In 2016, Colleen Hoover’s award-winning novel It Ends With Us captured hearts around the world. The story of Lily Bloom, a young woman navigating a complex and abusive relationship, has been a bestseller and continues to resonate deeply with readers, selling over a million copies. Fast-forward to 2019, when Wayfarer Studios secured the rights to adapt the novel into a feature-length film.
With Blake Lively cast as Lily and Justin Baldoni as Ryle Kincaid, excitement among fans soared. But as details behind the scenes emerged, the adaptation’s success became overshadowed by turmoil between its leading stars.
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Behind the Scenes: Tension and Turmoil
Released on August 9, It Ends With Us was met with enthusiasm by fans eager to see Lively and Baldoni bring the beloved story to life. Yet, rumors of tension between the two stars began circulating during the promotional tour. Observers noticed Lively and Baldoni’s pointed absence from joint photos and interviews, fueling speculation about their relationship.
Fans noted they even watched the premiere in separate theaters—a telling sign of the rift.
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According to sources, the conflict escalated when Lively reportedly took an active role in the production process, allegedly editing her version of the film. Ultimately, the original cut won favor, sidelining her contributions. As whispers of these struggles grew louder, an even bigger revelation rocked the production—Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni.
Lawsuit Allegations Shake Hollywood
On December 21, TMZ obtained a copy of the lawsuit, unveiling a disturbing list of allegations against Baldoni. Lively accused him of creating a hostile work environment, sexual harassment, and attempting to tarnish her reputation through a coordinated smear campaign. The lawsuit detailed multiple incidents that contributed to the tense atmosphere on set.
Among the claims, Lively alleged Baldoni made comments about her weight—a particularly sensitive issue as she had recently given birth to her fourth child. Baldoni reportedly questioned how to safely lift Lively during filming without straining his back, a comment she interpreted as fat-shaming. Additionally, the lawsuit mentioned an “all-hands” meeting during production to address Lively’s concerns, which included:
- No more showing nude images to cast members.
- No further mention of Baldoni’s alleged “pornography addiction” or sexual conquests.
- Ceasing discussions about Lively’s weight or references to her late father.
- A ban on unauthorized additions to explicit scenes not agreed upon in the script.
Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, was reportedly present at the meeting, highlighting the seriousness of the allegations.
Lively Speaks Out
Blake Lively addressed the media, releasing a statement to TMZ:
“I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.”
The actress also provided screenshots of text messages allegedly revealing plans by Baldoni and PR associates to smear her reputation, with strategies reportedly inspired by stories about Hailey Bieber. These allegations add another layer of complexity to an already shocking dispute.
Baldoni’s Defense
Justin Baldoni’s legal team swiftly responded, denying all accusations and labeling them as an attempt to repair Lively’s own reputation. His attorney, Bryan Freedman, released a statement to The Hollywood Reporter:
“It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions.”
Baldoni’s team countered that the actress’s behavior on set contributed to production difficulties, citing threats to skip promotional events and unprofessional conduct. They also claimed she hired her PR team to plant negative stories about him before marketing for the film began.
“These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media. Wayfarer Studios made the decision to proactively hire a crisis manager prior to the marketing campaign of the film, to work alongside their own representative with Jonesworks employed by Stephanie Jones, due to the multiple demands and threats made by Ms. Lively during production which included her threatening to not showing up to set, threatening to not promote the film, ultimately leading to its demise during release, if her demands were not met.”
“It was also discovered that Ms. Lively enlisted her own representative, Leslie Sloan with Vision PR, who also represents Mr. Reynolds, to plant negative and completely fabricated and false stories with media, even prior to any marketing had commenced for the film, which was another reason why Wayfarer Studios made the decision to hire a crisis professional to commence internal scenario planning in the case they needed to address,” the statement read. “The representatives of Wayfarer Studios still did nothing proactive nor retaliated, and only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure balanced and factual reporting and monitored social activity. What is pointedly missing from the cherry-picked correspondence is the evidence that there were no proactive measures taken with media or otherwise; just internal scenario planning and private correspondence to strategize which is standard operating procedure with public relations professionals.”
The “negative reputation” Mr. Freedman refers to stems from the backlash Ms. Lively faced after a reporter revealed an awkward interaction during an interview.
In 2016, journalist Kjersti Flaa congratulated Ms. Lively on her pregnancy, as the actress had recently announced she was expecting. However, Ms. Lively responded by congratulating Flaa on her “bump” — a comment that caught the reporter off guard, as she was not pregnant and had been infertile, unable to have children.
Following this incident, Ms. Lively faced criticism for allegedly using her role in It Ends With Us to promote her own hair care line, as well as for being perceived as rude and insincere during interviews.
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Meanwhile, Mr. Baldoni, the film’s director, used the movie’s domestic violence theme to raise awareness about toxic relationships, engage with survivors, and encourage others to seek help if they were in similar situations. In contrast, Ms. Lively made light of the film’s serious subject matter, joking about sharing her location when asked how she would respond to fans wanting to discuss the film’s impactful storyline.
Industry Fallout
The fallout from the lawsuit was swift. Within hours of the lawsuit’s revelation, Baldoni’s talent agency, WME, dropped him as a client. Both Lively and Baldoni had been represented by WME, although the agency chose to continue representing Lively. While no public comments were made by WME, the decision underscores the gravity of the allegations.
Meanwhile, Colleen Hoover, author of It Ends With Us, publicly voiced her support for Lively. In an Instagram Story, Hoover praised the actress, writing:
“@blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive, and patient since the day we met. Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.”
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Social Media and Public Reactions
As details of the lawsuit emerged, fans took to social media to share their reactions. An Instagram post from the official It Ends With Us movie account captured the ongoing drama, sparking heated debates over which side fans should support. One fan commented, “This is so disappointing. I loved the movie, but this behind-the-scenes drama is heartbreaking.”
What’s Next for It Ends With Us?
The success of It Ends With Us had fans hopeful for a sequel based on Hoover’s follow-up novel, It Starts With Us. However, the fallout between Baldoni and Lively, combined with Hoover’s clear support of Lively, makes any future collaboration between the two stars seem unlikely. Wayfarer Studios has remained silent on whether it plans to continue the franchise amid the legal battle.
As fans await further updates, the question remains: whose side are you on? Let us know in the comments below!
