Blake Lively Hints at Creative Differences on It Ends With Us Movie

Amid rumors of a feud between her and costar Justin Baldoni, Blake Lively hinted there was at least one disagreement behind the scenes of It Ends With Us.

Lively, 36, discussed the use of Lana Del Rey’s “Cherry” in a pivotal scene during an interview with Hits Radio UK posted on Saturday, August 10.

“They begged me to take that song out of the movie,” Lively said without identifying the “they” in question. When asked why, the Gossip Girl alum gave a lengthy explanation.

“I’m not supposed to be talking about this,” she said. “Because they felt like it was too charged and heavy, and things are still good with Ryle at that point, so you don’t want to feel that charge. And I was like, ‘The moment Atlas enters, things are charged and heavy.’ There’s conflict, there’s pain, there’s turmoil, there’s tension, because you’re like, ‘Oh, my God, my soulmate, the one that got away in my life, this person who’s haunting me in everything I do and everywhere I go is here now, and we still had that connection.’ And you can be deeply in love with this person, but this person comes in and your insides are gonna be a mess. So, that’s why.”

Based on Colleen Hoover’s novel of the same name, It Ends With Us follows Lily as she opens a floral shop and enters into an abusive relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle (Baldoni). As their romance falls apart, Lily’s first love, Atlas (Brandon Sklenar), reappears in her life.

“Cherry,” from Del Rey’s 2017 album, Lust for Life, appears in the scene where Lily (Lively) learns Ryle and his sister (Jenny Slate) have a third sibling, a brother named Emerson, who died when they were young. (Serious spoiler alert: Viewers later learn a 6-year-old Ryle shot Emerson when they found their dad’s gun while playing.)

In recent weeks, fans have been speculating about a possible feud between Lively and Baldoni, who also directed the film. Despite the rumors, Baldoni, 40, has only had good things to say about his leading lady.

“Blake was involved in every aspect of the film once she came onto the project, from scenes and dialogue until the end, until now,” he told Entertainment Weekly ahead of the film’s Friday, August 9, release. “She’s been involved in all of it, and she’s been a powerhouse of a creative and a wonderful collaborator.”

The book spawned a sequel titled It Starts With Us, which debuted in 2022. Earlier this month, Baldoni hinted that he’s not interested in directing a film adaptation of the second installment.

“I think there are better people for that one,” he quipped to Entertainment Tonight last week. “I think Blake Lively is ready to direct. That’s what I think.”