Justin Baldoni praised his It Ends with Us co-star, Blake Lively, dubbing her a “dynamic creative” following online whispers of on-set tension.
Baldoni, who both directs and stars in the film, has adapted Colleen Hoover‘s 2016 bestselling romance. The story follows Lily Bloom (Lively) as she realizes her dream of opening a flower shop. A chance encounter with Ryle (Baldoni), a charming brain surgeon, leads to a whirlwind romance.
However, when Lily’s old flame Atlas (Brandon Sklenar) reappears, she faces a tough decision.
Baldoni, 40, applauded Lively’s smarts and creativity during a recent Today show appearance to promote the movie. Lively also serves as a co-producer on the project.
“I think she’s best known as an actress, and, of course, she’s a fashion icon, but she is so much more than that,” he said of the 36-year-old Gossip Girl alum. “She is a dynamic creative. She had her hands in every part of this production, and everything she touched made better.”
Baldoni’s glowing remarks come amid buzz that Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, have “shunned” him over creative disagreements.
A TikTok user, Jenna Redfield, posted a video examining the film’s August 6 premiere, noting that Lively and Baldoni didn’t pose together. Redfield highlighted that Baldoni and Lively share a mutual friend, writer Liz Plank, who co-hosts the Man Enough podcast with Baldoni. Plank attended the premiere but only shared photos of Lively.
Fans have also noticed that while Baldoni follows Lively, Hoover, and Reynolds on Instagram, they don’t appear to follow him back. Some interpret Lively’s recent comment that Reynolds penned the movie’s “iconic rooftop scene” as proof he tried to wrest creative control from Baldoni.
“We help each other. He works on everything I do,” The Age of Adaline star said of her husband. “I work on everything he does. So his wins, his celebrations are mine and mine are his.”
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