As one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year, viewers couldn’t wait to finally watch It Ends With Us on the big screen but the potential behind-the-scenes drama between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni might be piquing fans’ interest even more.
Rumors of a feud between the It Ends With Us cast began earlier this week and were only heightened after the New York City premiere on August 6. According to fans, something about the way the cast is promoting the movie feels… odd.
Fans first noticed that drama appeared to be brewing between the It Ends With Us cast when no one in the movie posed with director and star Justin Baldoni at the premiere. According to fans on TikTok, on the carpet, both Lively and Baldoni attended but at completely separate times, and didn’t interact at all.
In Baldoni’s walk on the red carpet, the actor, who starred, produced, and directed the movie, was seen posing by himself, with his wife Emily, his family, and his friends Jamey Heath, Travis Van Winkle, and Andy Grammer.
Lively, on the other hand, had quite a packed red carpet. In addition to some solo shots, Lively was photographed with her husband Ryan Reynolds, his Deadpool & Wolverine co-star Hugh Jackman, her family and her movie co-stars Jenny Slate, Brandon Sklenar and Isabela Ferrer. Baldoni, however, was nowhere to be seen.
“I am convinced him and Blake do not get along,” one fan commented on Baldoni’s Instagram after the premiere.
“Is there a reason you’re not doing the press tour with the rest of the cast? I haven’t seen you in anything,” wrote another.
Looking at the cast’s promo interviews, the same pattern can be seen over and over again. Lively has been interviewed with Sklenar, Ferrer and the It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover, but not Baldoni. In Baldoni’s press interviews, including his appearances on the Today Show and CBS News, he was flying solo.
And, earlier this week, Baldoni attended an early screening and panel by himself while the rest of his cast attended another screening and panel on the other side of New York. Seems too premeditated to just be a coincidence, right?
“There is clearly something going on with this movie,” said one TikToker in a now-viral video about the situation.
Baldoni did, however, praise Lively while promoting the movie, telling People that the actress “mesmerized” him with her performance. “She’s a creative force, she’s an executive producer on the film, and she is so brilliant,” he said in an August 8 interview. “And I believe that her performance is going to help so many women feel seen and showcase this unique experience in a way that I don’t believe I’ve seen in another film.”
As one last piece of the puzzle, Deadline posted a telling video of Slate being interviewed at the premiere. When asked what it was like having Baldoni as a scene partner and director, Slate completely dodged the question.
“I mean what an intense job, to have to do so many things,” Slate said. “I just found myself being like ‘Wow, I really just want to have one job at once. I was looking around like ‘I’m good with just acting.”
“I hate to tell you @DEADLINE she did not answer that question at all, there’s some drama going on between the whole cast and Justin Baldoni,” wrote one X user after watching the video. “Lmao what HAPPENED on this set,” asked another.
So while we may not know exactly what happened between Baldoni and the rest of the cast, it’s safe to say there’s definitely some tension going on. After all, anyone would’ve expected Lively and Baldoni to be joined at the hip promoting this movie right now.
Most of all, for fans who accompanied the 2022 drama behind Don’t Worry Darling, this feeling will be familiar. With such big names like Olivia Wilde, Harry Styles, and Florence Pugh, it’s no wonder the movie somewhat imploded behind the scenes. Perhaps that’s what happened here too?
Before you go, click here to see celebrity co-stars who allegedly hated each other in real life.
