Everything Justin Baldoni Said About Working With Blake Lively

Justin Baldoni initially she seemed to have only positive things to say about him It ends with us costar, Blake Livelywhile reports of a feud on set continue to circulate online.

The drama officially hits theaters in August 2024, and Baldoni, who directs and stars alongside Lively, has heaped praise on his on-screen partner.

“Blake was involved in every aspect of the film once he came on board, from scenes and dialogue to the end, to now,” he said. Entertainment Weekly in August. “She’s been involved in all of this and is a powerful creative and wonderful collaborator.”

it ends with us which is adapted from Colleen HooverThe bestselling novel of the same name follows florist Lily Bloom (Lively) who enters into an abusive relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni).

Amidst their tumultuous relationship, Lily’s first love, Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar), reappears in her life.

TMZ and New York Times announced on Saturday, December 21, 2024 that Lively sues Baldoni for sexual harassment. On Tuesday, Dec. 31, Baldoni was among the 10 plaintiffs who sued for $250 million vs New York Times for coverage of Lively’s claims. Same day, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni in a court in New York, which reflects her previous claimswhich are filed in California.

Check out what Baldoni had to say about Lively:

Why was Blake Lively the perfect casting choice?

When trying to find the perfect actress to play Lily, Baldoni said the team wanted a woman who was “extremely charming, likeable and that everyone would fall in love with.” Soon after, Lively’s name topped the list.

“The only box she didn’t check was that she didn’t have red hair, which is a very easy decision in the movie business!” joked Baldoni people. “She is a creative force. She is the executive producer of the film and she is so brilliant. I believe her performance will help so many women feel noticed and show this unique experience in a way I don’t believe I’ve seen in any other film.”

How Much Feedback Has Blake Lively Provided?

When it came time to shoot difficult scenes of violence for the film, Baldoni said it was “really challenging” to balance his roles as actor and director. Fortunately, Lively has proven to be a useful guide and resource.

“Blake was a great partner in those situations,” he said Entertainment Weekly. “It’s been so hard, but I think I surround myself with people I trust and really talented creatives, and if there’s ever a moment where I can’t see the forest for the trees, I’ll look to my partners and ask them what they think .

“I really trusted her,” Baldoni continued. “She has a great eye and she was on the other side so it was very difficult and she just had a lot of confidence. I had a lot of trust in the people around me and they didn’t steer me wrong.

Baldoni added that he relied on Lively and the women working on the set to ensure that the film focused on the female perspective.

“To be very honest, in a lot of situations I would give my look and then step back and let the women actually run the set and the show,” Baldoni said The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published on Saturday, August 10. “Blake was also very involved and had a lot of ideas about how this should work. There were many moments where I didn’t even say a word, when I just watched and thought, yeah, that sounds great.

He continued: “I was actually able to get into Ryle because at those times it was the most difficult for Ryle and the most difficult for me as an actor. So they took a lot of weight off my shoulders and they also made sure that every one of those scenes was handled carefully and also there’s not a male point of view but a female point of view because that was one of my first concerns when I was wondering if I could even direct this movie. I wanted to make sure that she kept and maintained the message of the book through a female perspective.

How did Blake Lively help the intimate scenes?

In January 2024 captured cameras Baldoni and Lively kiss while filming the movie. For viewers who notice some chemistry on the big screen, Baldoni is quick to give credit to his star. “When it came to intimacy and all that, (Lively) had a really clear vision and she would tell me what she thought would work, what she thought would be sexy,” he said Access to Hollywood. “From the beginning, this had to have a female perspective, and I never wanted my bias as a male to creep in or harm this project.”

What does Justin Baldoni think about working with Blake Lively’s husband Ryan Reynolds?

Before the film was released, Lively confirmed her husband, Ryan Reynoldswrote a key scene in the film. Before the reveal, Baldoni seemed to hint that Deadpool the actor helped the project. “Ryan was so generous. …He’s a creative genius, that guy,” he said Today.com. “So, you know, his gift is levity and her gift is levity.”

When asked if he would work with the husband-wife duo again, he replied, “If they would have me.”

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Will Justin Baldoni reunite with Blake Lively for a sequel?

Book lovers know this It ends with us bred an It starts with us sequel in 2022, set years after the OG book. When asked about a potential second dose of acting and directing, Baldoni said it’s too early to tell. “You’ll have to ask me in a bit. After that, we will take a vacation,” he said Entertainment tonight before sharing his choice to direct the sequel. “I think there are better people out there for that. I think Blake Lively is ready to direct. That’s what I think.”

Did Justin answer Blake’s case?

After Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment in December 2024, his lawyer, Brian Friedmancalled the allegations “completely false, outrageous and deliberately obscene” in a statement to us. He claims Lively filed the lawsuit to “repair her negative reputation” and “reframe the narrative” regarding the film’s production.

Friedman claims Lively made “multiple demands and threats” while filming It ends with usincluding “threatening not to appear on set, threatening not to promote the film, ultimately leading to his death during release if her demands were not met.” (us (reached out to Lively’s rep for comment at the time.)

What does Justin claim in his lawsuit against the New York Times?

Baldoni is among a group of 10 plaintiffs, which also includes publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel as well as It ends with us manufacturers James Heath and Steve Saraowitz, who filed suit vs New York Times.

The plaintiffs are suing for defamation and false light, invasion of privacy and claim that New York Times “chosen” communications and omitted context to mislead readers of the article We Can Bury Anyone: Inside the Hollywood Grease Machine.

The lawsuit alleges that Lively ran a “strategic and manipulative” smear campaign against Baldoni (not the other way around), using false “sexual harassment allegations to exert unilateral control over every aspect of the production.”

In response to the filing, Lively’s attorney said us on Tuesday, Dec. 31, that the case was based on a “manifestly false premise.”

“Nothing in this lawsuit changes anything about the claims presented in Ms. Lively’s California Division of Civil Rights complaint, nor her federal complaint filed earlier today,” the statement said. “This case rests on the patently false premise that Ms. Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer et al was a ruse based on a choice ‘not to sue Baldoni, Wayfarer’ and that ‘the lawsuit was never her end goal’. As evidenced by the federal complaint filed by Ms. Lively earlier today, that frame of reference for the Wayfarer lawsuit is incorrect. While we will not argue this matter in the press, we encourage people to read Ms. Lively’s full complaint. We look forward to addressing each of Wayfarer’s allegations in court.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.

https://www.thehotline.org/