5 Shocking Twists In The 'It Ends With Us' Drama: From Tone-Deaf PR To The 2026 Court Date

The cinematic adaptation of Colleen Hoover's blockbuster novel, It Ends With Us, delivered a box-office success in August 2024, yet the true drama has unfolded off-screen, escalating into one of Hollywood's most public and bitter legal battles. The controversy has ballooned from initial fan criticism over casting and costuming to a full-blown, multi-million-dollar legal war between co-stars and producers Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, with the latest updates pointing toward a major court showdown in 2026. This ongoing saga has completely overshadowed the film's message on domestic violence, leaving the author, Colleen Hoover, publicly regretting the "circus" the adaptation has become as of December 2025.

The highly-anticipated adaptation, which tells the story of Lily Bloom navigating an abusive relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid, quickly devolved into a real-world conflict involving sexual harassment allegations, defamation lawsuits, and a high-profile cast rift that continues to dominate entertainment headlines more than a year after the movie's release.

The Key Players in the 'It Ends With Us' Controversy

The core of the drama revolves around the two lead actors, who also served as producers, and the immensely popular author whose work inspired the film. Understanding their roles and the timeline of their involvement is crucial to grasping the depth of the ongoing conflict.

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• Blake Lively (Lily Bloom / Producer): The Gossip Girl star was cast as the protagonist, Lily Bloom, a decision that initially drew criticism from fans who felt she was too old for the character's age in the book. Lively became the central figure in the legal drama, filing a sexual harassment complaint against her co-star and director.
• Justin Baldoni (Ryle Kincaid / Director / Producer): The Jane the Virgin actor secured the rights to the book in 2019 and directed the film through his company, Wayfarer Studios. Baldoni's dual role as both the abusive love interest and the film's director placed him at the center of the subsequent legal complaints and countersuits.
• Colleen Hoover (Author / Executive Producer): The best-selling "BookTok" author of the source novel, who publicly defended the casting choices. She later expressed deep regret and embarrassment over the legal "circus" that has consumed the film's legacy.
• Brandon Sklenar (Atlas Corrigan): Portrayed Lily's childhood love, Atlas Corrigan. Along with other cast members like Jenny Slate, Sklenar was noticeably supportive of Lively during the press tour and appeared to distance himself from Baldoni on social media.
• Ryan Reynolds (Blake Lively's Husband): The actor's involvement became a key element in the legal filings, with Baldoni alleging that Lively used Reynolds and even his friend Taylor Swift to coerce him into accepting her creative demands.

The Initial Fan Backlash: Casting, Costumes, and Tone-Deaf PR

Long before the legal documents were filed, the It Ends With Us adaptation was mired in controversy stemming from its earliest production announcements. Fans of the book, which deals with heavy themes of domestic violence, felt the film was misstepping on several key fronts.

The Age and Wardrobe Controversy

The first major wave of drama centered on casting. Blake Lively, in her mid-30s, was cast as Lily Bloom, a character who is in her early 20s and fresh out of college in the book. Author Colleen Hoover stepped in to defend the decision, explaining that she had originally wanted the characters to be older but aged them down for the book's initial publication, making the film's change a more "realistic portrayal" of the characters' life experiences.

When set photos of Lively in costume surfaced, a second wave of criticism hit, with fans describing Lily's wardrobe as "chaotic," "disheveled," and "frumpy," a far cry from the sleek, aspirational style many had envisioned for the character. This initial backlash set a tense tone for the entire production.

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The 'Tone-Deaf' Promotional Tour

As the film's August 2024 release approached, the promotional tour sparked further outrage. Lively was criticized for her seemingly "light-hearted" and "humorous" approach to interviews, encouraging audiences to "grab your friends and wear your florals" to the theater—a marketing style that many deemed insensitive to the film's core subject matter of domestic abuse and generational trauma. Critics also noted that Lively used the press tour to promote her own brands, including her alcoholic beverage line, which some viewed as particularly inappropriate given the link between domestic violence and alcohol abuse.

The Cast Rift and Creative Hijacking Allegations

The behind-the-scenes tension became impossible to ignore during the film's press cycle, pointing to a deep and public rift between the two leads.

The Premiere Snub and Social Media Silence

Rumors of a feud intensified when Justin Baldoni was largely absent from group promotional appearances, including the New York City premiere in August 2024. While Lively posed with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and co-stars Brandon Sklenar and Jenny Slate, Baldoni walked the red carpet separately. Further fueling the speculation, fans noticed that Lively, Colleen Hoover, Sklenar, and Slate had all either unfollowed or never followed Baldoni on Instagram, suggesting a unified front against the director-star.

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Creative Clashes and the 'Second Cut'

Reports emerged that the on-set environment was fraught with creative and personal tension. Sources indicated a "fracture among the filmmakers" during post-production, with Lively, who was also a producer, allegedly commissioning her own edit of the film from an outside editor. Baldoni later alleged in his countersuit that Lively threatened to quit production and promotion to gain creative control, successfully excluding him from the final process and even barring him from the film's premiere. This intense power struggle led to what was described as two "different cuts of the movie" emerging.

The Legal 'Circus': Sexual Harassment and Defamation Lawsuits

The public feud exploded into a full-scale legal war in late 2024, revealing the true depth of the on-set conflict and turning the production into a legal spectacle.

Lively's Sexual Harassment Complaint

In December 2024, Blake Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. The allegations included claims of inappropriate comments about her weight, unwanted physical touching, and sexual remarks without consent. Her complaint also alleged that Baldoni and his associates embarked on a "social manipulation" and "smear campaign" to "destroy" her reputation after she spoke out about the misconduct.

Baldoni's Counter-Offensive and Dismissal

Baldoni vehemently denied all allegations, calling them "false, outrageous and intentionally salacious." In January 2025, he, his production company Wayfarer Studios, and his PR team filed a massive $400 million countersuit against Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist. The countersuit alleged extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy, claiming Lively fabricated the sexual harassment claims to seize creative control of the film. Baldoni also sued The New York Times for libel over their reporting of Lively's claims. However, in a major blow to Baldoni's case, a judge formally dismissed his $400 million countersuit against Lively and Reynolds in October 2025.

The 2026 Trial Date and Author's Regret

Despite the dismissal of Baldoni's countersuit, Lively's federal lawsuit against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios remains active, with a trial date now set for March 9, 2026. The protracted legal battle has drawn a strong reaction from the book's author, Colleen Hoover. In a November 2025 interview, Hoover described the situation as a "circus" that has been incredibly painful for her, saying she is "almost embarrassed to say I wrote it" and feels "less publicly" proud of the book. The ongoing litigation ensures that the dramatic fallout from the It Ends With Us movie will continue to unfold in the public eye for the foreseeable future, making it one of the most contentious book-to-screen adaptations in recent memory.