A love story that doesn’t go perfectly is a common trope in movies, but It Ends With Us isn’t your typical rom-com. Released on August 9th, 2024, this film grossed over 300 million dollars, establishing itself as one of the year’s biggest films. Despite its worldwide success and amazing reviews, the fictional movie about domestic violence has not been without controversy in real life. From trouble between co-stars to a problematic author, this movie brought the drama to Hollywood.
Before discussing the movie, let’s delve briefly into Colleen Hoover’s background. Hoover is a world-renowned author who has had multiple books on the New York Times bestseller list. When the movie adaptation of her popular book was announced, fans were ecstatic to see how the book would be transformed into a movie. Unfortunately, one theme from the story hit a little too close to Hoover’s home. Because of the film’s sensitive topic – domestic abuse – critics were shocked when it was revealed that Hoover’s own 21-year-old son was accused of sexual assault of a minor in early 2023. This minor allegedly reached out to Hoover for help. “[Hoover] repeatedly blocked the girl, though later on Facebook claimed she had simply not read the messages immediately, and contacted her once she realized what it was about,” The Observer reports. This controversy caused some fans to turn their back on Hoover after they accused her of trying to silence the victim to benefit her son. When a film is meant to shed light on the complexities of violence within a relationship, it was a little too much for fans when art began to imitate life.
When the film was released, so were merchandise and collaborations with brands. To showcase a movie that focuses on domestic violence, many thought it was weird to promote merch. In a now-controversial TikTok, Blake Lively, who portrays protagonist Lily Bloom, promoted the film by telling women to “grab your friends, wear your florals, and head out to see it.” While it’s natural for a movie star to encourage fans to watch the film, the oddity occurred when fans noticed that Lively was advertising her husband Ryan Reynolds’ new film, Deadpool & Wolverine, in conjunction with her own movie. Fans thought Lively was trying to recreate the “Barbenheimer” effect from 2023, and she received backlash for this. Lively also stated that “I think that you’re so much—and not to minimize it—but you are so much more than just a survivor or just a victim.” Lively’s comment was interpreted as not being sensitive to actual victims of abuse as it didn’t acknowledge the sense of shame many feel. This caused fans to criticize her comment and accuse her of downplaying the severity of abuse.
Another conflict between the two main stars was whether they should include the Lana Del Rey song “Cherry” in the film. Lively advocated for including this song on the soundtrack, yet her “[co-stars] begged me to take that song out of the movie,” Lively said in a recent interview with Hits Radio UK. No other cast member thought this song should be connected to the film as the song is specifically about domestic violence, and this isn’t the movie’s sole motif. This highlighted another creative difference between the co-stars, feuling more rumors about a strained relationship.
Rumors of controversy between the co-stars continued. Both the lead actor and movie director, Justin Baldoni plays the main character’s love interest Ryle Kincaid. With some fans disliking Lively’s aforementioned stance, many began to stand by Baldoni. At the premiere, fans realized that Baldoni spoke to the press by himself, while Lively and the rest of the cast participated in group interviews. This separation on the red carpet fueled rumors of tension behind the scenes between Lively and Baldoni. When Baldoni was asked by Today about the challenges he faced while juggling acting and directing, he stated, “You’re navigating complex personalities and trying to get everybody on the same page with the same vision.” While he doesn’t outright blame any specific co-star, it can be inferred that some problems arose behind the scenes.
Perhaps the most offensive comments were made about Lively herself. Various sources say Baldoni allegedly made Lively “uncomfortable” about her postpartum body on set. According to TMZ, Baldoni reportedly “went to his on-set trainer and asked how much she weighed and how he trained to protect his back injury.” Lively, who had recently given birth, thought that his comment came in a negative viewpoint and that he was trying to “fat-shame her.”
Despite the rumors of contention, fans came out in droves to watch the movie in theaters, causing fans to speculate on whether or not a movie of Hoover’s sequel, It Starts With Us, would be in production soon. Baldoni told ET how he won’t direct the sequel because he “thinks there are better people for that.” He believes that “Blake Lively’s ready to direct.” Is this Baldoni’s attempt to make amends and publically support his co-star?
Overall, this movie was a hit with many teens in South Florida. “It Ends With Us was everything I could’ve imagined and more,” Madison LeMaster, Olympic Heights senior, shared. “It was truly surreal seeing such an emotional book brought to the screen.”