Justin Baldoni Hires Crisis Manager Amid Drama With Blake Lively

The actor and filmmaker Justin Baldoni has hired a crisis public relations firm to represent him following reports of major ‘creative differences’ and conflict between him and his “It Ends With Us” co-star, Blake Lively.

Baldoni, 40, turned to the well-regarded PR crisis manager Melissa Nathan for assistance, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Nathan is renowned for representing Johnny Depp during his defamation trial against Amber Heard.

The actor, who also directed the hit romance film, addressed the on-set ‘friction’ between him and Lively in an interview with ELLE UK on Tuesday.

Rumors of conflict between Baldoni and Lively began circulating on TikTok ahead of the release of “It Ends With Us”. Observant fans noticed Baldoni’s absence at press events promoting the film.

Fans also speculated that something was amiss among the cast after Baldoni and Lively didn’t appear together in any photos at the film’s premiere.

Nathan launched her firm, The Agency Group, in June, with initial clients including Depp, Drake, The Chainsmokers, Logan Paul, and others. Her agency operates in Los Angeles, New York, and has a satellite office in Washington, DC. Nathan previously worked for crisis management leader Matthew Hiltzik at Hiltzik Strategies.

Justin Baldoni addressed the on-set ‘friction’ while promoting his new film “It Ends With Us” amidst feud rumors with Blake Lively. Baldoni described how tension during production can lead to ‘beautiful art’ during his interview with ELLE UK.

Baldoni stars opposite Lively in the film and also directs the project. He spoke about the challenges of balancing the dual roles and how strain can benefit a film.

“It’s very challenging to act and direct, especially with a project like this,” he explained. “There was a lot of pressure playing such a complex role like Ryle, and as a filmmaker, you’re always navigating personalities.”

“There are always things that happen every day on set,” he continued, “There’s always friction that happens when you make a movie like this. But it’s that friction, I believe, that creates beautiful art. Everything in life needs friction to grow.”

Baldoni did speak positively about Lively, calling her a ‘creative powerhouse’ and comparing her acting prowess to an elite sports car like Ferrari.

“You move a little bit and she responds,” Baldoni said. “It was incredible just in terms of helping me craft the performance. She touched so many aspects of this production, and everything she touched she made better.”

The interview comes amid rumors of a feud between Baldoni and Lively. People reported that the rift also includes the principal cast of the film and Colleen Hoover, the author of the book on which the film is based.

According to a report from People, the core cast and Hoover “will have nothing to do with” Baldoni. A source told People, “All is not what it seems regarding Baldoni. He reportedly clashed with Blake amid production of the movie.” The source added, “There is much more to this story. The principal cast and Colleen Hoover will have nothing to do with him.”

While the director had ‘creative differences’ with some of his collaborators on the movie, a source close to Baldoni told People the tension while making the film had been ‘overblown’.

Adding to the speculation about tension between Baldoni and Lively was Baldoni not taking full cast pictures during the movie’s New York City premiere at AMC Lincoln Square on August 6, People reported. Instead, Baldoni was pictured only posing alongside his spouse Emily Baldoni, 40, relatives, and producers at the debut of the film.

Baldoni presided over an ‘extremely difficult’ environment for cast and crew, as reported by Page Six, quoting multiple sources that noted Lively was personally ‘uncomfortable’ during filming. A source told the outlet, “None of the cast enjoyed working with Justin – they certainly didn’t talk to him at the premiere.”

Insiders told Page Six that Lively and Baldoni watched the movie in ‘two separate theaters’ at the premiere venue. Separate insiders also stated that Baldoni “would never intentionally make his cast feel unsupported.”

This ongoing tension between Baldoni and Lively could impact future projects in the franchise. Baldoni might not direct a sequel based on Colleen Hoover’s 2022 book “It Starts With Us,” which is the follow-up to the current film’s source novel, “It Ends With Us.”

Baldoni, whose production company Wayfarer Studios holds the rights to the book, appeared to distance himself from directing a sequel in a red carpet interview with Entertainment Tonight at the premiere.

“I think that there are better people for that one – I think Blake Lively’s ready to direct, that’s what I think,” Baldoni said.

Sources told DailyMail.com that Baldoni behaved in a ‘chauvinistic’ and ‘borderline abusive’ manner during the filming, and had been ‘dismissive’ of suggestions made by Lively ‘during scenes depicting abuse.’ The source added that Baldoni “failed to consider Blake’s character’s perspective, instead focusing solely on what he believed was the abusive male viewpoint,” describing his approach as “very chauvinistic, creating a tense atmosphere on set.”

Despite the reported difficulties, the movie, which stars Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Brandon Sklenar, and Kevin McKidd, finished second at the domestic box office over the weekend with $50 million, making $80 million globally, according to Box Office Mojo.

Source: DailyMail, The Hollywood Reporter, ELLE UK, People, Page Six, Box Office Mojo