It Ends With Us… In Court
When it was announced that the author, Colleen Hover, was collaborating to put her book to the big screen, the internet had a feeling something poor was brewing behind the scenes. The book, “It Ends With Us,” a story about domestic violence and a woman bravely standing up for herself, would've done wonders on the big screen if done right. It would serve as representation for women’s voices. You would think there would be a seamless transition from page to big screen, and a couple of good reviews given the stellar talent to be showcased. With Justin Baldoni, best known from “Jane The Virgin”, being both the director and the leading male, “Ryle Kincaid,” and Blake Lively playing the main character, “Lily Bloom,” who is also of TV show fame from “Gossip Girl,” people were ecstatic for emotional scenes and electric chemistry between the two. However, the outcome of this film is far worse than anyone could imagine. While it is hard to tell who is entirely at fault, more and more information comes out day by day.
It all started around the release of the film, specifically during the New York City Lincoln Center premiere. Fans noticed Baldoni was neither interacting nor pictured with anyone else in the cast. Meanwhile, Lively was on the red carpet with the cast, even Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman were pictured, despite having no hand in the movie, or so it was thought by fans. Lively was also using the movie to promote her hair care line, which couldn’t leave more than just a bad taste in people’s mouths. This was a movie about domestic violence and the subject seemed almost nowhere near the film’s actual promotion. Not long after, fans started to dig around Lively's past and found rude and tacky interviews, further unraveling the “perfect” image she had curated for years.
On Dec. 20, 2024 Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni claiming he and his team conducted a smear campaign against Lively during the press tour for the film. From there it set off a legal back and forth battle that is still ongoing. The New York Times article that reported on the first lawsuit was later sued by Baldoni and his legal team. The first lawsuit also caused Baldoni to have an award stripped from him that had been awarded to him at the beginning of the month for speaking out about women’s issues. The heavily detailed lawsuit sent the internet into a divide, with people debating online who to believe.
As if it were a game of ping pong, the lawsuits started going back and worth, not only competing for a legal win but for the saving of their online reputation and careers. It wasn’t until raw footage from the movie, completely unedited, was released online that fans started to side with Baldoni. Not only that, but celebrities and co-stars who initially stood with Lively had pulled back their support. Hoover herself, who has a rocky past of her own, deactivated her social media and pulled away from the public eye.
Currently, there is a court date set for Mar. 9, 2026, to hopefully set this legal battle to rest. As for online discourse, fans are coming up with all the theories and opinions they can. Until the public as a whole knows a full confirmed truth that is answered by both parties, we might never really know what happened on set. It is more certain than not however, that this online battle has brought more attention to the movie than it originally got.