It Ends With Us, the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel, has stirred controversy ahead of its opening weekend, with online sleuths speculating about behind-the-scenes drama among the cast.
The book, which Huber says was inspired by her parents’ abusive marriage, has exploded on TikTok’s vibrant literary community, BookTok, and become a global cultural phenomenon: videos using the title hashtag have been viewed more than 2 billion times. The book itself has been translated and published in 43 languages.
The story follows Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) and her abusive relationship with neurosurgeon Lyle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni). Baldoni signed a rights deal with Wayfarer Studios for the film in 2019 and later signed on to direct and star in the film. Lively also serves as a producer. Brandon Sklener stars as Atlas Corrigan, Lily’s high school boyfriend, who reappears when Lily begins to have doubts about her relationship with Lyle.
Hoover’s millions of fans are eagerly awaiting the release date of the film adaptation, which Variety reports brought in $7 million in previews on Thursday and is expected to gross between $25 million and $35 million this weekend.
But the excitement has been coupled with a torrent of rumors that have spread across TikTok, Reddit and X. Online, fans have increasingly speculated about the behind-the-scenes dynamics between the stars by analyzing various interviews, red carpet interactions, body language, etc. The press tour for It Ends With Us has been compared to the 2022 film Don’t Worry Darling starring Harry Styles, due to rumors that have spread amid the scrutiny of its release.
Fan speculation surrounding this alleged drama stems primarily from the fact that Baldoni, who has a key role both on and off screen in the film, appears to be conducting press activities separately from the rest of the cast: Baldoni follows Lively and fellow cast member Jenny Slate on Instagram, but neither of them follow Baldoni.
Representatives for Baldoni, Lively and Huber did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and a spokesman for Sony Pictures, which is distributing the film, did not immediately respond.
In a recent interview with “Today,” Baldoni praised Lively. “You can’t sum up Blake’s contributions in one word because her energy and her impact was there throughout the entire movie and she really made it great from start to finish,” he said. Lively didn’t seem to mention Baldoni in most of the interview.
Here we take a look at all the unverified speculations circulating.
Red carpet premier attracts attention
It’s common for co-stars, especially those playing each other’s love interests, to pose for photos together on the carpet to promote their films.
At the film’s New York premiere this week, Lively posed for photos with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and other co-stars, but many fans online pointed out that Baldoni only appeared in red carpet photos with his wife, Emily Baldoni.
Slate, who plays Lyle’s sister and Lily’s friend Alisa in the film, also faced criticism from fans after a video of her red carpet interview with Deadline was shared online.
When asked about Baldoni being both a director and an actor, Slate replied, “I mean, it’s such a hard job, doing so many things. I was like, ‘Wow, I really just want to do one thing at a time.’
She went on to talk about how she enjoys being a writer and prefers to do one thing at a time. “I was looking around and I was like, ‘Yeah, I just want to act,'” Slate said. “I just love acting. I just want to do it.”
Slate did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On TikTok and X, some fans suggested Slate’s comments might indicate some sort of disagreement behind the scenes, as Baldoni was wearing multiple hats on set.
In an interview with “Today,” Baldoni said he is a “best idea wins” type of person and that “people sometimes wonder what I do and why I have my point of view because I’m willing to let my vision change. I don’t believe inspiration or creativity comes from one person.”
Ryan Reynolds’ involvement leaves fans confused
Some fans speculated that Baldoni and Lively’s spat had to do with Reynolds and his involvement in the project.
According to Lively, the “Deadpool” actor, who married her in 2012, helped with lines for the scene where Lily and Lyle meet on the rooftop early in the film.
“That iconic rooftop scene was actually written by my husband,” Lively told E! during a red carpet interview. “Nobody knows that right now except you.”
“We support each other,” Lively added. “He supports me in everything I do, and I support him in everything he does, so his victories, his blessings are mine and mine are his.”
IMDb credits Christy Hall as the film’s screenwriter alongside Huber, and when asked by People magazine if Reynolds had been involved in writing the scene, she seemed unaware of his collaboration.
“There were a few bits that I thought were ad-libbed,” Hall told the magazine. “Like when he says, ‘Top it with a cherry,’ and when she’s talking about maraschino cherries. When I saw the cut, I thought, ‘Oh, so cute. That must have been a cute ad-lib.’ So when they told me that Ryan wrote that, I was like, wow, how amazing.”
Hall did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Some online have criticised Reynolds and Lively, saying coverage of the film has focused on each other and their respective projects, distracting from the film’s central theme of domestic violence.
In an interview with “Today,” Baldoni praised Reynolds: “Ryan was a very generous person. He was a creative genius,” he said.
When asked if he would work with the couple again, he replied, “If they’d accept me.”
A Reynolds spokesman also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Speculation that it may all be a media publicity stunt
In several posts on the official “It Ends With Us” Instagram page, fans have taken to the comments section to ask why there seems to be such a distance between Baldoni and the rest of the cast.
Baldoni has also appeared to be absent from some recent promotional events. In June, Baldoni posted on Instagram that he had been hospitalized for a week with an infection. On social media, Baldoni has appeared in promotional content on Instagram several times, but usually with Huber.
Baldoni’s character, Lyle, is an abuser and an unlikable character, so some have suggested that keeping the actor-director in a supporting role was a marketing strategy.
Some have even suggested that the dramatic online rumors and speculation may be part of a promotion for the film, and may even bolster the theatrical release of Reynolds’ upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine movie.
When asked if he’d be interested in directing a sequel, Baldoni told Entertainment Tonight, “I think there’s someone better suited for that project.”
“I think Blake Lively is ready to direct,” he said. “That’s what I think.”
