Blake Lively reportedly felt “fat-shamed” by Justin Baldoni on the set of It Ends With Us and felt uncomfortable during a kiss scene she had with him, in which she claims he “lingered” longer than necessary.
Amid rumors of a feud between the duo, a new report sheds light on two alleged incidents involving Baldoni that made Lively feel uncomfortable during the making of the film.
TMZ According to reports, the alleged fat-shaming took place in preparation for a scene in the film in which Baldoni lifts Lively into the air.
Insiders told the website that Baldoni has been suffering from back problems and that he sought help from a trainer before the scene in which he had to lift the weights.
Baldoni, 40, allegedly asked the trainer how much Lively, 36, weighed and for help preparing his back to avoid injury.
Blake Lively reportedly felt ‘fat-shamed’ by Justin Baldoni on the set of It Ends With Us and felt uncomfortable about a kiss scene that she felt went on longer than necessary; Baldoni and Lively were spotted filming a kiss scene for their film in January
When Blake heard about Baldoni’s comments, she reportedly felt ashamed of her weight.
Lively welcomed her fourth child with husband Ryan Reynolds in February 2023. Sources told TMZ that the comment hit the actress hard.
TMZ sources also mentioned another incident that bothered Lively on set.
The duo were filming a kissing scene and sources claim Lively was convinced Baldoni was “lingering” longer than necessary for the kiss.
DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for Baldoni and Lively for comment.
TMZ previously reported that insiders don’t believe Baldoni is the clear villain in the feud, with several of his It Ends With Us co-stars backing him up.
Some insiders claimed that several actors are exaggerating the breakup to promote the film.
There have been rumors of a feud between Lively, the film’s star, and Baldoni, her co-star and director of It Ends With Us.
Baldoni starred opposite Lively in It Ends With Us and also directed the film
Amid the swirling feud rumors, Baldoni has now hired a crisis PR firm to represent him. Baldoni is turning to respected PR crisis manager Melissa Nathan for help, according to The Hollywood reporter.
According to People, the split also includes the film’s lead actors and Colleen Hoover, the author of the book on which the film is based.
People reported Monday that the core cast and Hoover want “nothing to do with” Baldoni.
“Not everything is as it seems” regarding Baldoni, who also reportedly had a falling out with the film’s lead actor, Blake, during production of the movie, a source told People on Monday.
There have been recent rumors of a feud between Lively, the film’s star, and Baldoni, her co-star and director of It Ends With Us.
“There’s a lot more to this story,” a source told the outlet. “The lead actors and Colleen Hoover want nothing to do with him.”
While the director had “creative differences” with some of the people he worked with on the film, reports of tension during the making of the movie were “exaggerated,” a source close to Baldoni told People on Monday.
The source added that Lively “wants to direct the next film, step him aside and secure the rights to Colleen.”
Speculation about tension between the film’s director and star grew even more when Baldoni decided not to take photos of the entire cast at the film’s New York City premiere at AMC Lincoln Square on August 6, People reported.
Baldoni was photographed alone posing alongside his wife Emily Baldoni, 40, family members and producers at the film’s premiere.
According to a logline for the film, Lily (Lively) “overcomes a traumatic childhood to start a new life, while” a chance meeting with a neurosurgeon sparks a connection, but Lily begins to see sides of him that remind her of her relationship with her parents.
Baldoni oversaw an “extremely difficult” time for the cast and crew, Page Six reported, citing multiple sources. According to the source, Lively was personally “uncomfortable” during filming.
A source told the outlet: ‘None of the actors enjoyed working with Justin – they certainly didn’t speak to him at the premiere.’
Insiders told Page Six that Lively and Baldoni saw the film in “two separate theaters” of the cinema.
Several insiders told the newspaper that Baldoni “would never intentionally make his cast feel unsupported.”
Baldoni and Lively’s feud could impact future projects in the franchise, as he may not direct a sequel based on Colleen Hoover’s 2022 book It Starts With Us, the sequel to the current film’s source novel, 2016’s It Ends With Us.
Baldoni, whose production company Wayfarer Studios owns the rights to the book, appeared to distance himself from directing a sequel in a red carpet interview with Entertainment Tonight at the premiere.
Speculation about tension between the film’s director and star grew even more when Baldoni declined to take photos of the entire cast at the film’s New York City premiere at AMC Lincoln Square on August 6, People reported.
“I think there are better people for this movie. I think Blake Lively is ready to direct, I think,” Baldoni said.
Sources told DailyMail.com on Friday that Baldoni behaved in a “chauvinistic” and “transgressive” manner while filming the movie, and that he rejected suggestions from Lively “during scenes involving abuse.”
The source added that Baldoni “did not consider Blake’s character’s perspective and instead focused exclusively on what he saw as the abusive male point of view” and that “his approach was very chauvinistic, which created a tense atmosphere on set.”
“Justin almost became a character in the sense that some of the women on set felt that he was almost insulting and that he was unprofessional and unapologetic.”
According to a logline for the film, “Lily (Lively) overcomes a traumatic childhood to start a new life, while ‘a chance meeting with a neurosurgeon creates a connection, but Lily also begins to see sides of him that remind her of her relationship with her parents.’
The film, which also stars Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Brandon Sklenar and Kevin McKidd, finished in second place at the U.S. box office last weekend with $50 million and grossed $80 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.