Justin Baldoni has hired veteran PR crisis manager Melissa Nathan to lead the release of It Ends With Us, the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s 2016 hit novel, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Days before the news broke, investigators had been churning out a ton of speculation on TikTok about rifts between Baldoni and fellow cast and crew members, including co-star and producer Blake Lively and Huber. Rumors soared after fans noticed Baldoni’s absence from the film’s joint press conference and the absence of a group photo of Lively and Baldoni together at the film’s New York premiere on August 6. Others also pointed out that neither Lively, Huber, nor any of the other cast members follow Baldoni on Instagram (though he does follow them).
Nathan founded Agency Group this summer after spending nearly a decade working for crisis management guru Matthew Hiltzik. His New York-based firm specializes in communications, crisis management, reputation management, personal promotion and digital team services across the entertainment industry. Among his clients joining from Hiltzik Strategies is Johnny Depp, whom Nathan represented in the Amber Heard trial.
Sources told THR that a rift developed between Baldoni and Lively during post-production, resulting in two different cuts of the film. According to multiple sources, Lively asked Shane Reed, who was an editor on Deadpool and Wolverine, to cut the film. It’s unclear if this cut ultimately made it into the final film, but it was credited to editors Oona Flaherty and Rob Sullivan.
The Agency Group’s hiring comes amid a period of negative press for Baldoni over allegations that he made Lively feel uncomfortable on set.
Throughout promotional and interviews over the last week, Baldoni has been vocal about Livry’s creative contributions to the film, and said that because the movie is told from a female perspective and focuses on the sensitive issue of domestic violence, he sometimes took a step back on set to let the women take the lead.
It Ends With Us, produced by Baldoni and Jamie Heath’s Wayfarer Studios, was released over the weekend by Sony Pictures Entertainment. On a production budget of $25 million, it grossed $50 million domestically and $80 million worldwide, beating all other box office grosses. Wayfarer Studios is backed by Steve Sarowitz. Baldoni and Sarowitz are Baha’i.
The agency group declined THR’s request for comment.
