Did Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni Have a Rift Over ‘It Ends With Us’? Sleuthing TikTokers Think So

Did Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni Have a Rift Over ‘It Ends With Us’? Sleuthing TikTokers Think So

As a dedicated fan of the silver screen, I must confess that the ongoing drama surrounding “It Ends With Us” has me hooked, much like how I can’t look away from a car crash. The speculation on social media about the alleged rift between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni is reminiscent of the water cooler conversations we used to have over coffee breaks at the office – only now it’s happening in real time on TikTok.


With It Ends With Us poised for a robust opening weekend at the box office, the film has found itself in an unexpected — and probably undesired — limelight on social media platforms like TikTok. A wave of speculation about a potential rift between leading actress-producer Blake Lively and her co-star Justin Baldoni, who also helmed the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s beloved novel, has swept through the platform.

Since the controversy surrounding “Don’t Worry Darling” (you might recall ‘spit-gate’) or perhaps “Madame Web”, internet users haven’t shown such intense scrutiny in analyzing a movie’s public events as they have with this Zapruder-like examination of film appearances.

As I delve deeper into the world of gaming news, rumors surface about an intriguing predicament unfolding behind the scenes of a recent movie production. It seems that during the post-production phase, there was a significant split among the filmmakers, leading to the creation of two distinct cuts of the movie.

The detective work surrounding “It Ends With Us” on TikTok arose due to Baldoni’s absence from shared press events, the scarcity of photos showing Lively and Baldoni together at the New York premiere on Tuesday, and the fact that neither Lively, Hoover, nor the rest of the cast follow Baldoni on Instagram (while he follows them). This has sparked curiosity since during the film’s production, Hoover and Baldoni frequently appeared on each other’s Instagram accounts multiple times.

Movie goers started pondering if Blake Lively enlisted her husband, Ryan Reynolds, to assume creative control of the film, following speculation. This notion gained traction when it was disclosed at the film’s premiere that Reynolds penned a crucial rooftop scene early in the movie. Lively explained, “We collaborate on everything. He works on what I do, and I work on what he does. So his victories are my victories, and mine are his.” It is worth noting that the film’s script was penned by Christy Hall.

As a devoted fan, I can share that while Ryan Reynolds penned a significant portion of the dialogue for that memorable scene, several reliable sources confirm to The Hollywood Reporter that he didn’t write the entire sequence. Given his relentless collaboration with Shawn Levy on the production of Deadpool & Wolverine, from the moment we resumed filming in early November 2023 following the SAG-AFTRA strike, there was hardly a moment to spare for anything else – not even my wife’s film.

Although Lively held significant influence over the creative aspects of the movie due to her dual roles as both star and producer, it appears she even had the ability to create her own version of the film. Reports suggest that she commissioned a specific edit from editor Shane Reid, who has worked on films like Deadpool and Wolverine, and also directed Lively’s music video for “I Bet You Think About Me.” It remains undetermined whether any of this alternate cut was incorporated into the final version of the film, which was credited to editors Oona Flaherty and Robb Sullivan. A source close to the production dismissed any potential disagreements, stating that multiple cuts are often produced during post-production, and emphasizing that everyone agreed on the final edit.

Reps for Lively and Baldoni did not respond to requests for comment.

The director publicly credited Lively for her creative input during interviews (without delving into debates about different versions of the film). He also shared that he sometimes delegated leadership to the female cast members, considering the movie was told from a woman’s point of view and dealt with the sensitive topic of domestic violence.

Regarding future plans, Hoover has written a follow-up novel titled “It Starts with Us,” which was released in 2022. Baldoni hasn’t definitively said whether he would direct another film in the series, but his character plays a significant role in the sequel. At this point, it remains uncertain if the studio could reunite everyone for another installment.

As a die-hard fan, I can’t help but feel the buzz surrounding “It Ends with Us” might eventually subside once the movie hits theaters. Unlike the anticipation for films like “Don’t Worry Darling” and “Madame Web,” this one is forecasted to be a financial triumph, raking in an estimated $23 million or more this weekend – a robust figure considering its $25 million production budget. Pre-sale figures hint that it might even surpass these predictions.

—Aaron Couch contributed to this story.

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2024-08-09 04:25