Texas native Colleen Hoover has enjoyed tremendous success with her 2016 bestselling book series, "It Ends With Us," which has now been adapted into a television series and a blockbuster film. The movie adaptation premiered last week in New York and theaters worldwide, generating much excitement and sparking rumors of alleged drama between the film's lead actors.
Behavior during the press tour for "It Ends With Us" and comments made to online publications have led fans and online sleuths to speculate about tensions between stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, who portray the film's main characters, Lily Bloom and Ryle Kincaid. The cast also features Brandon Sklenar,Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Alex Neustaedter, Kevin McKidd, Isabela Ferrer, among others.
Baldoni, who also directed the film, and Lively, who was involved in the production team, are at the center of the rumored drama on set and online surrounding "It Ends With Us."
Speculation about potential drama began when fans observed that both Blake Lively and Colleen Hoover do not follow Justin Baldoni on social media. Adding to the rumors, Baldoni conducted his press tour alone. Speculation intensified after photos from the pink carpet premiere on August 6 were shared online, revealing that Baldoni was not photographed with any of the other cast members, including Lively, his on-screen romantic partner.
"This isn't my night," Baldoni remarked. "This a night for all the women who we made this movie for. This is a night for Blake, this is a night for Colleen."
Instead, the only photos of Baldoni published online from the event feature him with his wife Emily and their children, who have cameos in the movie. Meanwhile, Lively posed for photos with her A-list husband Ryan Reynolds, her family, and other cast members.
Comments made by Justin Baldoni, Blake Lively, and Jenny Slate on the pink carpet, which were shared across various media outlets, further fueled the speculation. When asked by Deadline about her experience working with Baldoni as both the male lead and director of the film, Slate responded that it must "be an intense job" and that, personally, she would prefer "to have one job at once."
At the same August 6 premiere, Blake Lively revealed to E! Online that her husband, Ryan Reynolds, had written lines of dialogue for an "iconic" scene in the film, adding, "Nobody knows that but you now." The couple frequently collaborate on each other's projects, with Lively and their children recently making cameos in Reynolds' "Deadpool & Wolverine."
A promotional interview featuring Reynolds and Brandon Sklenar, Lively's other romantic interest in the film and a key figure in the plot's drama, went viral in the days leading up to the film's premiere.
Blake Lively also mentioned that her best friend Taylor Swift was "involved throughout this whole process." The 36-year-old actress shared with CBS News that Swift "for better or worse, ... experienced the whole thing with me."
At the premiere, Justin Baldoni told Entertainment Tonight that Lively should direct the film adaptation of "It Starts With Us," the 2022 sequel to the bestseller. When asked about the sequel, the 40-year-old remarked that there are "better people for that one" and that Lively is "ready to direct."
"It Ends With Us" marked Lively's first producer credit, alongside another ongoing project titled "The Husband's Secret." She also directed Taylor Swift's music video for "I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor's Version)."
According to the Hollywood Reporter, sources revealed a "fracture" during the post-production process after two final cuts of the film were tested. The report suggests that Lively enlisted "Deadpool & Wolverine" editor Shane Reid to create a final edit of "It Ends With Us." Reid had previously collaborated with Lively on editing her directorial debut for Swift's music video. It remains unclear if any part of Lively's version was used in the final film, as the editing credits go to Oona Flaherty and Robb Sullivan.
Justin Baldoni has long been vocal about challenging toxic aspects of masculinity and "undefining" traditional male roles, a theme he explores in his book Man Enough. When discussing the sensitive plot of It Ends With Us, Baldoni revealed in an exclusive interview with Today that he often stepped back to allow experts, including input from the domestic violence organization No More, and women to take the lead on key aspects of the film.
"The last thing I wanted to do was have a male gaze penetrate these very important moments that need to be told in a truthful way, to represent all of the women that experience them every day," Baldoni explained to Today.
He also praised Blake Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, expressing a desire to work with them again "if they'd have me."
"You can’t summarize Blake’s contribution in a sentence, because her energy and imprint is all over the movie and really, really made the film better, and from beginning to end. Ryan [Reynolds] was so generous ... he’s a creative genius, that guy. So, you know, his gift is levity, and her gift is levity," Baldoni told Today, also describing Lively as smart, dynamic, and creative.
According to People, while there is no post-credit scene in the film, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni each share separate lists of thank-yous. Lively expresses gratitude to her family, the filmmakers, and Vannoy Fite, Colleen Hoover's mother, whose experience inspired the book series. As of this story's writing, neither Lively, Baldoni, nor their press teams have commented on the rumored feud.
It Ends With Us made a strong box office debut, earning $50 million, second only to Deadpool & Wolverine, which brought in $54.2 million in its third week and has now surpassed $1 billion worldwide. The film, with a runtime of two hours and ten minutes, is currently available in theaters.
