The ‘It Ends with Us’ drama keeps getting messier

The It Ends with Us cast has faced persistent rumors of feuds behind the scenes. Meanwhile, a screenwriting incident with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds adds another element to an already messy situation.

It Ends with Us is the live-action adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book of the same name. It follows Lily Bloom (Lively), a woman who finds her relationship with Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni) mirroring the abusive relationship her father and mother shared. Although the movie is meant to spread a powerful message about breaking the cycle of abuse, the message has been a bit lost in Hoover’s controversies and the alleged cast feuds. It’s highly suspected Baldoni, who starred in and directed the movie, had a falling out with the rest of the cast. He has done all his press for the movie alone and failed to even so much as pose for photos with the rest of the cast during the premiere.

Some of Lively and Reynolds’ antics also haven’t sat right with viewers. Many noticed that Baldoni seems to be the only one really trying to keep sight of the movie’s themes and use it to raise awareness for domestic abuse. Meanwhile, Lively has received criticism for using the movie to promote her products and taking part in mostly cheeky, silly marketing for a film with such a heavy theme. Many were also unimpressed when Reynolds “crashed” one of It Ends with Us’ press junkets in what was clearly meant to be a cross-promotional tactic for Deadpool & Wolverine. Now, some odd screenwriting claims from Lively and Reynolds have put further scrutiny on the couple.

Did Ryan Reynolds write a scene for It Ends with Us?

Recently, Lively claimed that Reynolds wrote a key scene for It Ends with Us. The scene in question was an emotional rooftop scene between Lily and Ryle. While discussing how Reynolds is involved and supportive of her work, Lively attributed an entire major scene solely to him, stating, “The iconic rooftop scene, my husband actually wrote it. Nobody knows that. He wrote it.” The statement is a bit strange because It Ends with Us already has a screenwriter, Christy Hall, and Reynolds isn’t credited with the script at all.

Soon, Hall addressed Lively’s claims and clarified that they weren’t entirely accurate. According to her, Hoover wrote the original rooftop scene, which Hall was then tasked with translating to the screen. Hall confirmed that she wrote the screen, even detailing how it was “the most difficult” scene for her to “crack.” As for Reynolds, she confirmed she wasn’t aware of his input. She noticed a few additions in the final cut and assumed it was just Lively improvising. She acknowledged that the additions were “cute” and “great” but pointed out how the main emotions preserved in that scene were actually her work, and she was very proud of it.

Given that Hall thought the changes were mere improv, Reynolds’ input on the scene seemed fairly minimal. Crediting him for writing the entire scene is seemingly not accurate at all. Fortunately, Hall was able to give her side of the story and didn’t seem overly bothered by the claims. However, one can’t help but feel the whole incident was disrespectful. It seems like overstepping for Reynolds, who was not involved in the movie whatsoever, to essentially try to rewrite one of Hall’s scenes. They also did this without Hall knowing, even though it would’ve been respectful to get her professional feedback on these new suggestions. Most egregiously, Lively exaggerated his contributions without mentioning the movie’s actual screenwriter.

Screenwriters don’t receive nearly as much recognition and credit for their work as they should. Lively likely didn’t mean to be disrespectful with her statement. However, she should’ve recognized how, if she claims her wildly famous husband wrote a scene for It Ends with Us, that’s going to be all people talk about without acknowledging the true writer behind that important scene.

Was there a power struggle on the set of It Ends with Us?

Lively and Reynolds overstepping with their alleged rewrites adds weight to one of the most prominent rumors about the It Ends with Us feud. Rumors suggest that the feud arose because Lively tried to take creative control of the project. According to The Hollywood Reporter, inside sources claimed that Lively commissioned her own cut of the movie from editor Shane Reid. Although it’s not uncommon for multiple cuts of movies to arise, the scene rewrites and Lively’s own account of demanding to keep a certain song in the movie also point to creative differences behind the scenes.

On top of that, Baldoni surprisingly denied having an interest in directing the movie’s potential sequel, instead stating that Lively should direct it. Perhaps he was just complimenting her skill, or perhaps Lively displayed a strong interest in the position. To be fair, Lively was the executive producer of the movie and should have a say on certain aspects. However, the incident with Hall raises concerns that she may have tried to override other professionals in the film. Additionally, while Lively was the executive producer of the film, her husband was not. Aside from offering suggestions, he truly shouldn’t have been reworking the script or showing up in promotional materials.

Ultimately, it’s impossible to say the true source of drama on It Ends with Us, and upsetting allegations have been issued at all parties. However, Lively and Reynolds’ actions demonstrate that they likely could’ve been more respectful in some aspects and may have tried to take advantage of their influence as A-list Hollywood stars.