Colleen Hoover has finally spoken up about the ongoing mess between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, and let’s just say she didn’t sound thrilled. After months of watching the legal drama play out from the sidelines, the It Ends With Us author admitted she feels “disappointed” and, at times, even “almost embarrassed” to be associated with the project that once meant so much to her.
The author told Elle that the very public feud between her two lead actors has drowned out what the book and the film she co-produced originally set out to do. She said,
I feel like the lawsuit has overshadowed it. I’m almost embarrassed to say I wrote it.
Instead of spreading awareness about domestic violence, Hoover feels the whole thing has spiraled into something she never intended.
Colleen Hoover Had Earlier Shown Support for Blake Lively
Hoover didn’t rush to comment on the Baldoni-Lively legal battle when it first erupted. And now she’s explaining why. In her view, the situation had ballooned a lot. She felt that any explanation she offered wouldn’t change people’s minds anyway.
“I’m just trying to stay removed from the negativity,” she said (via Elle), adding that she actually has her own version of events but refuses to weaponize it.
I have my own story I could tell. 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 admitted that the backlash and online noise became so overwhelming that even she lost track of what people believe, joking that “not even me” has the whole truth at this point.
Despite everything, she once openly supported Blake Lively. Back in December, Hoover had posted a heartfelt Instagram Story praising the actress (via Deadline). She wrote, mentioning 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.
For someone who prefers to stay out of drama, that message now reads like a rare moment where she chose a side. And she’s well aware people haven’t forgotten.
Colleen Hoover’s Own Mother’s Story Inspired It Ends With Us
Long before Hollywood turned her book into a headline magnet, Hoover faced plenty of criticism for the novel itself. Some accused her of romanticizing domestic violence, which hit especially hard because the book was inspired by her mother, Vannoy Fite, who survived abuse from Hoover’s father, Eddie Fennell. The book was never meant to speak for all survivors. She clarified that she wasn’t trying to create a universal template for victimhood.
What hurts her most now is how the fallout from the film has affected her family. Hoover said her mother is reliving the emotional weight all over again. She said,
The book was inspired by my mother’s story. I feel awful because I almost feel like she’s gone through more with the aftermath of this film.
A story that started out as a tribute somehow became a battleground she never wanted to stand on.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.
