It Ends With Us cast drama explained amid Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni ‘feud’

It Ends With Us cast drama explained amid Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni 'feud'

As a survivor of domestic abuse myself, I find the recent events surrounding the cast of “It Ends With Us” deeply concerning. The lack of sensitivity and understanding towards the serious subject matter portrayed in the film is alarming.


As a film enthusiast who has spent countless hours immersed in cinematic worlds, I must admit that I found myself utterly disappointed by the recent romantic drama film “It Ends With Us.” This movie, which was supposed to be one of the standout productions of the year, unfortunately failed to live up to its potential. Instead of captivating audiences with a heartwarming love story, it left me feeling uneasy and frustrated due to its problematic portrayal of domestic abuse.

The movie, sharing its title with a book penned by Colleen Hoover, narrates the story of a woman named Lily Bloom, skillfully played by Blake Lively. This woman finds herself entangled in an abusive relationship with Ryle Kincaid, a character brilliantly brought to life by Justin Baldoni.

It has been dogged by whispers of tension on set, a conflict between Blake and Justin, and an icy promotional campaign.

On social media, opinions about the scandal are divided. Some people are supporting Blake, while others criticize her as being out of touch or high-maintenance.

Regardless of any disputes, the movie has proven successful thus far, earning more than $93 million at the ticket counter – with more revenue still rolling in.

DailyMail.com takes a look at the many scandals plaguing the troubled film.  

It Ends With Us cast drama explained amid Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni 'feud'

Awkward press tour 

People thought there might be a disagreement between Blake, aged 36, and Justin, aged 40, as they noticed some awkwardness between them at the New York City premiere recently.

At the event, neither Blake nor Justin were captured in photos together, even though they portrayed the lead roles as romantic leads in the movie.

She joyfully posed for pictures alongside her fellow actors, Jenny Slate and Brandon Sklenar; however, she did not do so with Justin.

In two days, Blake joined a photo session in London for the movie alongside several other actors; however, Justin’s presence was unexplainedly missing.

In addition, the two haven’t done any press together in the weeks leading up to the film’s release.

Last month, instead of being involved individually, Blake attended an interview alongside her co-star Brandon. Moreover, they both took part in a promotional video featuring the cast of It Ends With Us, specifically Alex Neustaedter and Isabela Ferrer. However, Justin was not present for this particular project.

Attentive social media followers have pointed out a recent change in the social circles of Blake, Colleen, and Justin, as it appears both Blake and author Colleen have chosen to stop following Justin on Instagram.

It Ends With Us cast drama explained amid Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni 'feud'
It Ends With Us cast drama explained amid Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni 'feud'

Co-stars clash on set 

Trusted sources disclosed to DailyMail.com their worries about the underlying friction during filming, explaining that disagreements arose between Blake and Justin due to Justin’s supposed dismissiveness towards Blake’s suggestions during scenes depicting abusive situations.

The tipster asserted that Justin primarily concentrated on what they perceived as a biased, misogynistic perspective, and exhibited a distinctly male-dominated, or rather, overly masculine attitude towards the subject matter.

During instances where the storyline portrayed abuse, it was pointed out that Justin tended to overlook Blake’s character’s point of view, instead concentrating exclusively on what he thought represented the perspective of an abuser.

‘His approach was very chauvinistic, creating a tense atmosphere on set.’

According to the source, Justin was reportedly on the verge of being abusive on set, and he seemed to fully embody the character.

In a somewhat alarming turn of events, it was reported that Justin’s behavior on set made certain women feel that he crossed the line into abusive territory towards them. They also mentioned his lack of professionalism and unwillingness to apologize for his actions.

It’s troubling that a movie, so heavy and significant on the topic of domestic abuse, was directed without involving women in the creative process.

The tipster claimed that the actor-director-producer didn’t seem to acknowledge Blake and Colleen’s positions as co-producers and scriptwriters.

And they said he took it ‘very personally’ when the pair asked for some script rewrites. 

‘Without Colleen’s book, none of this would have been possible,’ they pointed out.

The scenes in the movie were revised at Colleen’s direction, it was necessary. He tended to interpret script changes as personal affronts, although they weren’t meant that way.

They said things only got worse once he began to feel ‘ganged up on’ by the women on set.

The source added, “His actions went beyond just the key participants. When he felt surrounded or outnumbered, his level of empathy significantly decreased.”

Currently, he seems to be showering compliments, perhaps due to the anxiety that they may expose him. He anticipates the confrontation and might attempt to shift the blame for his actions onto his role as a method actor.

Allegations of fat-shaming

On the set of “It Ends With Us,” it’s said that Blake felt humiliated due to what appeared to be body shaming by Justin, making her uneasy about a kissing scene they shared. In this scene, she thought Justin prolonged the kiss beyond what was required.

In the midst of whispers about a supposed dispute between them, fresh information has emerged, suggesting that Justin may have been involved in two occurrences while they were working on the movie, which left Blake feeling uneasy or awkward.

TMZ reports that the alleged fat-shaming stemmed from preparation for a scene in the film which saw Justin lift Lively into the air. 

It was reported by sources close to the situation that before the lifting scene, Justin had been dealing with back issues and consulted a fitness coach for help.

It is said that Justin inquired from the coach about Blake’s weight (who is 36 years old) and sought guidance on how to strengthen his own back to prevent potential injuries.

When Blake learned about Justin’s comments, she allegedly felt fat-shamed by him.

In February 2023, the actress who plays Gossip Girl gave birth to her fourth child with husband Ryan Reynolds. A statement from the actress, as reported by TMZ, seemed particularly impactful on her emotions.

TMZ sources also cited another alleged instance that bothered Blake on the set.

In the movie, the pair were shooting a romantic scene involving a long kiss, and some reports suggest that Lively felt Baldwin held the kiss for too long, beyond what was required.

It Ends With Us cast drama explained amid Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni 'feud'

Crew turns on Blake 

According to a source, the team behind The It Ends With Us film production hasn’t uniformly supported Blake, as some believe that Justin was unfairly treated creatively.

Over the past few weeks, there have been accounts of significant artistic disagreements and clashes between the actors, as they each undertake individual media interviews.

However, production sources have put an end to speculation about the cast siding with Blake, indicating instead that several members of the crew hold Director and Star Justin in high regard.

According to sources who spoke to TMZ, Justin is typically easy to collaborate with and shows great concern for the project’s success.

Crisis PR manager called in

I, being faced with a challenging situation, have sought the expertise of the esteemed PR crisis manager, Melissa Nathan, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Melissa holds recognition for advocating on behalf of Johnny Depp during his court case involving defamation accusations made by his former spouse, Amber Heard.

In June, she established her agency, The Agency Group, with an inaugural roster of high-profile clients such as Johnny Depp, Drake, The Chainsmokers, Logan Paul, and others.

The Agency Group is based in Los Angeles and New York, with a satellite office in Washington, DC.

Prior to her current position, Melissa was employed at Hiltzik Strategies, where she worked under the guidance of crisis management expert, Matthew Hiltzik.

In that location, she defended Depp during his defamation case against Heard. However, when news of a new law firm emerged, the contentious actor switched allegiances and joined forces with her instead.

It Ends With Us cast drama explained amid Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni 'feud'

Blake’s ‘tone deaf’ interview

In simpler terms, people criticized Blake for being insensitive (tone deaf) and superficial (shallow) following her interview with her It Ends With Us co-stars, as she neglected to delve into the significant themes that the film conveyed.

Last week, when the former Gossip Girl actor chatted with Jenny Slate, Isabela Ferrer, and Colleen Hoover about their upcoming movie, some viewers found the casual tone of their discussion less than engaging.

The four ladies shared a laugh while exchanging thoughts on their ideal careers and astrological signs, yet the topic of domestic violence did not come up in their conversation.

Users on social media swiftly criticized them, especially Blake, who conducted the interview, for engaging in a light-hearted Q&A despite the film’s heavy subject matter, and for not addressing the topic directly.

One individual expressed, “I find myself quite perplexed. It seems you entirely overlooked the main point of the film. I’m feeling disheartened and let down.”

‘This is a movie about abuse, can you promote please appropriately?’ another asked.

It was noted that Blake is primarily present for the film’s fashion aspects and doesn’t seem to care about the movie’s underlying message. In other words, she appears to be superficial.

“From a reader who enjoyed Blake’s work, a survivor of domestic violence, and someone deeply moved by the book – I can’t express enough how much of a letdown it was.”

One person commented, “This is the most insensitive thing I’ve come across. The film deals with domestic violence; why are you marketing it as if it were a Barbie film?”

A different user sharply criticized, saying, “When will you address the topic of domestic violence? It’s inappropriate and offensive to present this film as just a light-hearted romantic comedy.”

‘We don’t wanna hear about shows and your new hair care routine we wanna hear about the victims and how prevalent domestic violence remains in society. You have been given a platform, use it.’ 

Others said they were ‘team Justin,’ referencing an alleged feud between Blake and the actor.

Later on, I decided to utilize my social media platform to spread awareness about domestic violence and provide valuable resources to my followers.

Instead of sending them straight to the links, she guided her audience towards several resources. These resources encompassed a hotline for those experiencing domestic violence, along with statistical data and additional information.

‘Everyone deserves relationships free of domestic violence,’ she wrote.

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2024-08-15 01:37

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