Explaining The Alleged 'It Ends With Us' Drama Between Blake Lively And Justin Baldoni

It Ends With Us is a new movie that hit theaters on August 9. As a big-screen adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s 2016 romance novel of the same name, the film stars Blake Lively (Deadpool & Wolverine, Gossip Girl) and Justin Baldoni (Con Man, Jane the Virgin), who also directed the film. The story begins as a light-hearted meet-cute but soon descends into a harrowing narrative of emotional abuse and domestic violence. However, if you only watched the trailers and the interviews, you might assume this is anything but a tale that delves into the dark motivations of men that harm their significant others. That’s largely because Baldoni and Lively, the film’s leading talents, are talking about It Ends With Us in two completely different ways, sparking some controversy online. And now the internet, ever obsessed that it is, has been circling the drama for days, picking apart every little detail like digital vultures in an attempt to draw clear lines between Team Baldoni and Team Lively. But what exactly is going on, and why does there seem to be a feud between the two stars? If you’re confused, let me break things down a bit.

So, Baldoni Versus Lively, Huh?

Well, kind of, sort of. In the lead-up to It Ends With Us’ theatrical release, Baldoni and Lively—as well as other cast members, like Alex Neustaedter and Isabela Ferrer—began their press tour. You probably know how these things go. The actors made their stops at various news shows, such as CBS Mornings and Fox 5 New York, to promote the film, discuss its message, and share their experiences. However, something odd became noticeable during these interviews: Lively often appeared with a co-star, like Brandon Sklenar, while Baldoni was always by himself. The same was true during red carpet appearances, where Baldoni was alone and Lively was surrounded by her cast mates. The internet took notice and started asking questions: Why was Baldoni always alone? How come the two never did interviews together? Was there something going on behind the scenes?

These were great questions, especially since Baldoni and Lively are It Ends With Us’ leads. You might assume that, because they worked so closely together, they would likely do interviews together, too. Not so.

What Are Baldoni and Lively Saying?

Based on the interviews Baldoni and Lively have been giving, you would think they’re talking about two completely different movies. In a conversation with Good Day Chicago reporter Jake Hamilton (on his Jake’s Takes YouTube channel), Lively gave a light-hearted interview, barely touching on the fact that It Ends With Us is very much about domestic violence. Baldoni, however, has been relatively candid about the film’s premise, telling the Associated Press that the intention was not to glorify domestic violence but to make moviegoers “feel at ease” or “feel seen” by the situation’s depiction.

While it’s curious how differently the two leading stars are talking about the film, the drama escalated on August 6, a couple of days before the film hit theaters. On It Ends With Us’ official TikTok page, Lively gave a short and bubbly monologue encouraging audiences to “grab your friends, wear your florals, and head out to see it.” There’s nothing inherently wrong with how Lively’s promoting the film, but the internet thought her tone didn’t match the movie’s subject matter. Lively’s upbeat vibe has also been in stark contrast with Baldoni’s, who has been very demure, very somber about the whole thing.

OK, Why Are Baldoni And Lively Feuding Then?

This is where things get a bit tricky. Apparently, there were issues on set that, according to Baldoni in an interview with Elle Magazine, caused some “friction.” He didn’t specify who was involved, but the internet quickly speculated that it was between him and Lively, especially since the two haven’t made any real public appearances together since the film’s been out. Then, on August 14, two major pieces of news dropped: Baldoni reportedly hired PR crisis manager Melissa Nathan (who represented Johnny Depp during the Amber Heard trial), and Lively accused Baldoni of fat-shaming and possibly sexually harassing her.

This is the serious part of the whole drama. Baldoni recruiting a PR expert to deal with the rift between him and the cast—or whatever else might be happening behind the scenes—doesn’t seem like a particularly good look for him. The situation is further complicated by Lively’s claims that she felt “uncomfortable” on set with Baldoni, particularly during a scene when she thought he kissed her for too long.

Interesting, So Where’s All The Drama Coming From?

Folks on the internet with too much time on their hands, that’s where. But it’s not all unwarranted. People noticed that not only are Baldoni and Lively regularly not appearing together during interviews, but Lively and other It Ends With Us stars don’t follow Baldoni on Instagram. Baldoni, however, still follows Lively as of the time of this writing.

Further, Lively seems to avoid mentioning Baldoni by name whenever discussing the film or her experience on set. On the other hand, Baldoni frequently praises Lively in his interviews, even going as far as telling The Hollywood Reporter she’s “advancing the conversation around domestic violence.” That’s strange, according to the internet, as the blithe tone Lively’s taken has been markedly different than Baldoni’s. She’s opened up about her husband Ryan Reynolds allegedly writing a scene in the movie, and even promoted her haircare line during the press tour. Eventually, she seemed to respond to the backlash on her Instagram Stories.

What's The Internet Saying About All This Messy Stuff?

The internet has been up in arms over the whole thing for days now. Go to TikTok, YouTube, X/Twitter, or just about any other social media platform and you’ll see discourse on the alleged feud. Some don’t care for the drama because, as X/Twitter user zoenone0none posted, “everyone involved is weird and slightly evil.” Most, though, are in disbelief that Lively would appear so out of touch promoting the film, compared to Baldoni’s very thoughtful responses. This has further solidified the division between the Team Baldoni and Team Lively camps.

At the end of the day, while there appears to be something serious happening in the background that may come to light in the future, what we’re experiencing right now is likely a difference between two creative visions. Things have gotten so bad with It Ends With Us that, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s multiple sources, Lively has commissioned a second cut of the film from Deadpool & Wolverine editor Shane Reid. This is akin to the fallout between former Justice League director-writer Zack Snyder and Warner Bros., which eventually led to the release of the “Snyder Cut” of the critically panned 2017 film. Who knows? Maybe we’ll get a “Lively Cut” of It Ends With Us, too.