Fans Are Turning on Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds as Justin Baldoni Addresses 'It Ends With Us' Drama
Fans are becoming increasingly critical of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds as more details about the seemingly contentious dynamics between the It Ends With Us cast and director emerge, including Justin Baldoni’s apparent response.
The film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book, which Baldoni directed and stars in alongside Lively, hit theaters on August 9. However, so far, most of the conversation surrounding the movie is centered apparent behind-the-scenes drama on It Ends With Us after fans noticed the cast seemingly avoiding taking photos with or talking about Baldoni at the film’s premiere.
However, fans were quick to turn on Lively and Reynolds, speculating that the couple may have battled with Baldoni for creative control over the project. One fan on X even theorized: “Streets are saying Ms. Blake Lively had her husband a little TOO involved with the production & promo of the movie.”
This speculation was exacerbated when Lively, who plays Lily Bloom in the movie, revealed that her husband had written a crucial scene in the film. “The iconic rooftop scene, my husband actually wrote it,” Lively said at the premiere. However, the film’s screenwriter, Christy Hall, told SheKnows that she had no idea Reynolds changed her screenplay until after the movie was released.
“When I watched the movie I recognized the scene,” Hall told us. “And then there were some things I didn’t recognize.”
“Like, when he says, ‘Pretty please with a cherry on top’ and then she talks about Maraschino cherries. I did not write that, and I knew that I did not write that, but I thought it was potentially improvised on the day.”
While Hall said that she “celebrates” Reynolds’ involvement (and had nothing but good things to say about Baldoni) fans didn’t totally agree. “Blake saying Ryan wrote that rooftop scene is so f-cking shady to the actual screenwriter,” one fan wrote on X.
“Whatever happened on the It Ends With Us set between Justin Baldoni and the cast I’m willing to bet money that Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are at fault,” wrote another X user. “Because why is Blake talking about how Ryan rewrote scenes? You’re not even in this movie and Justin was the director.”
Other fans criticized the couple for overt use of comedy in their joint promotion of Lively’s It Ends With Us, her new hair care line Blake Brown and Reynolds’ Deadpool x Wolverine given the fact that the Colleen Hoover adaptation is focused on domestic violence.
“Why are we using a movie about DV to promote your hair brand? Why is the PR packet funny and fluffy instead of raising awareness and talking about the heart of this film?” asked one TikTok user.
All while the criticisms against the couple continue to mount, the film’s director seemed to address the drama.
Justin Baldoni’s Response
In an interview with Today Baldoni called the movie an “extreme challenge” adding, “You’re navigating complex personalities and trying to get everybody on the same page with the same vision. And mistakes are always made, and then you figure out how to move past them.”
Without giving away too much, Baldoni did praise Reynolds and Lively. “You can’t summarize Blake’s contribution in a sentence, because her energy and imprint is all over the movie and really, really made the film better, and from beginning to end. Ryan was so generous… he’s a creative genius, that guy. So, you know, his gift is levity, and her gift is levity.”
However, when it comes to directing the movie’s sequel, Baldoni seemed ready to bow out. “I think that there are better people for that one,” he told Entertainment Tonight in response to a question about adapting Hoover’s 2022 follow-up, It Starts With Us. “I think Blake Lively’s ready to direct, that’s what I think.”
Before you go, click to catch up with all the drama behind-the-scenes of ‘It Ends With Us’.