The storm surrounding It Ends With Us, the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, has evolved into one of Hollywood’s most perplexing and contentious scandals in recent years. What started as murmurs of an on-set feud between director and star Justin Baldoni and lead Blake Lively has escalated into a full-blown legal battle, complete with lawsuits, PR crisis managers, and conflicting narratives.
The film adaptation of It Ends With Us seemed destined for success. Lively, the glamorous Gossip Girl alum, signed on as Lily Bloom, with Baldoni not only directing but also starring as Ryle Kincaid, the seemingly perfect neurosurgeon with a dark side. Brandon Sklenar rounded out the love triangle as Atlas Corrigan. The movie grossed USD148.5 million at the box office and later found success on streaming platforms.
Cracks in the facade
Whispers of tension between Lively and Baldoni began circulating even before the film’s release. Fans noticed subtle but telling signsLively and her co-stars weren’t following Baldoni on Instagram, and Baldoni seemed conspicuously absent from many press events. At the New York premiere, he reportedly watched the film in a separate theatre from the rest of the cast, according to Page Six.
Rumours became reality when news broke on December 22 that Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and alleging that he orchestrated a campaign to “destroy” her reputation. The claims are damning: inappropriate discussions about sex, unsolicited nude imagery, comments about Lively’s weight and her late father, and an environment described by insiders as “extremely difficult.”
For his part, Baldoni has vehemently denied the accusations. According to The Hollywood Reporter, his attorney, Bryan Freedman, called the claims “false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt.” Baldoni himself has remained largely silent, with his representatives handling most of the fallout.
Lively’s lawsuit paints a disturbing picture of life on set. It describes repeated instances of inappropriate behaviour, including the Jane the Virgin actor allegedly showing nude images to Lively and discussing his past “pornography addiction” in professional settings. The suit also suggests that Baldoni’s PR team was prepared to “bury anyone” who spoke out against him.
Yet Baldoni’s camp counters with an entirely different story. Sources close to him claim that Lively was difficult to work with and that her lawsuit is merely an attempt to “fix” her reputation after facing backlash for her seemingly lighthearted approach to promoting a film about domestic abuse.
During the press tour, Lively encouraged fans to wear florals and watch the movie with friends, while Baldoni leaned into the film’s heavy themes of trauma and resilience. Critics and fans alike noted the inconsistency in their messaging, but it has come to light that the cast and crew were contractually obligated to promote the film as a story of “hope” without making it seem too “sad and heavy”.
Divided loyalties
The fallout has left Hollywood divided. Baldoni was swiftly dropped by his management at WME, while Livelyalso represented by WMEhas enjoyed continued support from the agency and from Sony Pictures. Chair-CEO Tony Vinciquerra publicly praised Lively’s dedication to THR and expressed a desire to collaborate on more projects.
Brandon Sklenar, meanwhile, took to Instagram with a long message to urge fans to focus on the film’s core message about hope and resilience. “Vilifying the women who put so much of their heart and soul into making this film seems counterproductive,” he wrote.
But behind closed doors, sources tell a different story. An insider told Page Six that none of the cast enjoyed working with Baldoni, with some describing his behaviour as “chauvinistic” and dismissive. Others claimed he created a tense atmosphere, particularly during scenes depicting abuse, allegedly prioritising the male character’s perspective over the victim’s.
A fractured production
Further complicating the narrative are reports from The Hollywood Reporter that two separate cuts of the film existed during post-productionone overseen by Baldoni and another commissioned by Lively.
Amidst the whirlwind narratives, Baldoni hired PR crisis manager Melissa Nathan, known for representing Johnny Depp during his highly publicised legal battle with Amber Heard. Meanwhile, Lively has positioned herself as an advocate for accountability in Hollywood. In a statement to The New York Times, she said, “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 It Ends With Us scandal encapsulates many of the industry’s most pressing issues: power imbalances on set, the weaponisation of public perception, and the blurred lines between personal and professional conduct. Fans of the film and book are left asking the same question: Who is telling the truth? Is Lively a brave whistleblower, standing up to a male director? Or is Baldoni the victim of an unjust smear campaign designed to ruin his career?
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