A picture is worth a thousand words.
As Blake Lively’s tearjerker romantic drama “It Ends With Us” hits theaters, rumors of behind-the-scenes cast drama threaten to overshadow the movie – similar to the infamous press tour drama for Olivia Wilde’s 2022 movie “Don’t Worry Darling.”
Here’s everything to know about what’s going on with Lively and Justin Baldoni, who was mysteriously absent from premiere photos with the rest of the cast despite attending the event.
“It Ends With Us” is a romantic drama about an abusive relationship, starring Lively, 36, “Jane The Virgin” star Baldoni, 40, (who also directed the movie), Jenny Slate, and Brandon Sklenar.
It’s based on a best-selling novel by Colleen Hoover.
The book already sparked controversy even before the movie. When a planned coloring book, which tied into the film, was announced in 2023, there was a backlash to the idea of releasing such a whimsical product for a story about domestic violence.
“Colleen Hoover making a coloring book about a book (that again is not a romance) that’s central story is domestic violence is so beyond tone deaf and harmful. What a trash thing to do. From top to bottom. LIKE WHO APPROVED THAT,” one fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
That platform and TikTok were flooded with similar sentiments.
“The coloring book was developed with Lily’s strength in mind, but I can absolutely see how this was tone-deaf,” Hoover said in a 2023 Instagram story, shortly after the coloring book project was announced and canceled.
Lily is the main character, played by Lively in the film.
“I hear you guys and I agree with you. No excuses. No finger pointing,” Hoover continued.
“I have contacted the publisher to let them know I would prefer we don’t move forward with it. Thank you for the respectful discourse and accountability. Nothing but love,” she wrote.
But, the drama was just getting started.
There have been a slew of viral TikTok videos speculating about an alleged feud between Lively and Baldoni.
Keyboard detectives noticed that Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and the rest of the cast seemingly unfollowed Baldoni on Instagram. So did Hoover.
Baldoni didn’t take photos with the rest of the cast at Tuesday’s premiere in New York City despite attending the event. He also didn’t join Lively on the stage to talk about the movie in front of the crowd – which is highly unusual for a co-star and director.
“We are days away from opening weekend of one of the highly anticipated films of the year,” one TikToker said in a viral video about the alleged drama.
“Yet neither [Lively] nor anyone from the cast will be seen with Justin Baldoni.”
The TikToker added that she “combed through every picture I could find from the premiere and the after-party, and he’s not with anyone from the actual movie itself.”
She pointed out that Baldoni’s friend, Liz Plank, who hosts the “Man Enough” podcast with him, attended the premiere “and didn’t say a thing about him. Not a picture with him.”
Plank tagged Lively in her social media posts about the premiere but not Baldoni.
“So I guess my question is, what did he do to piss off and offended or damage relationships with your entire cast?” the TikToker said.
“It’s so strange, so random, especially when we’re days away from opening weekend.”
Baldoni also didn’t do a group Q&A with the rest of the cast, and Slate dodged a question about working with him.
During a red carpet interview when she was asked about working with him, Slate replied, “What an intense job,” referring to Baldoni being both actor and director, before she said, I found myself saying, ‘Wow, I really just want to have one job at once. And in fact, I’ve often felt that way. Like, I really like writing…but I’m good with just acting.”
It was an odd deflection of a seemingly innocuous question.
In an interview with People published Aug. 8, Baldoni praised Lively. He said he was “mesmerized” the first time he heard her play Lily. He says he knew “in that moment that the movie was going to work. And I just had to get out of the way enough to make sure that it did.”
Sources told The Hollywood Reporter in an article published on Thursday that there was a “fracture” among the vision for the movie, and “two different cuts” came out in the post-production process.
Lively reportedly commissioned a cut of the movie from “Deadpool & Wolverine” editor Shane Reid. It’s unclear if that cut is the final product.
At the premiere, Lively revealed that Reynolds wrote a scene for the film. “We help each other. He works on everything I do. I work on everything he does. So his wins, his celebrations are mine and mine are his,” she said.
Sources clarified to HR that Reynolds wrote “a large chunk,” but not the entire scene.
“I appreciate that they’re supporting each other as husband and wife…but it just seems tone deaf, given the nature of the film,” one TikToker said, adding that it feels like “Deadpool & Wolverine” is being tacked onto “It Ends With Us.”
“I think that is why Justin Baldoni is in the backseat right now….somehow Ryan Reynolds got involved for some reason…I think [Justin] got a bit bulldozed over in the creative process. It probably created a bit of a disconnect. Blake Lively is very popular. She’s very close with Colleen.”
Baldoni’s Instagram is filled with comments from fans speculating about the drama.
“What is going on with the rest of the cast?” one fan wrote. “I was so hyped for this movie and [Colleen Hooer] and Blake unfollowing you has definitely put a downer on this whole project.”
Another fan defended Baldoni, writing on his Instagram, “Why are we not seeing you with the rest of the cast?? Why have you been singled out??…this film happened because of you?? Why’s it feel like this has been completely taken from you.”
Another fan commented “They don’t deserve you, Justin. You did everything to make this happen and then they put you aside. That’s just not right!”
However, one TikToker thought the whole thing is a publicity stunt.
“Everyone is taking about Blake and Justin not being in photos together, and I have to say, it is like the best PR move I’ve seen in a really long time,” she said.
“I can almost guarantee there is no real beef between them, it’s all because he’s the villain of the movie.”
One of her commenters agreed, saying, “I think the public is creating more drama over this.”
Sources told Page Six that Baldoni made his leading lady feel “uncomfortable” about her postpartum body after welcoming her fourth child.
“It’s not just Blake,” an industry insider claimed. “None of the cast enjoyed working with Justin …They certainly didn’t talk to him at the premiere.”
However, sources who have worked with Baldoni defended him and claimed he would never intentionally make his actors feel unsupported.
Neither Baldoni nor Lively have publicly commented on their alleged feud or confirmed there’s bad blood.
“It Ends With Us” is now in theaters.
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