‘It Ends with Us’: Justin Baldoni’s Clash With Blake Lively 

The behind-the-scenes issues of ‘It Ends with Us’ appear to extend beyond the reported creative disagreements between director Justin Baldoni and star Blake Lively, according to a source speaking with PEOPLE.

The source revealed, “There’s much more to this story than meets the eye. The main cast and author Colleen Hoover are distancing themselves from him.” Neither Lively, 36, nor Baldoni, 40, responded to PEOPLE’s requests for comments.

The film, which premiered over the weekend, had a strong opening with $50 million at the domestic box office. Lively stars as Lily Bloom, a florist who falls into a tumultuous relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid, played by Baldoni. The cast also includes Jenny Slate, Brandon Sklenar, Hasan Minhaj, Isabela Ferrer, and Alex Neustaedter.

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Rumors of conflict surfaced before the film’s release, particularly as Baldoni conducted most of the press on his own and avoided photos with the cast at the New York premiere. Fans also noticed that Lively, Hoover, and Slate do not follow Baldoni on Instagram.

Following an August 8 report by Hollywood Reporter about disagreements during the film’s post-production, with two different cuts emerging, a source close to Baldoni downplayed the issues as “creative differences” that have been exaggerated. The source claimed Lively is interested in directing a potential sequel and securing rights from Colleen Hoover, although discussions about a sequel have not yet taken place.

Baldoni mentioned to Variety that his production company, Wayfarer Studios, holds the option for adapting *It Starts with Us*, but he is focused on the present and hasn’t considered future projects yet. 

Image Courtesy: People

Reports emerged of Baldoni’s alleged problematic behavior on set, with claims of being “chauvinistic” and creating a “difficult” atmosphere for the cast. At the New York premiere on August 6, Baldoni suggested to Entertainment Tonight that Lively might be a good choice to direct a sequel, noting, “I think Blake Lively’s ready to direct.”

Lively, also a producer on ‘It Ends with Us’, has been involved in various aspects of the film, including music, costumes, and dialogue. She mentioned to the BBC at the London premiere, from which Baldoni was absent, that the film captures the full spectrum of life’s emotions.

–Farheen Ali