Author Colleen Hoover Breaks Her Silence on 'It Ends With Us' Lawsuit

20 Nov 2025, 14:56 · The Fresno Bee

It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover is finally breaking her silence on Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni‘s lawsuit.

"It feels like a circus," Hoover, 45, told Elle in an interview published on Thursday, November 20. "When there are real people involved, with real feelings and emotions."

Hoover said the drama has "impacted some of the actors' careers" in "huge" ways, adding, "I just find it all around sad."

The outlet noted that Hoover was preparing to give a deposition in the case within a few weeks of when the interview was conducted. Hoover emphasized that she's "trying to stay removed from the negativity" as Lively, 38, and Baldoni's legal drama continues its back and forth.

Adapted from Hoover's novel of the same name, the 2024 movie follows Lily Bloom (Lively) as her relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni) becomes abusive. She eventually finds an ally in her high school love interest, Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar). Throughout the press tour last summer, Baldoni - who directed the film - and Lively were not seen doing promotion together.

Following speculation about tension between the costars, Lively filed paperwork in December 2024 accusing Baldoni, 41, of sexual harassment, creating a "hostile work environment" and causing her "severe emotional distress" while working together.

In a statement provided to The New York Times, Lively said, "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted."

Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman called Lively's claims "completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious," alleging in a statement to Us Weekly that Lively filed the lawsuit to "fix her negative reputation" and "rehash a narrative" regarding the production of It Ends With Us. (Lively served as a producer on the movie.)

Freedman went on to claim that Lively made "multiple demands and threats" throughout filming, which included "threatening to not show up to set, threatening to not promote the film, ultimately leading to its demise during release, if her demands were not met."

At the time, Hoover seemingly showed her support for Lively with public praise, writing via her Instagram Story, "Blake Lively 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."

Hoover later deleted her Instagram account and remained largely tight-lipped about the controversy.

"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," she added on Thursday. "So, I'd rather just ignore it and let people think and say what they're going to say."

The author acknowledged the impact the drama had on her family due to the book being based on her parents' relationship.

"The book was inspired by [my mother's] story, and now it gives us PTSD to think about it," Hoover noted. "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."

Hoover continued: "I can't even recommend it anymore. I feel like [the lawsuit] has overshadowed it. I'm almost embarrassed to say I wrote it. When people ask what I do, I'm just like, ‘I'm a writer. Please don't ask me what I wrote.'"

Baldoni and Lively are both expected to testify in trial in March 2026.

This story was originally published November 20, 2025 at 6:56 AM.