Are Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni feuding? Ryan Reynolds dragged into rumored 'It Ends With Us' drama

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: As 'It Ends With Us' gears up for what promises to be a successful opening weekend at the box office, the film has unexpectedly found itself at the center of social media speculations.

TikTok users have been buzzing with rumors of a potential rift between star-producer Blake Lively and her co-star Justin Baldoni, who has also directed the highly anticipated adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni rift rumors spark speculation over 'It Ends With Us' production

The speculation started when fans noticed Baldoni’s conspicuous absence from several joint press events and the lack of group photos featuring Lively and Baldoni together at the New York premiere. 

According to sources speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, there may have been creative differences during the post-production process, resulting in two different cuts of the movie. This could explain the apparent distance between Lively and Baldoni as the film neared completion.

Rumors of a rift between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni over the production of 'It Ends With Us' have reached a fever pitch, with fans and social media sleuths piecing together clues that suggest a serious behind-the-scenes conflict. The speculation began to take shape earlier this week as the film's cast ramped up promotional efforts.

While Lively has been heavily involved in press events and interviews alongside her other co-star Brandon Sklenar, and even included her husband Ryan Reynolds and his friends Hugh Jackman and Tammy Reynolds in a promotional video, Baldoni has been notably absent from these appearances.

It has been reported that Reynolds took a more active role in the film's creative direction. Lively revealed at the world premiere that Reynolds had written a key rooftop scene early in the movie, stating, "We help each other. He works on everything I do. I work on everything he does. So his wins, his celebrations are mine and mine are his."

However, insiders clarified that while Reynolds did contribute a significant portion of the dialogue for that scene, he was not heavily involved in the film due to his own commitments to 'Deadpool & Wolverine'.

Despite this, Lively’s influence on the film remained strong, with reports suggesting that she commissioned a separate cut of the movie from editor Shane Reid, who previously worked with her on Taylor Swift’s music video 'I Bet You Think About Me.'

The source added that the team was ultimately in agreement on the final cut, which was credited to editors Oona Flaherty and Robb Sullivan.

Jenny Slate’s recent red carpet interview has only added more fuel to the fire regarding the rumored tension between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni on the set of It Ends With Us.

When asked by Deadline about her experience working with Baldoni, both as a director and a scene partner, Slate notably sidestepped the question entirely. Instead of directly addressing what it was like to collaborate with Baldoni, she pivoted to a general comment about the challenges of juggling multiple roles in the film industry.

“I mean, what an intense job, like to have to do so many things. I just found myself being like, ‘Wow. I really just wanna have one job at once.’ And in fact, I’ve often felt that way. Like, I really like writing and I like it so much and it’s special to be able to be a writer, but like, yeah, I was looking around being like, ‘I’m good with just acting.’ I really, I love it. I just wanna do it. I feel like I’ve only begun.”

Social media unfollows raise eyebrows

Fans became even more suspicious when they noticed that several key members of the cast, including Lively, Sklenar, Jenny Slate, Ryan Reynolds, and even author Colleen Hoover, had unfollowed Baldoni on Instagram.

Baldoni, however, still follows them, suggesting that the issue might be more one-sided, with the cast seemingly distancing themselves from him.

This lack of interaction is particularly surprising given the close collaboration between Hoover and Baldoni during the movie's development, as documented on their social media accounts.

TikTok user claims creative tensions between Blake Lively and director resulted in investment dispute

According to a TikTok user who claims to have inside information, the tension between Lively and Baldoni may have stemmed from creative control struggles. Lively and Reynolds reportedly saw 'It Ends With Us' as a potential Oscar vehicle for Lively, which led them to invest their own money into the project in exchange for more say over the film’s direction.

This move allegedly caused friction with Baldoni, the film’s director, and led to clashes with Sony, the studio behind the movie. The TikTok user claims that Lively and Reynolds, backed by Hoover, threatened to pull their investment and Lively's involvement unless their creative vision was respected, ultimately forcing Sony to relent.

Justin Baldoni’s comments add fuel to fire

Adding another layer to the speculation, Baldoni recently made a comment during an interview with Entertainment Tonight that some fans believe hints at the underlying drama.

When asked about directing a potential sequel, Baldoni responded, "I think there are better people for that one. I think Blake Lively is ready to direct. That’s what I think."

What might have seemed like a complimentary gesture could be interpreted as a subtle acknowledgment of the creative disagreements that have reportedly plagued the project.