The internet is currently obsessed with a press tour that went completely sideways. Honestly, if you’ve been anywhere near TikTok or celebrity news lately, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The drama surrounding It Ends With Us Justin Baldoni is weirder than the actual plot of the movie. It’s a strange case where the director of a massive blockbuster barely stood next to his lead actress during the entire marketing campaign. Usually, a $50 million opening weekend is a reason for everyone to pop champagne together. Not here.
Justin Baldoni didn't just play Ryle Kincaid. He directed the thing. He optioned the book years ago. He was the one who saw the potential in Colleen Hoover’s polarizing best-seller before it was a BookTok phenomenon. Yet, when the film finally hit theaters in August 2024, Baldoni was conspicuously absent from group photos. He did his interviews alone. Blake Lively did hers with the rest of the cast. It was awkward. It was loud. And it was very, very public.
The Rift That No One Is Talking About (But Everyone Is Googling)
There is a massive disconnect between the film's heavy subject matter—domestic violence—and how it was sold to the public. This is where the It Ends With Us Justin Baldoni tension starts to make sense. If you look at the promotional clips, Blake Lively was often seen wearing florals and talking about "grabbing your friends and wearing your pinks." It felt like a Barbie marketing strategy for a movie about a woman getting hit by her husband.
Baldoni took a different route.
His interviews were somber. He focused almost exclusively on the survivors of domestic abuse. He talked about the "intergenerational cycle of trauma." It felt like two different people were promoting two different movies. Rumors started swirling about a "creative rift" in the editing room. Reports from outlets like The Hollywood Reporter and Variety suggested there were actually two different cuts of the film. One cut was championed by Baldoni, the director. The other was a cut commissioned by Lively, allegedly edited by Shane Reid, who worked on Deadpool & Wolverine.
When a lead actress hires her own editor to re-cut a director's movie, things get messy. Fast.
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Was it a "Difficult" Set?
People love a villain. In the court of public opinion, the narrative shifted back and forth. Some "sources" claimed Baldoni made Lively feel uncomfortable on set, specifically during a scene where he supposedly asked about her weight before a lift (Lively had recently given birth). Others pointed out that Baldoni has a history of being a "feminist ally" through his Man Enough podcast and wondered if he was being unfairly sidelined by the massive star power of the Lively-Reynolds machine.
Ryan Reynolds actually wrote a scene in the movie. Baldoni admitted he didn't even know Reynolds had written the rooftop scene until later. That’s a huge red flag for any director. Imagine directing a film and finding out the lead actress's husband—who isn't on the payroll—is rewriting your script. It's wild.
Why It Ends With Us Justin Baldoni Matters for the Future of the Franchise
There is a sequel book called It Starts with Us. Fans want to see it. But here is the problem: Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, owns the rights.
He is the boss.
If there is a sequel, he has to be involved. But if the cast won't talk to him, how does that work? During the premiere, savvy fans noticed that Jenny Slate, who plays Ryle’s sister, practically did gymnastics to avoid answering questions about working with Justin. Brandon Sklenar, who plays Atlas, eventually posted a long Instagram note defending the film's intentions, but the damage was done. The "vibes" were off.
The Editing Room Battle
Let's talk about the two cuts again. In Hollywood, the "Director's Cut" is usually the gold standard. But Lively is a producer. She has skin in the game. If she felt the movie was too dark or didn't capture the "Lily Bloom" spirit, she had the leverage to change it.
- Baldoni's Vision: Likely more focused on the grit and the message of breaking the cycle.
- The Final Cut: A blend that leans heavily into the romance, which some critics argued romanticized Ryle a bit too much before the "reveal" of his violence.
The version we saw in theaters is likely a compromise, but the tension behind that compromise is what created the fractured press tour. When you see It Ends With Us Justin Baldoni trending, it's rarely about his acting. It's about the power struggle of a mid-budget movie that became a cultural lightning rod.
The Social Media Fallout
The most damning evidence for the public wasn't a leaked video or a nasty quote. It was a "follow" list. Or a lack of one.
Blake Lively, Colleen Hoover, and the rest of the main cast do not follow Justin Baldoni on Instagram. In 2024 (and 2025 and 2026), that is the celebrity equivalent of a restraining order. Baldoni, for his part, still follows them. He’s been playing the "nice guy" role to a tee, praising Lively’s performance in every single interview. He even suggested she should direct the sequel.
Was that a genuine compliment? Or was it a strategic move to bow out of a toxic work environment while looking like the bigger person? Probably a bit of both. You don't survive in Hollywood as long as he has without knowing how to play the PR game.
Breaking Down the "Incompatibility"
Some sets just don't click. It doesn't mean someone is a monster. Sometimes, a director's style is too "intense" for a cast that wants a more collaborative, loose environment. Reports suggested Baldoni was "performative" in his sensitivity. On the flip side, the Lively camp was accused of "tone-deafness" regarding the domestic violence themes.
Whatever the truth, the box office didn't care. The movie made a killing. It proved that "female-led" dramas (often dismissively called "chick flicks") are massive earners. But it also showed that drama behind the scenes can sometimes eclipse the movie itself.
Lessons from the Baldoni-Lively Press Tour
We can learn a lot from how this was handled. Or mishandled.
First, the "Barbenheimer" effect is real. People wanted a "girl's girl" moment, and Lively tried to give it to them. But the source material wasn't Barbie. It was a story about a woman getting her head cracked against a door. The mismatch in tone was the first crack in the foundation.
Second, the It Ends With Us Justin Baldoni situation proves that social media is now the primary investigator of Hollywood feuds. Fans tracked every interview, every eye roll, and every seating chart at the premieres. You can't hide a feud anymore. The "Body Language Experts" on YouTube had a field day with this one.
- The Premiere Seating: Baldoni watched the movie from a different theater than the rest of the cast.
- The Group Photo: There isn't one. Not a single professional photo of the full cast exists from the premiere.
- The Interview Tone: Watch Baldoni’s solo interview with Today. Then watch Lively’s. It’s like they are talking about two different genres.
What’s Next for Justin Baldoni?
Baldoni seems to be pivoting. He’s leaning into his "Man Enough" brand. He’s positioning himself as a filmmaker who wants to tell "complex" stories about masculinity. Whether he gets to do that with the It Starts with Us sequel remains to be seen.
If I had to bet? He’ll produce it, collect the check, and stay far away from the director’s chair.
The industry is watching. Producers are looking at whether Baldoni is "difficult" or if he was "bulldozed." In Hollywood, being difficult is fine if you make money. Being bulldozed is a harder reputation to shake. But with the film's massive financial success, both parties technically "won."
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you're following the It Ends With Us Justin Baldoni saga to understand the industry or just because you love the book, here are some things to keep in mind for how this affects future adaptations.
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Support the Message, Not Just the Brand
The biggest takeaway from this mess is that the message of the movie—supporting survivors—got lost in the gossip. If you're a fan of the story, look for Baldoni’s interviews where he lists actual resources for domestic violence. Regardless of the behind-the-scenes drama, that was the part he got right.
Watch for "Creative Control" in Contracts
For creators, this is a cautionary tale about "Final Cut" rights. If you're a director, you need to know who has the power to change your work in the eleventh hour. If a lead actor is also a producer, the power dynamic is never equal.
Look Beyond the Red Carpet
Next time a big movie comes out, watch the solo interviews. If the director isn't standing with the stars, there's always a reason. The "It Ends With Us" press tour will be studied by PR students for decades as a masterclass in what happens when a team completely stops pretending they like each other.
To really understand the nuance, you have to look at the work Wayfarer Studios is doing next. Baldoni isn't going anywhere, but his relationship with the "inner circle" of Hollywood royalty like Lively and Reynolds is likely done.
Check the production credits on the next Colleen Hoover adaptation. That will tell you who actually won the war. Usually, the person who owns the rights has the last laugh, and in this case, that’s still Justin Baldoni. If you want to dive deeper into the actual themes of the story, revisit the No More organization, which partnered with the film to provide actual help for those in Lily Bloom’s shoes. That's the part that actually matters once the TikTok trends die down.