The adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel has been eagerly anticipated. “It Ends With Us” tells the story of Lily, a woman who overcomes a traumatic childhood to build a new life. Her world shifts when she meets a charming neurosurgeon, but their relationship takes a dark turn. Spoiler warning: it’s not a romantic comedy.

But while the film had viewers flocking to the cinemas, now it’s also making headlines for something beyond its powerful storyline. Several signs point to a rift between the leads, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Let’s dive into the speculation and break down each alleged cause for this feud.

The Film Premiere: Drama Started to Show

The movie held its premiere in New York on August 6, 2024, and its cast, comprised of Baldoni, Lively, Brandon Sklenar, Jenny Slate, Isabela Ferrer, Hasan Minaj, and Amy Morton, all showed up and posed for pictures.

On the red carpet, Baldoni spoke with ET about what was truly important that day. “This isn’t my night,” he said. “This is a night for all the women who we made this movie for.” He also expressed gratitude for the project’s completion after five years in the making.

Baldoni brought his entire family to celebrate, including his wife Emily. When asked about his experience optioning, directing, and starring in the adaptation, he focused on its potential impact. “If a Lily Bloom in real life can sit in this theater and maybe make a different choice for herself… that’s why I made the movie,” he explained.

However, when questioned about potentially directing the sequel, Baldoni deflected. “I think Blake Lively is ready to direct,” he suggested. This was the first red flag.

Rumors of discord within the cast began to circulate afterward, especially because other telling signs became clearer. Fans noticed that Baldoni didn’t pose for photos with his co-stars during that premiere, while Lively seemed to avoid him. This behavior and the fact that most of the cast doesn’t follow Baldoni on Instagram fueled speculation.

The situation intensified when Hoover made her TikTok account private. No one knew what to believe. But the drama has been linked to what happened between Olivia Wilde, Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, and Chris Pine during the “Don’t Worry Darling” promotions.

What’s more, when Baldoni was absent from the premiere in Denmark, many people were more certain that something happened. Thus, the internet sleuthing began. After digesting all the information out there, there are likely four potential explanations behind the “It Ends With Us” drama. Let’s discover them!

First Reason: Lively and Her Husband Overstepped

The first possible cause for the rift is that Ryan Reynolds became involved. At the New York premiere, the actress revealed that her husband had written a pivotal rooftop scene for the movie.

“We help each other,” she explained. “He works on everything I do. I work on everything he does. So his wins, his celebrations are mine, and mine are his.”

While Lively presented this collaboration as a positive aspect of their relationship, it may have caused friction behind the scenes. Sources confirm that Reynolds did contribute dialogue to the scene, though not the entire sequence.

However, his involvement, coupled with Lively’s role as both star and producer, might have offended Baldoni, who was the actual director of the film.

Furthermore, reports suggest that the actress commissioned her own cut of the movie with editor Shane Reid, who had previously collaborated with her on other projects. Reid also worked on “Deadpool & Wolverine” and cut Lively’s directed music video for Taylor Swift’s “I Bet You Think About Me.”

While it’s not uncommon for multiple edits to emerge during post-production, this move could’ve clashed with Baldoni’s vision for the film.

It’s also clear that Lively had a strong say in the creative direction. This extended to having input on music, costumes, dialogue, and more. At the London premiere of the film, which Baldoni also did not attend, the actress told the BBC, “I really feel like we delivered a story that’s emotional, and it’s fun, but also funny, painful, scary, tragic and it’s inspiring and that’s what life is, it’s every single color.”

Second Reason: Baldoni was Dismissive

Another potential source of conflict centers on the actor’s alleged behavior during filming, particularly in scenes involving domestic violence. Insiders claim that Baldoni clashed with Lively over his approach to these sensitive moments.

“During scenes depicting abuse, Justin failed to consider Blake’s character’s perspective, instead focusing solely on what he believed was the abusive male viewpoint,” one source revealed to the Daily Mail. They described his approach as “very chauvinistic.”

More concerning are the allegations that Baldoni’s behavior extended beyond the main cast. The source stated that some female crew members felt Justin’s behavior on set was very similar to the abusive character he played. They claimed he was unprofessional and showed no remorse for his actions.

This insider further claimed that the actor’s attitude only worsened when he felt challenged, and he allegedly turned “less empathetic.”

However, these revelations don’t seem to connect to the man who talked about giving a voice to women, especially the ones making this film. Unfortunately, the next possible explanation for this conflict paints a darker picture of Baldoni.

The third potential cause for the rift between the actors stems from supposed conflicts, even altercations, on the set of “It Ends With Us.” According to some insiders, Baldoni reportedly made Lively, a mother of four, “uncomfortable” during the filming process because of her postpartum figure.

This discomfort wasn’t limited to Lively alone. One source claimed Baldoni created an “extremely difficult” atmosphere for the entire cast. “None of the cast enjoyed working with Justin,” an insider explained.

During the red carpet of the New York premiere, a Deadline reporter asked Slate about her experience working with Baldoni as both director and scene partner. The actress’s response was notably lukewarm. Although she acknowledged the difficulty of balancing two roles, she didn’t discuss her co-star by name.

Furthermore, a video recently surfaced showing Lively and Baldoni in what appeared to be a heated discussion on the set in Hoboken, New Jersey. The clip, shot by a witness on May 17, 2023, shows the actress outside a restaurant, looking distressed alongside her co-star, who was directing the scene.

While one source downplayed the incident as a normal between-takes conversation, another witness noted that Lively often seemed unhappy during filming. However, the story’s main theme could’ve been the real reason why the actress looked upset.

Despite all of this drama (or perhaps because of it), the film has performed well at the box office and debuted just behind “Deadpool & Wolverine,” Reynolds’ new movie. But wait, there’s one final twist to consider: could this all be fake?

me skeptical fans have suggested a different explanation for the drama: it might all be a calculated publicity stunt. Social media users have noted that BTS scandals seem to boost ticket sales for many movies.

On an Instagram post from People, a user wrote, “It occur to anyone that it’s a publicity stunt given the nature of his character [sic]??“

Others pointed to comparable situations in recent film promotions. “I feel like this is similar to when everyone thought Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney were dating (just rumors) and their movie did great, and it was talked about a lot,” one fan noted.

The “It Ends with Us” lead actor has hired crisis public relations manager Melissa Nathan of The Agency Group. This specialist has worked with high-profile clients including Drake, Johnny Depp, and Logan Paul. These celebrities have all faced their share of publicity troubles.

Hiring a crisis PR manager is a common strategy in Hollywood. It’s designed to help control the narrative and mitigate potential damage. They also guide the client through turbulent media waters. However, it’s hard to say if Baldoni truly needs it because fans are not happy with Lively.

Online users have been quick to share their opinions as more reports of this drama surfaced. They have analyzed the situation, and, in many cases, chosen a position. Interestingly, a significant portion of the discourse seems to be leaning in Baldoni’s favor.

One user pointed out the fundamental role the director played in bringing the project to life. “The guy optioned the rights and directed the film. Sounds like Blake was overstepping,” they wrote.

Another fan expressed sympathy for Baldoni’s position and added, “Blake wants to do the direction. It’s so sad for him how he is been shoved aside [sic].”

One particularly detailed comment offered a nuanced take on the situation:

This fan’s perspective reflects the current online sentiment, which largely favors Baldoni. However, public opinion can be fickle, and as more information surfaces, the narrative could shift. For now, the true nature of the rift within the cast remains a mystery.

Was it creative differences, on-set tensions, a publicity stunt, or something else entirely that caused all this drama? What do you think? Also, is anyone at fault? Let us know!