Creative disagreements between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively resulted in two distinct versions of It Ends With Us: one that premiered in theaters and another director's cut that is yet to be released.
Following months of rumors and speculation about conflicts behind the scenes of the romantic drama, Lively lodged a formal complaint on December 20, accusing Baldoni and his associates of sexual harassment and retaliatory actions.
Baldoni, aged 40, refuted these allegations, initiating his own lawsuit on December 31 against The New York Times over its coverage of Lively's claims. The publication stands by its article and intends to "vigorously" defend against Baldoni's legal action. Subsequently, Lively, 37, has formally filed a lawsuit against him and the producers, while Baldoni's attorneys also plan to sue Lively and her team.
In Baldoni's suit, he asserted that two separate cuts of It Ends With Us emerged during production: one directed and edited by Baldoni and another created under Lively’s supervision, who later acquired a producer credit when her version became the final film.
Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios secured the adaptation rights for It Ends With Us in 2019. When Lively's participation was announced in January 2023, she was reported to hold an executive producer role.
Baldoni's complaint suggests that Lively allegedly threatened to refuse to promote the film while the final cut remained uncertain, leading Sony Pictures, the distributor, to test both "competing versions" with focus groups.
Baldoni claims in his lawsuit that his version received "significantly higher" test scores than Lively's. However, Lively stated that Colleen Hoover, the author of the source material, would support her version if it wasn’t chosen.
Later, Lively allegedly "ensured that Baldoni was removed from all film artwork (including posters) and stripped him of his 'A Film By' credit," according to his complaint.
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| Sony Pictures Entertainment |
While promoting the film, Lively and others shared how she significantly influenced many aspects of the final movie. Several pieces of the costumes were from her personal wardrobe, she leveraged her connections to create the soundtrack, and she mentioned that her husband, Ryan Reynolds, contributed dialogue to a crucial scene.
Lively expressed to Digital Spy her pride in earning her first producer credit for *It Ends With Us*. She stated, "When you work with me, I’m very passionate, so I love getting involved. I used to be insecure about this, and now I’m proud of it... The work I did as an actor on this film is minimal compared to the contributions I made behind the scenes."
"I felt incredibly grateful for the level of authorship and involvement I had. It makes me even prouder of the film," Lively added during an August interview.
When PEOPLE provided the first look at *It Ends With Us* in April 2024, Baldoni commented in an interview, "There wasn't any part of this production that [Lively] didn't touch or influence. She improved everything she worked on."
In early August 2024, The Hollywood Reporter mentioned that production insiders stated there were initially two versions of the film under consideration, which is not unusual in filmmaking. According to an insider, the team unanimously decided to go with Lively's version.
Alleged text messages in Baldoni's complaint reveal his frustration with editors while awaiting Lively's cut of the film. One editor remarked, "The movie we handed her was SO good that even if it's been altered, the foundational work will still be evident."
When it was announced that Lively's version would be shown to fans in June 2024 at Book Bonanza in Texas, an event Baldoni did not attend, an editor texted, per Baldoni's complaint: "I just hope you appreciate (or at least tolerate) the version being released to the public....
Shortly after the theatrical release of *It Ends With Us*—which eventually became the highest-grossing film of Lively's career—Sony Pictures Entertainment's chair-CEO, Tony Vinciquerra, commended Lively's dedication and passion. He also expressed, "We love working with Blake and are eager to collaborate on 12 more films with her."
How might Baldoni's unseen director's cut have differed from the version seen by the audience? Lively's complaint alleges that Baldoni added and improvised scenes not included in the originally approved script.
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| Blake Lively in "It Ends With Us" |
She contends he added a "detailed scene" where "the underage version of Ms. Lively’s character, Lily, loses her virginity." The book and the script left this moment to the audience's imagination without depicting a sex scene. However, Baldoni supposedly included significant details, such as dialogue between Young Lily and her boyfriend, Atlas, about the loss of her virginity, and a simulated sex scene. This included a close-up of Young Lily’s face with an audible gasp at the moment of penetration in his initial film cut.
Additionally, Lively's complaint argues that Baldoni "personally added explicit content," including a scene depicting Ms. Lively experiencing an on-camera orgasm. When she objected, Baldoni claimed these additions were made to present the film "through the female gaze." He eventually agreed to remove these scenes, according to her complaint.
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| Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in "It Ends With Us". Nicole Rivelli/Sony Pictures Entertainment |
During a red carpet interview at the film's New York City premiere in August, Baldoni was questioned about the possibility of a sequel. (He still retains the rights to It Starts With Us, Hoover’s 2022 follow-up book.) Baldoni proposed that Lively should direct that one: "I believe there are better-suited individuals for it," he told Entertainment Tonight. "I think Blake Lively is ready to direct, that’s my opinion."
After Lively's initial legal action surfaced in December 2024, Hoover and costar Brandon Sklenar have shown their support for Lively. Cast member Jenny Slate also endorsed her, praising Lively as a "leader" and stating, "I commend my friend, I admire her courage, and I stand with her."
Lively's lawyers asserted that "nothing in Baldoni's Times lawsuit alters anything" in her complaint: "We look forward to addressing all of Wayfarer’s claims in court." An attorney for Baldoni mentioned their intent to "release every single text message between the two of them in forthcoming legal proceedings": "We want the public to make their judgment based on concrete evidence.