Hollywood, Calif. has always been a place where fiction blurs into reality, co-stars fall in love on set or off-screen drama makes for just as compelling a spectacle as the films themselves. And every so often, a story comes along reminding us that while Hollywood thrives on romance and fantasy, it’s also a deeply flawed industry filled with power struggles, questionable decisions and enough scandal to fuel the tabloids for years. Enter Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni and a film adaptation that was supposed to be about breaking cycles of abuse — but might have just exposed another one in the process.
It Ends With Us was never going to be an easy movie to make. Colleen Hoover’s novel is a deeply personal, emotionally raw depiction of domestic violence: a story that resonated with millions of readers. The film had an enormous weight of expectation on its shoulders from the moment it was announced. Fans were already skeptical when the casting was revealed — Blake Lively as Lily Bloom? A 36-year-old playing a college-aged florist? Justin Baldoni as Ryle Kincaid? The man best known for playing the sweet and goofy Rafael Solano on Jane the Virgin was now expected to embody a violent, deeply troubled character, and the internet had thoughts. But then, the real controversy began.
At first, the production seemed to be moving forward as planned. People were eventually okay with the decision to cast Baldoni as Ryle, given that Justin Baldoni had built a reputation as a well-meaning, feminist-friendly filmmaker who championed emotional vulnerability in men. But then, whispers started to circulate — first in online gossip forums in late August 2024, and finally, on Dec. 20, 2024, in an official legal complaint filed by Lively herself.
In the complaint filed by Lively, she accused Baldoni of fostering a hostile work environment, alleging that he repeatedly pushed boundaries during the filming of intimate scenes with improvised touches and unscripted moments, suggesting that he was taking liberties that made his co-star uncomfortable. According to Lively’s complaint, Baldoni had made inappropriate and disparaging comments on set, refused to respect Lively’s comfort levels despite the film’s inherently sensitive subject matter and cultivated, with help from Wayfarer Studios, a harsh media campaign against the actress.
On Jan. 31, 2024, he filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times for running a story that he claimed perpetuated a false narrative and was “rife with inaccuracies, misrepresentations and omissions.”
Just over two weeks later, on Jan. 16, 2025, he also filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and her publicist, arguing that they had conspired to defame him and destroy his career. If Lively’s complaint painted her as a woman standing up against workplace misconduct, Baldoni’s legal response painted him as a man determined to burn everything down on his way out.
Of course, Hollywood thrives on drama, and the media wasted no time in turning this controversy into a spectacle. One professional intimacy coordinator claimed that Baldoni’s acting style was too intense, that his dedication to pushing the boundaries of performance in an attempt to achieve raw, authentic moments from Lively overstepped important personal lines.
Meanwhile, Lively’s decision to speak out was met with the full support of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA). Many others within the industry supported her for her courage, recognizing her as an experienced actress who stood firm in the face of uncomfortable situations. As the controversy unfolded, social media erupted, with users dissecting every interaction between the two co-stars. TikTok videos offered play-by-plays of press tour moments, while X.com (formerly known as Twitter) became a battleground for passionate discussions. Amid the online frenzy, rumors came about regarding Reynolds leveraging his industry power to influence the situation, adding yet another layer of intrigue to the drama. The focus quickly shifted away from the film’s content, and toward the people involved and the power dynamics at play.
And then, there was Hoover. The author, whose novel was the foundation for all of this, found herself in an impossible position. Should she defend the man who had been set to bring her book to life? Or stand with the actress portraying her most beloved protagonist? For a while, she remained silent, but when she finally did speak on Dec. 22, 2024, her statement was so carefully worded it might as well have been written by a team of lawyers. Nonetheless, she fully supported Lively.
Behind the scenes, the fallout was immediate. Sony — the studio backing the film — scrambled to assess its options. Meanwhile, more actors, directors and public figures began to take sides — some in support of Lively, some in solidarity with Baldoni — making it increasingly clear that this issue was not going to fade away anytime soon.
At the center of it all, two careers hung in the balance. Lively, who had spent over a decade cultivating an image as one of Hollywood’s most poised A-listers, was now embroiled in the kind of industry battle that could make even the most seasoned actors reconsider their place in the business. Baldoni, who had built a reputation on vulnerability and emotional intelligence, was now facing accusations that struck at the very core of his public persona.
And then, of course, there was Reynolds. Because how could Hollywood resist adding another layer of drama? The Deadpool star, known for his sarcastic wit and playful social media presence, found himself pulled into the mess through his unwavering support of his wife. Whatever the truth, one thing was certain: this was no longer just a professional dispute. It was personal.
As the lawsuits were made public, the details which surfaced forced many public relations teams to scramble to contain the damage, and Hollywood found itself confronting a familiar, uncomfortable truth: The industry has always struggled with power dynamics. It has always struggled with boundaries, with consent, with the delicate balance between artistic freedom and personal safety. And time and time again, it has chosen to look the other way — until it can’t anymore. From Harvey Weinstein’s decades-long reign of terror, which only came to light in 2017, to the allegations against Joss Whedon that surfaced in 2022, the industry has shown a repeated pattern of ignoring misconduct until public pressure forces it to act.
Maybe It Ends With Us was cursed from the start. Maybe a story about breaking cycles of abuse was doomed to be overshadowed by its own behind-the-scenes toxicity. Or maybe this is just another chapter in an industry that never really learns from its mistakes. Either way, one thing is clear: when the cameras stop rolling, the real drama begins. And Hollywood will never, ever be able to resist watching.
