The Drama Behind It Ends with Us: From Colleen Hoover’s Book to the Hollywood Showdown
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover is one of those books that completely takes over the literary world. Its emotionally charged storytelling and raw exploration of love, trauma, and resilience quickly became a bestseller, gaining a passionate following. But the journey of this book doesn’t end on the page—no, it takes a dramatic turn as the story makes its way to Hollywood, sparking controversy and stirring up a fascinating behind-the-scenes drama deemed the Baldoni vs Lively. Here’s a breakdown of the timeline that led to the It Ends with Us drama, from Colleen Hoover’s original writing to the clash between Hollywood heavyweights Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively. This is the only article you will need to truly understand this drama from start to finish.
The Lawsuits
There have been so many lawsuits that it's almost laughable. We have attached all of them below.
Blake Lively lawsuit: Click to Download
NYC article - We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine: Click to download
Justin Baldoni's Lawsuit against NYC: Click to Download
Justin Baldoni's Lawsuit against Blake Lively & Ryan Reynold: Click to Download
Are You Team Baldoni or Team Lively
Justin Baldoni
Blake Lively
OFFICIAL TIMELINE OF THE IT ENDS WITH US DRAMA
August 2016 - Colleen Hoover’s Book Takes the World by Storm
The end of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds all started with a book.
It Ends with Us was published by Atria Books in August 2016. Hoover, already known for her gripping and often emotionally intense novels, hit new heights with this one. The story centres on Lily Bloom, a young woman who falls in love with Ryle Kincaid, a charming neurosurgeon with a dark side. The novel delicately handles the difficult subject matter of domestic abuse, portraying the emotional complexity of being in an abusive relationship while still navigating the feelings of love, guilt, and survival.
Its themes of resilience, healing, and personal growth resonated deeply with readers, propelling the book to the top of bestseller lists. It became a cultural phenomenon, especially on TikTok, sparking discussions on abuse, trauma, and relationships. Fans connected with Lily’s journey in a raw, powerful way, making it a cornerstone in contemporary romance literature.
2019 - Wayfarer Studios acquires the rights to the book.
Justin Baldoni writes on Instagram, '' So excited to be working with the brilliant @collenhoover to try and bring the #itendswithus to the big screen!!! I'm so passionate about this book and am so honoured she chose me to help bring this to the world. Thank you to my wonderful book agent @jcastillobooks for connecting us! ***Link in my bio to get the book*** ____ ***trigger warning: domestic violence/toxic relationship***
In January 2019, Baldoni optioned the story for a film adaptation through his company, Wayfarer Studios.
January 2021 - The Announcement of a Film Adaptation
With the book's success came Hollywood interest. In 2021, it was announced that It Ends with Us would be adapted into a film, with Justin Baldoni—best known for his role as Rafael Solano in Jane the Virgin—directing the movie. Baldoni had long been an advocate for conversations surrounding masculinity and domestic abuse, which made him an ideal fit for bringing Hoover’s emotionally charged novel to the screen.
Fans of the book were excited about the announcement.
2022 - The Casting Controversy
As the project gained momentum, the question on everyone’s mind was: who would play Lily and Ryle? The decision to cast the lead roles became a lightning rod for controversy. The initial buzz centred on Justin Baldoni’s involvement, and then the speculation shifted toward his casting choices.
Rumours swirled that Blake Lively, a big name in Hollywood known for Gossip Girl and her marriage to actor Ryan Reynolds, was being considered for the role of Lily. While Lively had previously expressed interest in taking on more dramatic roles, her involvement in this sensitive project sparked a significant online debate. Critics questioned whether Lively would be the right fit for a role that, in many readers’ eyes, was central to the story’s emotional and racial complexities. Furthermore, there was a lot of drama around her age. Fans of the book had pictured a different type of casting, one that was more reflective of Lily's background and personality. The issue was that Lively was her age because, in the book, Lily was 23, but Blake Lively was 35 around this time.
But Lively wasn’t the only name floating around for the role. Fans began suggesting a variety of other actresses who might be better suited for the role, creating a passionate online dialogue about diversity, representation, and authenticity in casting.
January 2023 - It's announced that Blake Lively will be playing Lily.
Lively was cast as the lead in the film in January 2023, with Baldoni starring alongside her. Hoover was excited and was obviously a fan of Blake, and she stated on Instagram at the time, “Our Lily is going to be played by Blake Lively - Blake Lively y’all! She’s my dream, Lily. When I first met Justin Baldoni, who is directing the film for us, I immediately wanted him to be Ryle. I just thought that he had what it takes to play that character. And the good news is, he’s going to be Ryle - so we have our Ryle and our Lily.” It Ends with us begins pre-production in New Jersey
5 April 2023: Blake Declines the intimacy coordinator
Blake Lively sends a text to Justin Baldoni declining to meet with the intimacy coordinator because she "feels good." Justin Baldoni then takes the meeting with the intimacy coordinator alone. He then reiterated the proposed sex scenes to Blake Lively at her NYC penthouse.
11 April 2023: Blake Lively re-writes the rooftop scene
Blake Lively submits the rewrite of the film's iconic "rooftop scene". She invites him to her penthouse, where Ryan and Tylor Swift allegedly pressure Justin Baldoni into picking Blake's rewrite.
15 April 2023: Blake calls herself Khaleesi at 01:50 am
Blake sends a Game of Thrones clip about how she has "dragons" (aka Ryan Reynolds and Taylor Swift) and calls herself Khaleesi.
Justin sends that weird voice note at 2 am, replying to the above.
8 May 2023: Intimacy coordinator and nudity rider email to Blake
Blake Lively's attorneys are also notified about the intimacy coordinator via email pertaining to a nudity rider that they want her to sign.
May 2023 - Filming starts
Filming began in Hoboken, New Jersey.
As the film production progressed, there was growing tension between the director, Justin Baldoni, and Blake Lively. This wasn’t just about acting or casting decisions—it also involved more profound disagreements about the film's direction, especially the portrayal of domestic violence, the book’s emotional weight, and the overall vision for presenting such a sensitive story on screen.
According to sources close to the project, the tension reached a boiling point when Lively, known for her meticulous attention to detail and strong opinions, clashed with Baldoni over certain narrative choices. Lively reportedly felt that Baldoni’s vision didn’t fully align with the gravity of the story she felt so strongly about. The difference in approaches—Baldoni’s emphasis on directing a commercial hit versus Lively’s desire for a more nuanced portrayal—became a public spectacle.
Although neither Baldoni nor Lively publicly commented on the full extent of their disagreements, rumours continued to swirl. Their interactions began to look increasingly strained as the film’s release date drew nearer.
3 June 2023: Justin visits Blake's trailer while she is breastfeeding
Justin invites Blake into his trailer, and she is breastfeeding. During the lead-up to the strike, Blake begins to ask for the Dailees (raw footage shot).
19 July 2023 - Blake asks to view all the Dailes in an email
Blake Lively sends another email, which sounds unlike her, but again, Baldoni seems to be obliging. Why does she want to see this, considering she has three young children and is quite busy?
July 2023: SAG AFTRA strikes begin
The Hollywood Writers and Actors Guild strikes and filming stops. Shooting resumed in January 2024.
26 July 2023 - Ryan Reynolds wish Sandra Bullock a Happy birthday
Ryan Reynolds sends a message to Sandra Bullock and weirdly mentions an "intimacy coordinator" and an HR department.
9 November 2023 — Sag strikes end
Blake Lively makes a list of 17 demands that need to be met before she can resume filming, and her lawyer sends the mail. This delays the filming, costing Wayfarer Studios a lot of money. Deadpool resumes filming.
4 January 2024 - All hands on deck meeting (Blake, Ryan and Justin + other members of the Wayfarer Studios team)
There is an all-hands-on-deck meeting, and she brings her representative, Ryan Reynolds. They come to Reynold's house and berate Baldoni, demanding an apology for the treatment of his wife. Baldoni apologised for what he thought was the issue but did not apologise for the fictional stuff, which made Ryan very angry. They agree to everything but don't sign anything.
Late January 2024 - Nicepool scenes are shot
Ryan includes some last-minute Nicepool scenes; according to the Hollywood reporter, "it was all added post-strike." The majority of the internet agrees that this is a clear dig at Justin Baldoni. The Nicepool character is shot in front of a flooring shop called Little Sage; linking to it ends because Lily Bloom ends up having a flooring shop, and Justin Baldoni is sagging people on set. Ryan then tweeted, "Dog pool is my intimacy coordinator."
January - June 2024 - Ryan continues to insert himself in the It Ends with Us cast.
Blake hires her editors and team to make her cut of the movie. Ryan begins to come on set and keeps asking to see the dailies.
14 June 2024 - Blake Lively does a Private screening.
Blake does a screening of the It Ends with Us movie with Collen Hoover and Brandon Sklenar in Texas at the 2024 Book Bonanza festival in the Grapevine. Blake Lively starts getting bad press because the TikToks don't like her version of the movie, and she is being highlighted as tone-deaf for talking about her hair products.
22 July 2024 - Deadpool premiers Blake Lively takes a dig at Justin Baldoni
Blake Lively allegedly poked fun at Justin Baldoni in an Instagram post while promoting the Deadpool movie, saying, "When Nice men use feminism as a tool" (Image below).
After launching her hair care line, she is slaughtered on social media for being extremely tone-deaf.
6 August 2024 - Baldoni is put in the basement.
Blake Lively states she will not attend the premiere if Justin Baldoni is present. Ryan Reynolds also posted a trailer promoting It Ends with Us, allegedly mocking Justin Baldoni with his mother (video attached below). However, much of what was said has been shown to be factually true, especially about Ryan's father.
At the film's New York City premiere, fans noticed that there wasn't a single shot of the entire cast together. Lively was photographed with husband Ryan Reynolds (who joined the press junket run for this movie), fellow A-lister friend Hugh Jackman, and co-stars Jenny Slate and Brandon Sklenar.
But what stood out to fans the most was that Baldoni only appeared on the red carpet solo and side-by-side with his wife, Emily Baldoni, and other friends and family—never with Lively or other co-stars.
7 August 2024 - Blake and Collen Hoover have CNN Brasil interview
Blakes said during an interview, "If Collen has her rights, I will follow her everywhere," after being asked if she would do a sequel. This struck fans as strange because Justin Baldoni had brought all the rights.
9 August 2024 - Film's Release. Baldoni praises Lively publically.
In 2024, after months of behind-the-scenes drama, It Ends with Us finally hit theatres. The story stayed true to the book’s emotional depth; the adaptation was a mixed bag for critics. There was a generally mixed emotion, with some loving and some hating the film. Despite the behind-the-scenes drama, the movie performed well at the box office, It goes on to be a box office success, grossing a worldwide total of $351m (£291m).
Baldoni praises Lively as “strong, funny and intelligent — all the things you want from a female heroine”. He further stated, “There wasn’t a part of this production that she didn’t touch and have an influence on. And everything she put her hands on and her mind to, she made better.”
When fans noticed there wasn't a single shot of the entire cast together. Lively was photographed with husband Ryan Reynolds, fellow A-lister friend Hugh Jackman, and Jenny Slate and Brandon Sklenar but no Baldoni.
But what stood out to fans the most was that Baldoni only appeared on the red carpet solo and side-by-side with his wife, Emily Baldoni, and other friends and family—never with Lively or other co-stars.
13 August 2024 – Feud rumours circulate as Lively and Baldoni avoid each other, Justin hires Johnny Depp’s crisis management PR firm
Rumours of a feud start circulating on social media as Baldoni and Lively avoid each other during the film’s promotion. People notice that the stars do not follow each other on social media, with many of the film’s cast following Lively but not Baldoni. Hoover also notably keeps her distance from Baldoni.
TMZ alleged that the rift was caused by “fat-shaming,” inappropriate comments, and Baldoni kissing for too long during scenes. Rumours online also suggested that Lively and her Deadpool and Wolverine husband, Ryan Reynolds, were too involved with the film.
Baldoni hires crisis management and PR professional Melissa Nathan, whose previous clients include Johnny Depp, Drake and Travis Scott, according to Deadline. Nathan represented Depp during his successful defamation trial against Amber Heard, which occurred during rumours of an organised social media campaign against her.
Following the criticism, Lively shared a message to her Instagram stories on Tuesday (13 August), writing: “One in 4 women aged 18 and older in the US alone have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.”
15 August 2024 – Lively faces backlash for ‘tone deaf’ marketing
Lively faces backlash online for her " tone-deaf” approach to the movie’s marketing. Criticism focused on Lively promoting her new haircare line during her movie tour, encouraging cinemagoers to “bring their florals” in an echo of the “wear pink” trend around Barbie last year, and for avoiding explicit mention of domestic violence.
Commercial tie-ins promoting the film have also raised eyebrows, including the actor’s themed cocktails. One is called the “Ryle You Wait” and is named after a character in the film who throws Bloom down the stairs.
Her co-star Brandon Sklenar defends Lively amidst what he calls the “disheartening” backlash after a clip of an interview with the two of them also goes viral.
Interview with journalist Kjersti Flaa resurfaces
Amid the criticism surrounding Lively, a Norwegian journalist, Kjersti Flaa, posted a clip of a 2016 interview with the actor, which made her “want to quit” her job.
The sit-down was to promote Lively’s film Café Society, directed by Woody Allen. Lively was accompanied by her co-star Parker Posey.
Flaa shared the clip on YouTube and titled it “The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job.”
Flaa began the interview by congratulating the actor on her “little bump”, after which Lively sarcastically responded: “Congrats on your little bump.” Speaking about the film, the journalist said she found it “visually amazing” and asked whether Lively and Posey enjoyed the fashion, which played a big role in a film set in the 1930s.
Lively is then seen ignoring Flaa and instead turning to Posey to say, “Everyone wants to talk about the clothes, but I wonder if they would ask the men about the clothes.”
September 2024 - Ryan attempts to buy It Ends With Us
Ryan tried to buy the whole franchise, which ends with us, so his wife could have another chance to be Lily. He was turned down.
9 December 2024 – Baldoni awarded at Vital Voices event celebrating men who ‘elevate women.’
Baldoni was awarded a 2024 Voices of Solidarity Award from Vital Voices, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending sexual and domestic violence. The star-studded event was dedicated to celebrating men who “elevate women, combat gender-based violence and promote gender equality worldwide.”
21 December 2024 – Lively files bombshell lawsuit against Baldoni alleging sexual harassment
In the lawsuit via TMZ, Lively claims Baldoni exhibited behaviour that caused her “severe emotional distress”. The lawsuit states that, per TMZ, Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, Baldoni, and their lawyers attended a meeting to address the Age of Adeline star’s claims.
Lively's requirements for working on the film included no showing nude videos or images to her, no mention of Baldoni's alleged pornography addiction, no discussions of sexual conquests, no mentions of genitalia, no inquiries about her weight, and no mention of her deceased father. Additionally, there were to be no added sex scenes or on-camera climaxing outside the approved script, according to TMZ.
The complaint alleges that Baldoni showed nude images, discussed pornography addiction and personal sexual experiences, described his genitalia, improvised kisses, commented on Lively's weight, entered her trailer while she was naked, added sex scenes, and made inappropriate comments. When Lively reported these allegations, her lawyers accused Baldoni of colluding with PR firms to "destroy" her career and hide his abusive behavior.
According to the outlet, the lawsuit says that the film's distributor, Sony Pictures, approved Lively’s requests. However, the actor claims in the filing that Baldoni then began a campaign to “destroy” her reputation in response.
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freeman, told TMZ that Lively’s lawsuit was filed to “fix her negative reputation.” He told the outlet that the A Simple Favour star’s allegations are “false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt.” The lawyer added that Lively had caused issues on the film set by “threatening not [show] up to set, threatening not to promote the film, ultimately leading to its demise during release.”
22 December 2024n– New York Times investigation alleges PR campaign orchestrated to ‘bury’ Lively
Private messages obtained by The New York Times appear to show an intentional attempt to “bury” Lively. The battle over creative control was pitched as an idea for talking points during the press campaign, but Baldoni is said to have wanted more, as he said “Not sure I’m feeling the protection I felt on the call”, following a conversation according to the report. “You know we can bury anyone,” Baldoni’s PR Nathan is alleged to have said, per The New York Times.
Baldoni is accused of leveraging a viral social media thread about a celebrity bullying incident, stating, “This is what we would need.” The Times reported that Ms. Nathan suggested hiring contractors to control social media by executing “full social account takedowns,” initiating “threads of theories,” and aiming to “change the narrative.”
“‘All of this will be most importantly untraceable,’ she wrote.” When approached by The Times, Flaa denies that she was involved in an organised smear campaign against Lively. Addressing the situation further in a new YouTube video, Flaa said that she would “never take money to jeopardize my integrity as a journalist.”
22 December 2024 – Baldoni dropped by talent agency
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Baldoni, previously represented by the WME agency, parted ways with the actor following Lively’s lawsuit.
Lively – who is also repped by WME along with her husband, Ryan Reynolds – accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and alleged the actor had launched a campaign to “destroy” her reputation.
23 December 2024 – Hollywood stars come out in support of Lively
Colleen Hoover, Gwyneth Paltrow, America Ferrera, Amy Schumer, and Paul Feig share messages supporting Lively and stand with her in the aftermath of the allegations being made public. Lively’s sister and actor Robyn also weighed in as she wrote, “FINALLY, Justice for my sister Blake Lively”.
In a statement, Lively said, “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.”
Baldoni's podcast co-host, masculinity-focused feminist and journalist Liz Plank, publicly announced she had quit on Dec. 23 in an open letter to listeners, writing in a lengthy statement that "we all deserve better."
Baldoni’s lawyers respond to sexual harassment lawsuit
Bryan Freedman said in a statement, “Audiences found Lively’s own actions, interviews and marketing during the promotional tour distasteful, and responded organically to that which the media themselves picked up on”, according to People.
He defended the PR company involved, saying, “TAG PR operated as any other crisis management firm would when hired by a client experiencing threats by two extremely powerful people with unlimited resources.”
Lively unable to make Saturday Night Live appearance due to a lawsuit
In the Gossip Girl alum’s complaint, her lawyer claimed she could not continue with other work because of the backlash she was receiving due to Baldoni’s campaign.
This purportedly included the opportunity to host the season 50 premiere of SNL on September 28, 2024, which was instead hosted by Jean Smart. The Independent has contacted NBC for comment.
24 December 2024– Baldoni's Award for being an ‘ally to women’ rescinded
In a statement shared on its social media and website, Vital Voices stated that the lawsuit “alleges abhorrent conduct” that is “contrary to Vital Voices' values.”
“The communications among Mr Baldoni and his publicists included in the lawsuit – and the PR effort they indicate – are, alone, contrary to the values of Vital Voices and the spirit of the Award.
“We have notified Mr Baldoni that we have rescinded this award.”
Lively and Baldoni’s It Ends With Us co-star addresses lawsuit claims
Brandon Sklenar, who plays Lively’s teenage love interest in It Ends With Us, shared a link to her lawsuit on Instagram and captioned the post: “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD READ THIS,” adding a red heart emoji while also tagging Lively.
Baldoni’s podcast co-host leaves show amid lawsuit
Journalist and author Liz Plank, longtime co-host of The Man Enough Podcast, announced her departure following allegations of misconduct levelled against co-host Justin Baldoni by his It Ends with Us co-star Blake Lively. This came soon after the lawsuit. Liz Plank is also followed by Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.
“As this chapter closes for me, I remain committed to the values we’ve built together,” Plank said. “We all deserve better, and I know we can create it together.
Blake Lively hair products suffer a huge loss.
Blake's hair products likely suffered an 87% loss following their launch. She believes Justin's PR campaign is at fault.
25 December 2024 - Baldoni’s former publicist sues him over breach of contract
Stephanie Jones filed a lawsuit against Baldoni for breach of contract, linking her dismissal to the alleged smear campaign against Baldoni’s It Ends With Us co-star, Blake Lively.
27 December 2024 – Ryan Reynolds hints at a difficult time in the first post since the feud became public
Lively said negative press also affected her husband, Deadpool actor Reynolds, whom she married in 2012, and their four children.
While Reynolds has not addressed the furore directly, he hinted at a difficult time in the post, in which he appeared in character as the Marvel antihero for a short clip that co-starred Wonder Woman actor Lynda Carter.
In the caption, he suggested that recent experiences had eaten away at him, calling it a time when he “really didn’t feel like putting the suit on”.
31 December 2024 – Baldoni’s lawyer hints they will file an ‘explosive’ countersuit
The Daily Mail reported that “an explosive counter lawsuit will be filed by Baldoni” on January 2. The publication reported that the legal document, which Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman has been preparing, claims Lively’s Vision PR team was responsible for smears against Baldoni, not the other way round.
Freedman told Deadline that he could not confirm when the lawsuit would be filed but that it would contain some surprises.
“I am not going to speak to when or how many lawsuits we are filing, but when we file our first lawsuit, it is going to shock everyone who has been manipulated into believing a demonstrably false narrative,” the lawyer said. “I will be supported by real evidence and tell the true story.”
December 2025 - Collen Hoover Morality Close.
Rumour has it that Collen Hoover has a morality close to her. It ends with us contracting with Wayfarer Studios, and this may be how Blake Lively and Ryan Reynold plan on getting the movie. The clause stated that sexual harassment would be one of the reasons.
1 January 2025– Baldoni sues The New York Times for $250m, claims Reynolds ‘aggressively berated’ him
Baldoni and nine other plaintiffs, including publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, brought a $250m lawsuit against the newspaper alleging libel and false-light invasion of privacy.
The suit, which The Independent has seen, was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and claims that the Times reporting “cherry-picked’ and altered communications stripped of necessary context and deliberately spliced to mislead.”
He claims he was “aggressively berated” by Reynolds after Baldoni, who suffers from back problems, asked Lively how much she weighed before he lifted her “to ensure he could safely perform the lift without injury.”
Lively officially sues Baldoni.
The Hollywood star, 37, initially filed a legal complaint in December that detailed the claims against her co-star and director, with whom she had been rumoured to have clashed while shooting the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling 2016 novel.
In the lawsuit filed on 1 January in New York federal court, Lively accused Baldoni and his PR team of organising a sophisticated scheme to undermine her reputation in retaliation for speaking up about alleged misconduct on set.
2 January 2025 –New York Times and Baldoni’s lawyers respond
In a statement to The Independent, a New York Times spokesperson said: “The role of an independent news organization is to follow the facts where they lead.
“Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported. It was based on a review of thousands of original documents, including the text messages and emails we quote accurately and at length in the article. To date, Wayfarer Studios, Mr. Baldoni, the other subjects of the article and their representatives have not pointed to a single error. We also published their full statement in response to the allegations in the article.
“We plan to vigorously defend against the lawsuit.”
In a separate statement, Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman told The Independent: “In this vicious smear campaign fully orchestrated by Blake Lively and her team, the New York Times cowered to the wants and whims of two powerful ‘untouchable’ Hollywood elites, disregarding journalistic practices and ethics once befitting of the revered publication by using doctored and manipulated texts and intentionally omitting texts which dispute their chosen PR narrative.
“In doing so, they pre-determined the outcome of their story and aided and abetted their devastating PR smear campaign designed to revitalize Lively’s self-induced floundering public image and counter the organic groundswell of criticism amongst the online public. The irony is rich.
“Make no mistake; however, we all unite to take down the NY Times by no longer allowing them to deceive the public; we will continue this campaign of authenticity by also suing those individuals who have abused their power to try and destroy the lives of my clients. While their side embraces partial truths, we embrace the full truth—and have all of the communications to back it. The public will decide for themselves as they did when this first began.”
17 January 2025 – Baldoni countersues Lively and Reynolds for $400m
After weeks of threatening to countersue Lively and Reynolds, Baldoni finally filed a $400m lawsuit against the couple for allegedly attempting to “destroy” his reputation and career.
In the suit, Baldoni accused Lively and Reynolds of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentional interference with contractual relations, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, and negligent interference with prospective economic advantage.
“This lawsuit is a legal action based on an overwhelming amount of untampered evidence detailing Blake Lively and her team’s duplicitous attempt to destroy Justin Baldoni, his team and their respective companies by disseminating grossly edited, unsubstantiated, new and doctored information to the media,” Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, shared in a statement with The Independent.
“It is clear, based on our own all-out willingness to provide all complete text messages, emails, video footage and other documentary evidence that was shared between the parties in real-time, that this is a battle she will not win and will certainly regret. Blake Lively was either severely misled by her team or intentionally and knowingly misrepresented the truth.”
When reached for comment, Lively’s legal team told The Independent that Baldoni’s lawsuit was “another chapter in the abuser playbook”.
“This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim. This is what experts call DARVO. Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim Offender,” they said.
21 January 2025 – Baldoni releases ‘damning’ video, and Lively hits back
In an attempt to prove Baldoni’s innocence, his legal team released a seven-minute video showing Lively and Baldoni interacting while shooting a dance scene in the film.
The clip revealed their conversation mainly was professional. The unedited footage shows the moment, previously highlighted by Lively, when Baldoni kissed her neck while commenting on Lively’s scent. In the clip, Baldoni said Lively “smells good” in response to concerns she was getting a spray tan on him.
Following the clip’s release, Lively swiftly shared her statement in response to the unedited footage released by Baldoni’s production company Wayfarer and his lawyer Bryan Freedman, calling it “damning” evidence supporting her allegations.
“Justin Baldoni and his lawyer may hope that this latest stunt will get ahead of the damaging evidence against him, but the video itself is damning,” Lively’s legal team told MailOnline, who obtained the video.
According to Lively’s legal team, “every frame of the released footage corroborates, to the letter, what” the actor “described” in her original complaint.
Addressing the clip's contents, Lively’s team said the actor was uncomfortable during the filming of these scenes because Baldoni " attempted to kiss her, kissing her forehead, rubbing his face and mouth against her neck, flicking her lip with his thumb, caressing her, telling her how good she smells, and talking with her out of character.”
“Mr Baldoni improvised every moment of this with no discussion or consent in advance and no intimacy coordinator present. Mr Baldoni was not only Ms Lively’s co-star, but also the director, the head of the studio, and Ms Lively’s boss,” they added.
Collen Hoover deactivates her Instagram.
Colleen Hoover, the author of It Ends With Us, appears to have deactivated her Instagram account. Visitors to her platform are now met with a 'Sorry, this page isn't available' message rather than her usual profile.
25 January 2025 – Baldoni’s sister breaks silence to praise his ‘dedication to truth’
Baldoni’s younger sister, Sara, shared her first Instagram post in over a year to celebrate the actor’s 41st birthday. “Happy birthday, JB,” she wrote in the caption. “I love you, and I celebrate you – the man you are, the love you embody, the strength of your connection to God, the essence of your being, your dedication to truth, to service, and to love – today and all days.”
Sara added: “I am so proud to call you my big brother and annoyingly squeeze the hell out of you until the end of time.”
Her post came days after Baldoni’s wife, Emily, broke her Instagram silence to honour the Jane the Virgin alum on his January 24 birthday.
“Happy birthday my love. Celebrating the man, husband, and father that you are. I’d choose you again and again,” Emily wrote alongside a photo of them and their two children on a beach.
27 January 2025 – Baldoni apologises to Lively in a leaked voice memo
In a leaked voice memo that Baldoni allegedly sent to Lively during the movie's production, he can be heard apologising to his co-star.
The nearly seven-minute audio message is believed to have been sent after Baldoni questioned changes Lively made to a rooftop scene—months before their explosive lawsuit.
Baldoni’s response to Lively's edits to a pivotal scene in the movie led the upset actor to express her disappointment with Baldoni, for which he said he was “really sorry”.
“Man, reading the second part of your message, my heart sank, and I’m really sorry. I, for sure, fell short, and you worked really hard on that,” Baldoni said in the voice note.
“I feel really grateful that you feel safe enough to tell me that that’s how you feel and share that with me. And I’m really sorry. I f***ed up. That is a failure on my part.”
In the message, which Baldoni said was sent at 2 am, he said he is “far from perfect”, adding: “I’m a very flawed man, as my wife will attest. But I will always apologise and then find my way back to the centre. That is one thing I can assure you of. And I’m sorry I made you feel that way – that must have felt terrible.”
25 January 2025- Candace Owens Expose
Candance Owens breaks down the drama behind the scenes, first on her Instagram and then on her YouTube channel.
Apparently, Ryan Reynolds is the villain. Candace states that because it ends with Is and Deadpool shooting simultaneously, they were away from each other. 6 months later, the strike happens, and Ryan comes home. Blake and Justin are getting along and working well together. In June 2023, Blake invites Justin Baldoni to her house and penthouse to hold her newborn, and Blake even takes a picture. June 3, 2023 - Justin invites Blake into his trailer, and she is breastfeeding. During the lead-up to the strike, Blake begins to ask for the Dailees (raw footage shot).
Blake Lively sends another email, which sounds unlike her, but again, Baldoni seems to be obliging. Why does she want to see this, considering she has three young children and is quite busy?
November 2023—Blake Lively needs to make 17 demands before she can resume filming, and her lawyer sends the mail. Candace allergies: This is Ryan going crazy and demanding.
28 January 2025 – Trial date set
Within hours of the audio message’s release, New York federal judge Lewis J. Liman informed both parties to prepare for a March 9, 2026 trial.
He also moved an initial conference from mid-February to early February and told lawyers to be prepared to address complaints about pretrial publicity and attorney conduct.
Liman took action after Lively’s lawyers claimed in a filing on Monday (January 27) that an attorney for Baldoni was trying to taint potential jurors over lawsuits the actors have filed against each other.
30 January 2025 - Lively and Reynolds ask for Baldoni’s lawsuit to be dismissed
The couple’s attorneys filed a notice on January 30 stating they would seek to dismiss Baldoni’s counter-lawsuit. This complies with Judge Lewis Liman’s order, which outlines how the case will proceed.
The judge had reportedly asked for a letter that would “indicate in one sentence the Defendant’s intent to make a motion to dismiss”. Liman will later set a deadline for when to file the motion.
Following the judge’s instruction, lawyer Michael J Gottlieb said: “The Lively-Reynolds Parties intend to move to dismiss Plaintiffs’ complaint.”
Leslie Sloane, who is a publicist for Lively and Reynolds and was also named as a defendant in Baldoni’s lawsuit, submitted a similar statement to the court on January 29 2025.
Baldoni’s team said they are eager to take Lively’s deposition as soon as possible but claimed that her representatives have indicated that they don’t want his lawyer, Bryan Freedman, to do the deposition due to “unspecified statements made by Mr Freedman”.
TikTok looks at the metadata for the NYT article.
Candace reports that the metadata on the NYT article showed that they had been working on it since December 10th; therefore, Justin's team could not have leaked this.
TikTok creators Bee Better and Candace Owens find that the metadata for the NYT article might have been present since 31 October 2024, suggesting that they have been working on the text for the article since then. Other users, such as @goojiepooj, have suggested that it's likely the graphics and not the formatting, meaning the messaging-embedded app had an update on that date and not the article itself being completed then.
Taylor Swift "takes a step away from Blake Lively"
Social media allergies Taylor Swift and Blake Lively now have bad blood. She claims to have been used by the Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds team. Taylor Swift apparently helped cast Isabela Ferrer, the actress who plays young Lily. Candace suggests that Taylor Swift was involved and is likely the reason NYT was comfortable publishing an article so one-sided with such a strong focus on attacking Justin Baldoni instead of reporting both sides of the It Ends With Us drama.
1 February 2025. - Justin edits his lawsuit
Justin Baldoni claims Blake Lively 'plotted with NYT for months' in an amended $400 million defamation action, based on the metadata as per TikTok.
Conclusion
Looking back, the drama surrounding It Ends with Us serves as a cautionary tale for future film adaptations of beloved books. What was meant to be a heartfelt exploration of love and loss became entangled in the personalities and visions of the stars involved. The real-world drama overshadowed the themes of the book in many ways but also highlighted the pressures and challenges of adapting such an emotionally complex story for the screen.
As of 2025, the tea is boiling. Whether or not the film lived up to expectations, it proved one thing: the drama behind the scenes was just as riveting as the story itself.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS ARTICLE WILL BE SLOWLY UPDATED AS NEW INFORMATION COMES.
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