The cast of It ends with us brought the drama to the screen – and it seems there was just as much drama going on off camera too.

The film adaptation of Colleen HooverThe novel will be released in cinemas in August 2024. Blake Lively was cast as lead actress Lily Bloom, who becomes a victim of domestic violence in her relationship with Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni). As she considers leaving Ryle, a childhood love interest returns.

Although Lively and Baldoni played the two lead roles, they did not promote the film together, which quickly led to speculation about tensions on set. In December 2024, Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and “severe emotional distress.”

According to the lawsuit, a meeting was held in January 2024 to address some of Lively’s concerns about the film’s production. She demanded that “Blake be shown no more nude videos or images of women, no more mention of Baldoni’s alleged past ‘pornography addiction,’ no more discussions of sexual conquests in front of Blake and others, no more mentions of the cast and crew’s genitals.” , no further questions about Blake’s weight and no further mention of Blake’s dead father.”

Lively further demanded: “No further sex scenes, oral sex or on-camera climaxes by BL that go beyond the scope of the script that BL approved when signing the project.” Lively accused Baldoni of a campaign of “social manipulation” against launching them to “destroy” their reputation. (Ahead of the film’s release, Lively was criticized online for seemingly ignoring the topic of domestic violence in her advertising. She later shared resources about intimate partner violence on social media.)

Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan FreedmanIn a statement, Lively called Lively’s allegations “completely false, outrageous and intentionally offensive.” Us weeklyShe claimed Lively filed her lawsuit to “improve her negative reputation.”

Lively, for her part, denied this in a statement The New York Times that she spread negative information about Baldoni. “I hope my legal action will help lift the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak out about wrongdoing and protect others who may be targeted,” she said.

Read on for quotes from Lively and Baldoni’s co-stars It ends with us:

Brandon Sklenar

Sklenar, who played childhood love Atlas, issued a lengthy statement about the alleged drama in August 2024. “Colleen (Hoover) and the women in this cast represent hope, perseverance, and women choosing a better life.” “Believing in his message seems counterproductive and distracts from what this film is about,” he wrote via Instagram, appearing to defend Lively amid the backlash promoting the film. “It’s actually the opposite.”

Sklenar noted that it was “disheartening” to see the “negativity” online ahead of the film’s release. The actor further emphasized that “there is not a single person involved in the making of this film” who was not “aware of the responsibility we bore in the making of this film.”

A month later, Sklenar said Access Hollywood that he spoke out because “It Ends With Us” is “an important film for so many women and for so many survivors of domestic violence,” with the intention of “making people feel heard, strong and loved.” become”. He added: “To project anything other than that just seems counterintuitive.”

Jenny Slate

Slate opened up about the bond she formed with Lively while working together It ends with usin which she portrayed Allysa, Lily’s best friend and Ryle’s sister.

“I fell deeply in love with her,” Slate said Entertainment tonight from her co-star. “Obviously I’ve admired Blake for so long. … (She is a) deeply trustworthy person who is also willing to share. We had long conversations. I never expected I would have such an off-set experience.”

The actress continued, “I really wanted to work with Blake, but I really wanted to find a friend and someone who was so capable in so many ways – just like a real winner… I’m just so grateful for this lovely person.”

Hasan Minhaj

Minhaj played Ryle’s brother-in-law It ends with usand he remained tight-lipped about the rumors during an interview with in September 2024 esquire.

“I can’t speak to other people’s experiences, but everyone was very professional and cool to me,” he said. “It was nice and everyone was nice, and for me it’s just as disillusioning because I’m like, ‘What happened? Wait, what’s going on?’”

Minhaj described the film’s success as “surreal,” adding, “I don’t think anyone would have predicted this. I remember when Justin contacted me and asked me to be a part of the film; he was so passionate.”