Inside ‘It Ends With Us’ Press Tour Drama: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni Feud Rumors and More

Although Colleen Hoover fans have been eagerly awaiting the book-to-movie adaptation of the best-selling novel It Ends With Us , fans noticed there seemed to be drama with the film’s two biggest stars, Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively .

Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively 'It Ends With Us' Feud Rumors

Blake and Justin star as onscreen love interests Lily and Ryle, but their romance quickly takes a dark turn when it becomes abusive. The situation grows even more complex when Lily’s first love, Atlas — played by Brandon Sklenar — reenters her life.

Despite Justin's praise for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants actress as a "powerhouse" screen partner, rumors of on-set drama began swirling when the father of two was conspicuously absent from several press events and cast photos ahead of the movie’s August 9, 2024, release.

Social media users also noticed that Blake, Colleen and other cast members unfollowed Justin on Instagram, according to The Sun .

“Why hasn’t he posed for photos with the rest of the cast?” one user commented on a post the House Bunny actor shared on August 8, 2024, where he was seen answering questions at a press event.

“What happened that Justin is being excluded from promoting the film? In addition to being the director of the film, he is one of the main actors. What an ugly thing to do. Be professional,” another added. “We love Justin. I hope this wasn’t due to any outbreak of stardom from the other protagonist.”

On August 9, 2024, Page Six reported that Justin made Blake “feel uncomfortable about her postpartum body” on the set of the film, but it wasn’t just The Town star that Justin reportedly made feel uneasy. Another source told the publication that he “created an extremely difficult atmosphere” for everyone.

“It’s not just Blake,” the insider revealed. “None of the cast enjoyed working with Justin …They certainly didn’t talk to him at the premiere.”

However, sources who worked with the Five Feet Apart producer in the past told Page Six that he would “never intentionally set out to make any of his actors feel unsupported.”

Theories About the 'It Ends With Us' Cast Drama

It is unclear if there is tension brewing between the two It Ends With Us costars, but internet users were quick to draw their own suspicions as to why the A-listers have been avoiding each other on the red carpet.

Justin worked as a director on the film, while Blake also took on a major role as a producer. TikTok user nadiagreads shared a video speculating that the alleged feud might stem from disagreements over a “fluff” press run to promote a movie that addresses sensitive topics like domestic violence. The upload generated major buzz online, garnering more than 45,000 likes and hundreds of comments.

“Somehow Ryan Reynolds got involved for some reason and wrote a couple scenes,” she says about the dynamic of the film. “I know Justin Baldoni said in an interview that he purposely took a back seat in some of the intimate scenes so that the woman could take control of that and give it the female gaze.”

Her comment was in reference to a comment Blake made to E! News saying, "The iconic rooftop scene, my husband [ Ryan Reynolds ] actually wrote it. Nobody knows that but you now. 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."

The video’s creator theorized that The Forgotten Ones actor was “bulldozed” during the creative process, “creating a bit of a disconnect.”

“Blake Lively is very popular and she’s very close with Colleen during this whole thing,” she concluded. “I think that the way that this PR is going, he wants no part in it. That’s my opinion.”

Social media users quickly hopped into the comment section and shared their takes on the alleged feud.

“THIS RIGHT HERE. Justin is the main one speaking about the severity and importance of this movie,” one follower wrote. Meanwhile, another added, “His interviews have been wonderful to watch, he is focused on the awareness part.”

However, the film's screenwriter Christy Hall later told People she was not aware of any rewrites. "There were a couple of little things that I thought had been improvised," she said. "Like when he says, 'Pretty please with a cherry on top,' and she talks about the maraschino cherries," Christy said. "When I saw a cut I was like, 'Oh, that's cute. That must have been a cute improvised thing.' So if I'm being told that Ryan wrote that, then great, how wonderful."

She continued, "There were a few little flourishes that I did not write, but I assumed that they had been improvised on set ... If those flourishes came from Ryan, I think that's wonderful."

Will There Be an 'It Ends With Us' Sequel?

CoHo fans know that following the success of IEWU , Colleen wrote a sequel called It Starts With Us . When asked if he would be willing to sign on to direct the second film, the Jane the Virgin star told Entertainment Tonight , "I think there are better people for that one."

"I think Blake Lively is ready to direct. That’s what I think,” Justin added.