Author Colleen Hoover opened up about how the ongoing lawsuits surrounding the It Ends With Us movie adaptation have impacted her.
Last December, lead actor Blake Lively sued her director and costar, Justin Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign. Justin attempted to countersue her for $400 million, but the case was ultimately dismissed by a judge. The case is set to go to trial next year, with reports and salacious speculation still making the tabloids every week.
After news of Blake’s lawsuit broke, Colleen wrote a message of support to her on Instagram: “You have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.” She took a break from Instagram shortly afterwards.
Colleen spoke about It Ends With Us, which she referred to as “the story that meant the most to me,” and the legal fallout in a new interview with Elle. “It feels like a circus,” she explained. “When there are real people involved, with real feelings and emotions. This actually truly has impacted some of the actors’ careers in huge ways. And I just find it all around sad.”
“I’m just trying to stay removed from the negativity. I have my own story I could tell … but I don’t want to bring attention to it, and I don’t want to have to put someone else down to lift myself up. So I’d rather just ignore it and let people think and say what they’re going to say,” she added.
The book was inspired by a real-life incident of domestic abuse between her parents. “The book was inspired by [my mother’s] story, and now it gives us PTSD to think about it,” she explained. “I feel awful because I almost feel like she’s gone through more with the aftermath of this film, more pain than she went through with my dad, just seeing the ugliness of it.”
“I can’t even recommend it anymore. I feel like [the lawsuit] has overshadowed it,” she continued. “I’m almost embarrassed to say I wrote it.” However, she does hope that once the trial is concluded, she might think differently: “The more time that passes, the easier everything gets for all of us”
Last week, a declaration filed by the Wayfarer co-defendants included an alleged text Colleen sent Justin in August 2024: “I know things took an awful turn, and I felt forced to choose when I did not want to…I have been disappointed personally by your actions many times. I appreciate that you haven’t directly said anything negative, that’s how it should be. But you are grown men with a platform. You know how to use it to protect your image. Please don’t continue to use it to harm me or mine. That’s all I’m asking.”
As for news of the lawsuit this week, a clip of Justin joking that he “missed the sexual harassment training” while rolling his eyes was unsealed.
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