Us’ drama
The latest behind-the-scenes drama took place about a week after the film premiered, when Baldoni hired a crisis PR firm to help deal with all press and media attention.
He also said that if they do decide to adapt the book’s sequel, It Starts With Us, he thinks, “There are better people for that one. I think Blake Lively’s ready to direct. That’s what I think.”
Lively has also posted multiple Instagram stories promoting safe spaces for women to reach out to if they know someone or are victims of domestic assault themselves. She has yet to comment on Baldoni or if she will direct the potential sequel though.
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