- From the moment Justin Baldoni announced in 2019 that he was adapting the best-selling book It Ends With Us into a film, there was a widespread frenzy.
Few books in recent years have become as big a cultural phenomenon as Colleen Hoover’s novel – it has sold 20m copies and became an internet sensation on TikTok with more than one billion tags on the app.
When Blake Lively, who rose to fame in the 2000s playing Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl, was cast as the main character, fans became even more excited, describing her as the perfect choice to play Lily Bloom, a young woman who grew up witnessing domestic abuse and winds up in the same position years later.
Lily, a florist in Boston, navigates a complicated love triangle between her charming but abusive boyfriend Ryle Kincaid – played by Jane the Virgin’s Justin Baldoni – and her compassionate first love, Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar).
Released at the beginning of August, the film became a box office success bringing in more than $350m (£280m) globally.
But despite its financial success, everything wasn’t running so smoothly behind the scenes. Rumours of a feud between Baldoni and Lively began swirling before the film was even released.
Last week, Lively filed a legal complaint against her co-star, accusing him of sexual harassment and starting a smear campaign against her, something Baldoni strongly denies. Here is the story so far:
It Ends With Us press tour
For a film about domestic abuse, the press tour for It Ends With Us was probably not what you would have expected. There were pink carpets, flowers galore and the promotion of Lively’s new haircare brand and her husband’s gin company.
Instead of advocacy on the red carpet, Lively highlighted fashion and florals.
At the London premiere, press were told to keep questions “fun and light-hearted” with one event organiser telling me to “steer away from questions on domestic abuse”.
One of her remarks made at the New York premiere – “you are so much more than just a survivor or just a victim” – sparked backlash on social media.
Domestic abuse survivor Ashley Paige criticised Ms Lively’s language and told the BBC that her own trauma “shaped my identity”.
Lively was also criticised for her comments in another clumsy promotional tour video where she said: “Grab your friends, wear your florals and head out to see it.”
Ms Paige accused Lively of promoting the film like it’s “the sequel to Barbie”.
Read More here: Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni: What you need to know
