End the Us cast’s quotes about Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni

the cast of Finish with us brought the drama to the screen, and it seems that the same drama was happening off camera.

The film adaptation of Carolina HooverThe novel will hit theaters in August 2024. animated blake was cast as the protagonist Lily Bloom, who becomes a victim of domestic violence in her relationship with Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni). As she considers leaving Ryle, a love interest from her childhood returns.

Despite playing the two lead roles, Lively and Baldoni did not promote the film together, quickly sparking speculation of tension on set. In December 2024, Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and “serious 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. He asked that “no more nude videos or images of women be shown to Blake, no more mention of Baldoni’s alleged previous ‘pornography addiction’, no more discussions of sexual conquests in front of Blake and others, no more mention of genitals of the cast and crew. , no more questions about Blake’s weight, and no more mentions about Blake’s dead father.”

Lively further demanded “not adding any more sex scenes, oral sex or on-camera climaxes by BL outside the scope of the script that BL approved when signing the project.” Lively accused Baldoni of launching a “social manipulation” campaign against her to “destroy” her reputation. (Prior to the film’s release, Lively was criticized online for seemingly ignoring the issue of domestic violence in her promotion. She later shared resources about intimate partner violence through social media.)

Baldoni’s lawyer. Bryan Freemancalled Lively’s allegations “completely false, outrageous, and intentionally lewd” in a statement to Us weeklyalleging that Lively filed her lawsuit to “fix her negative reputation.”

Lively, for her part, denied in a statement to The New York Times who spread negative information about Baldoni. “I hope my legal action will help uncover these sinister retaliation tactics to harm people who report misconduct and help protect others who may be targeted,” he said.

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

Brandon Sklenar

Sklenar, who played childhood love interest 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.” for themselves. “Vilining the women who put so much of their heart and soul into making this film because they believe so strongly in its message seems counterproductive and detracts from what this film is about,” he wrote via Instagram, seemingly coming to Lively’s defense amid of a violent reaction towards her. movie promotion. “In fact, it’s the opposite of the point.”

Sklenar noted that he found it “disheartening” to see the “negativity” online before the film’s release. The actor also insisted that “there is not a single person involved in the making of this film” who was not “aware of the responsibility we had in making it.”

A month later, Sklenar said Access Hollywood who spoke because It Ends with Us is “an important film for so many women and for so many survivors of domestic abuse” with the intention of “making people feel heard, strong and loved.” And he added: “Projecting anything other than that seems contradictory.”

Jenny Pizarra

Slate talked about the bond he formed with Lively while they worked together on Finish with usin which she played Allysa, Lily’s best friend and Ryle’s sister.

“I fell deeply in love with her,” Slate said. Entertainment tonight of his co-star. “Obviously, I’ve admired Blake for a long time. … (She is a) deeply trustworthy person who is also willing to share. We had long conversations. “I never expected to have the compensated experience that I had.”

The actress continued: “I really wanted to work with Blake, but to really make a friend and someone who is so capable in so many ways, like a real winner… I’m so grateful for this sweet person. “

Hasan Minhaj

Minhaj played Ryle’s brother-in-law in Finish with usand remained quiet about the rumors during a September 2024 interview with gift.

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

Minhaj called the film’s success “surreal,” adding, “I don’t think anyone would have predicted it. I remember when Justin approached me and asked me to be a part of the movie; “I was so passionate.”