Let’s start with something about me: I hate Colleen Hoover books. I despise how TikTok convinced the world that her writing was revolutionary, her plot lines intricate, her style original. It’s a step above airport romance novels in my opinion…so when one of her hit novels, It Ends With Us, was adapted to a movie starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, I was disappointed but not surprised.
And to make matters worse, I was constantly reminded of this fact because it was filmed on my street in Hoboken, New Jersey…but enough about me.
It Ends With Us finally hit theaters on August 9, and the press tour has been nothing short of catastrophic.
We have the internet up in flames ready to burn Blake Lively at the stake for a multitude of reasons (including, but definitely not limited to) her fashion sense, her “pick me” attitude, or her dismissive commentary on domestic abuse, which is a main focus of the film itself. Not only that, but there’s clear tension between Justin Baldoni and the rest of the cast, who stumble over cute press questions like “What was it like working together?”
It’s all very reminiscent of Olivia Wilde’s
Don’t Worry, Darling, which starred Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, and was riddled with obvious cast member drama from the beginning…yet, it’s less hilarious and more annoying. But let’s break down the It Ends With Us press tour drama before you get even more confused.
What’s Going On With The It Ends With Us Cast?
Let’s put it into perspective. Things have gotten so bad that director and actor, Justin Baldoni, has hired the same PR crisis manager (Melissa Nathan) that both Johnny Depp and Logan Paul have used. As the press tour surged on, fans began to notice Baldoni was absent from group press events as reports swirled about disputes between himself and Lively during post-production.
If you see Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni on the same couch together during this press junket, then consider yourself lucky. They’ve split up their press tour with respective outlets: Baldoni gets
Access Hollywood, Today, ET!, and GMA; Lively gets Vogue, Capital FM, and CBS Mornings.
The Hollywood Reporter that disagreements arose during the final cut while filming. Lively, a producer on It Ends With Us, had scenes she wanted and even commissioned her own cut of the film. However, Forbesassures this can happen without indicating a feud.
@bbcnews Blake said she felt the “responsibility of servicing the people” that care so much about the book, when bringing Lily to life. #ItEndsWithUs #BlakeLively #LilyBloom #ItEndsWithUsMovie #ColleenHoover #BookTok #ItEndsWithUsBook #BBCNews ♬ original sound – BBC News
Fans have been reading in between the lines during press interviews. Lively has made a few interesting comments furthering the creative control rumors. At one point, she even mentions her husband, Ryan Reynolds, wrote a scene in the film, which some believe was the start of their fight. Then, in another interview, Lively shares she got in a fight with an unnamed person about removing a Lana Del Rey song from the film.
@sammysamslife I love both Ryan Reynolds and Justin Baldoni so I hope this isn’t true. #itendswithus #justinbaldoni #ryanreynolds #blakelively #colleenhoover #drama #greenscreen ♬ original sound – SAMANTHA💞
However, given the film’s references to domestic violence, this Lana Del Rey song could have been considered controversial. “Cherry” details loving a man despite all of the hard times in an extremely toxic and unhealthy relationship. So, if Baldoni was the one Lively had to fight, he may have had a point.
Elle, Baldoni admits to tensions on set: “There are all these things that happen every day on set, there’s always friction that happens when you make a movie like this. Then at the end of the day, it’s that friction, I believe, that creates the beautiful art,”
Cast member Jenny Slate adds fuel to the fire by dodging questions about Justin Baldoni. Slate told a reporter that it “must be difficult working two jobs” when asked what it was like working with him. When Baldoni was asked about Lively, he claimed it “seems like she’s ready to direct.”
There’s been nothing but shade, and apparently, the movie isn’t even that great. What I think everyone can agree on is this press tour needs to end.