ITNTW: Feud or Publicity Stunt? ‘This Ends with Us’ Drama

The highly anticipated  film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best selling novel “This Ends with Us”  hit cinemas at the start of the month, taking the box office and the media by storm. However it isn’t the plot that has people talking. 

Fans were quick to suspect an ongoing feud amongst the star studded cast, which includes the likes of Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, as well as author, Colleen Hoover. Theories began after it was noted that neither Lively or Hoover followed Baldoni on social media and were escalated after their separate appearances on red carpets and press tours.  

It left everyone with the same question; What on earth had gone on behind the scenes?

At first it seemed everyone was quick to place the blame onto Blake Lively. Hosting the lead role of troubled florist, Lily Bloom, the film follows Lively’s character as she struggles with domestic abuse. Many fans of Hoover’s novel critiqued Lively’s attitude on press tours. Her colourful, floral-filled press wardrobe and light-hearted tone in interviews caused some people to question how seriously Lively was taking the dark themes of the movie. Castmate and director of the film, Justin Baldoni, however, received a completely different reaction. He was praised by fans for continuously placing domestic violence at the centre of his conversations.  

This differentiation in attitudes only furthered speculations that the two were feuding. Social Media was taken over by theories, opinions and anything to do with the upcoming film.

It wouldn’t be the first time that a press tour has been overshadowed by unease within a cast. Notably the 2022 thriller “Don’t Worry Darling” sent the media into a frenzy over a speculated feud between Harry Styles, Florence Pugh and Olivia Wilde. This situation reached its peak during the Venice Film Festival premiere, where every action made by the stars was scrutinised. The infamous spitting incident, which involved Harry Styles being caught on film allegedly spitting on Chris Pine, a claim that both stars later denied. Aside from this encounter, every interaction, or lack thereof, between Pugh, Styles and Wilde was dissected, with fans and tabloids fueling theories of discord.

Is the timing more than a mere coincidence?

In Hollywood, where publicity is paramount, such drama and controversies – whether fabricated or real, can be an effective tool to keep a film in the spotlight. The ongoing buzz around “This Ends with Us” could be seen as a strategic move to ensure that both the film and its stars remain at the forefront of public attention. 

This strategic PR move of curating controversy is not a new tactic for Lively. Leading up to the release of her comedy-thriller film “A Simple Favour”, Lively unfollowed everyone on Instagram including co-star Anna Kendrick, and the pair seemed to create the illusion that they weren’t getting along. It was later revealed that this was all just part of the movie promotion in which the pair play two women with a very complicated friendship. 

This leaves us wondering, could Lively’s decisions around “This Ends with Us”, once again, be on purpose?

Written by The IOPR Team