Unless you live under a rock, you will have heard whispers of the drama behind the popular “It Ends With Us” movie. Starring the former “Gossip Girl” star Blake Lively, the movie has been a huge success, with more than 325.7 million dollars at the box office worldwide. Based entirely on Colleen Hoover’s popular “It Ends With Us” novel, the movie explores the complexity of domestic abuse through the protagonist’s story. Throughout the movie, Lily Bloom meets the seemingly perfect neurosurgeon, Ryle, played by director Justin Baldoni. Viewers watch Ryle begin to abuse Lily, and in the end, see Lily make a heart-wrenching decision that brings the entire audience to tears.
However, in the endless cycle of celebrity gossip, social media “sleuths” quickly noticed the apparent tension and conflicts behind the scenes between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Since then, rumors have spiraled, and the film industry has done nothing more than support it.
It seems the two co-stars have not been photographed together once during the press tour; in fact, Baldoni has been going solo for most press conferences. On the other hand, Lively appears to have teamed up with author Colleen Hoover, along with co-stars Brandon Sklenar and Isabela Ferrer. Furthermore, viewers couldn’t help but notice Baldoni handling interviews and conferences on his own. Supporters quickly disregarded Baldoni’s justifications, claiming that he did not want to be the center of the spotlight when they noticed that Blake Lively, Hoover, and many others involved in the film, didn’t follow Baldoni on Instagram.
There is talk that the two had various “creative differences” in the making of the film. One of those is keeping the Lana Del Rey song, “Cherry”. As Blake Lively put it in an interview with Hits Radio UK, “They begged me to take that song out of the movie,” as the song was heavy and charged, while the tone of the movie was still more light and airy. On the contrary, when asked in The Today Show, Baldoni had only positive words for her work, “I think she’s best known as an actress and of course, she’s a fashion icon, but she’s so much more than that. She’s dynamic and creative. She had her hands in every part of this production and everything she touched, she made better.” The contrast in perspectives between the two co-stars is, if not controversial, somewhat strange.
Why- fans ask- did Baldoni also hire a crisis manager, Mellisa Nathan, who also ironically worked for Johnny Depp in the Amber Heard trial?
Anonymous sources have stated that Baldoni created an “extremely difficult” environment, and “none of the cast enjoyed working with Justin.” On the other hand, Blake Lively has also dealt with her fair share of critique. When promoting the film, some people felt that she romanticized it’s dark themes of abuse, giving it a “Rom-Com” feel, especially since she posted “Grab your friends. Wear your florals” on her Instagram. Furthermore, instead of spreading awareness of domestic violence, she has been using those valuable opportunities to promote her recently launched hair care brand, “Blake Brown”, which disappointed many fans.
Without concrete explanations supporting the rumors, users on TikTok have formed their own theories. The first one, which has gained rapid traction, is that Ryan Reynolds was too involved in producing the film. The theory originated when Blake Lively credited her husband, Wolverine star Ryan Reynolds, for being an active and helpful contributor to the movie. Another TikTok theory that spread like wildfire is that being Ryle was too much for Baldoni, since he seems to tear up when explaining the importance of the role to him. Either way, no affirmations or evidence have been able to back up the rumors.
Looking past trivial gossip, the film allows viewers to glimpse into complex moments and determine the meaning of domestic violence.“It Ends With Us” and its actors have been victims of spiraling rumors, critiques, and backlash, but one thing all viewers can agree on is the importance of shedding light on such an intense topic, one which is oftentimes overlooked.
Works Cited
“A Complete Guide to the It Ends with US Drama and Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni Feud Rumors.” E! Online, 25 Aug. 2024, www.eonline.com/news/1406225/a-complete-guide-to-the-it-ends-with-us-drama-and-blake-lively-justin-baldoni-feud-rumors.
Crosbie, Eve. “Blake Lively and Her ‘It Ends with Us’ Director Justin Baldoni Are Rumored to Have Fallen out – and Fans Can’t Stop Talking About It.” Business Insider, Business Insider, www.businessinsider.com/it-ends-with-us-blake-lively-justin-baldoni-feud-rumors-2024-8. Accessed 25 Sept. 2024.
Gularte, Alejandra. “It Ends with US Drama Starts with Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.” Vulture, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2024, www.vulture.com/article/it-ends-with-us-cast-drama-tiktok.html.
Loreto, Maria. “‘It Ends with Us’: The Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Drama Explained.” HOLA! USA, HOLA! USA, 14 Aug. 2024, www.hola.com/us/entertainment/20240814712689/it-ends-with-us-blake-lively-justin-baldoni/.
“¿Por Qué El ‘hate’ Repentino Hacia Blake Lively En ‘It Ends with Us’?” Grazia México y Latinoamérica, 16 Aug. 2024, graziamagazine.com/mx/articles/por-que-el-hate-repentino-hacia-blake-lively-en-it-ends-with-us/.
“‘it Ends with Us’ Tackles Heavy Themes, Strays from Original Story.” The Daily Targum, dailytargum.com/article/2024/09/it-ends-with-us-tackles-heavy-themes-strays-from-original-story. Accessed 25 Sept. 2024.