The It Ends With Us press tour drama explained: Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's rift and marketing backlash
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The speculations of something off with actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni sparked on the premiere of their film It Ends With Us in New York and Europe. It was initially thought to be a marketing tactic between Lively and Baldoni as the two did not pose together or interact at the premiere. However, reports from anonymous sources of trouble on the film sets indicated there was certainly a rift between the co-actors. Here is an explanation of the film’s press tour drama.
Theories surrounding Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni
Lively posed with Ryan Reynolds and other members of the film while Baldoni kept to his side during the premiere. The two did not appear for promotional interviews together nor did they were photographed. Fans initially theorised the distance as part of the film’s marketing campaign as the two actors’ characters are involved in domestic violence in the film. The theory was they were maintaining distance to avoid people romanticising their onscreen abusive relationship. However, theories died after many of the cast members and Colleen Hoover unfollowed Baldoni on social media.
Was Ryan Reynolds responsible for this rift?
It Ends With Us is directed by Baldoni and he secured the rights to the adaptation of the movie in 2019 and Lively was signed on the film later. She also boarded the film as an executive producer. The interviews from the press tour suggested that there were creative differences on the set. When Baldoni was asked for his return to direct the sequel, he told Entertainment Tonight, “I think Blake Lively’s ready to direct. That’s what I think.”
Speculations of Reynolds being the cause of this rift emerged when Lively revealed his intervention in the film’s script. She revealed in an interview with E! Online, “The iconic rooftop scene in this movie, my husband wrote it. Nobody knows that.” She also commissioned a cut of the film from the film editor Shane Reid who also worked on Reynold’s Deadpool and Wolverine.
Christy Hall, screenwriter of the film, revealed she was not aware of any changes to the script and thought the actors were improvising, as reported by The New York Times.
Netizens slam film’s marketing for downplaying domestic violence
Lively pushed forward her new haircare brand, floral prints and answered questions on abuse in interviews. On the film’s official page on TikTok, she said, “Grab your friends, wear your florals and head out to see it.” Some users criticised her light approach to a film about domestic abuse. Among many people mocking the promotion tactics, a user @hiremeimfunny stood out and posted a series titled, ‘If other movies were promoted like ‘It Ends With Us.’
While Baldoni’s promotional activities were appreciated as he said in an interview on the red carpet, “If a Lily Bloom in real life can sit in this theatre, and make a different choice for herself than the one that was made for her, maybe she sees herself on that screen and chooses something different for herself.” His company, Wayfarer Studios partnered up with No More Foundation to provide resources about abuse.
