I haven't watched much reality TV since Jersey Shore (and I'm not talking about the reboot), but when it comes to spicy celeb feuds, I'm sat and tuned in. The latest drama comes straight out of the It Ends With Us New York premiere. Fans started to notice director and star Justin Baldoni was not interacting whatsoever with the rest of the cast. My source for gossip (aka TikTok) started to unravel all the tea on what *might* possibly be going on between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. I went down a rabbit hole to find out what's happening between the costars.
Is There Beef Between 'It Ends With Us' Costars Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively? Here's What I Found Out
Is it Spitgate all over again?
Published Aug 9, 2024
•5:40pm
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OK, let's start from the beginning
In 2019, Baldoni announced he would be adapting Colleen Hoover's romance novel It Ends With Us into a film through his own entertainment company. He shared the news on Instagram, captioning the post, "I'm so passionate about this book and so honored she [Hoover] chose me to bring it to the world."
Years later, Lively was cast in the role of Lily Bloom with Baldoni set as her love interest Ryle Kincaid. When asked about Lively playing the main character, Baldoni told People. "[She's] strong, funny and intelligent—all the things you want from [a] female heroine." He continued, "There wasn't a part of this production that she didn't touch and have influence on. And everything she put her hands on and her mind to, she made better."
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When the (alleged) beef started to arise...
On August 6, the It Ends With Us premiere brought out the entire cast, but many fans were noticing no one was taking photos or interacting with Baldoni. Lively was seen taking photos with Brandon Skelenar (Atlas Corrigan), Jenny Slate (Allysa) and Isabela Ferrer (young Lily). Meanwhile Baldoni only posed with his wife Emily Baldoni, friends and family.
The internet did even more digging and found some cast members also unfollowed him on Instagram. It was a shock to fans as the leads were interacting throughout the filming process...but not now.
Despite the weird lack on interaction, Baldoni had no problem giving high praise to his co-star on the red carpet. The other way around though? Not so much. When asked about his acting and directing skills, Slater completely dodged the question. In one tweet, a fan commented: "Oh Queen Jenny Slate...so something DEFINITELY happened on the set of It Ends With Us and everyone hates Justin Baldoni. I need to get to the bottom of it."
At a time where celebs are getting cancelled left and right, the first question many of us had was: Did he do something wrong?
Is this all a publicity stunt?
OK, I might be digging way too much into this. But some believe it's a marketing ploy to distance Baldoni from the rest of the cast due to his character being a quote-unquote villain of the story. It would make sense to not romanticize his role in this movie or make him a favorite (especially when his character is a manipulative abuser). Others say he purposely is stepping back to give space to the story and Lively's character. If it's all PR, then kudos to the team because it's very convincing. On the flip side, it's still just a movie and we as viewers can separate between the actor and the character.
If this scenerio seems all too familiar, you're not alone. It reminds me of the Don't Worry Darling drama that was happening last year. Ya know, when there was alleged friction between director and star Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh. And let's not forget the internet accusing Harry Styles of spitting on Chris Pine at a panel (aka the infamous spitgate).
Here's why I'm still Team Baldoni
I'll admit I knew nothing about the movie or book. For many (myself included), the marketing for the movie made it seem like this was a romantic film where their characters fall in love and live happily ever after. However, this isn't the case—it's all much darker and deeper.
During the press tour, Baldoni has made his goal to bring awareness to the issues and establish a female gaze for the film. When asked about his role in It Ends With Us, he had an emotional response for The Hollywood Reporter. "There were alot of times where I would have to go privately into a room and just cry or shake it out and try to get him out of me and that energy out of me, because it's too real," he shared. "There are too many people that are the real-life Lily Blooms of the world that have to deal with that every single day, and I wanted it to be as real as possible and yet it was very hard to shoot those scenes."
Again, this "drama" is all speculation. Leave it to the internet to create a new feud to talk about. But if this is a weird PR move, it's not a good look for the movie. I know it's not world-changing news, but damn it if it's not thrilling unpacking it all.
