“Feuds, Films, and Fumbles: Justin Baldoni Calls in PR Cavalry Amid Rumors of Set Shenanigans with Blake Lively”
(Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
(photo by James Devaney/GC Images)
In a move that screams, “Houston, we have a problem,” Justin Baldoni has reportedly dialed up the bat signal for PR crisis manager extraordinaire Melissa Nathan. Apparently, the star-studded cast of “It Ends With Us” has been dealing with more drama off-screen than a reality TV reunion. And leading the charge? Rumors of a not-so-friendly spat between Baldoni and his co-star Blake Lively.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Baldoni, who’s had fewer photo ops with the cast than Bigfoot, has recently signed on with Nathan’s firm, The Agency Group. The firm specializes in making messes disappear—at least from the public eye.
While reps for Baldoni are practicing their best “no comment” game, the gossip mill is working overtime. Word on the street is that Baldoni and Lively were about as synchronized on set as cats and dogs in a rainstorm. Sources say Blake was left feeling “uncomfortable,” which in Hollywood speak could mean anything from “mildly annoyed” to “ready to start a social media campaign.”
The industry insiders are singing the same tune: Baldoni wasn’t winning any popularity contests. In fact, the cast seemed so fond of him that they gave him the silent treatment at the premiere—a real show of support.
The drama doesn’t stop there. Apparently, the post-production phase turned into a game of “Who Wants to Edit This Film?” with Lively bringing in “Deadpool & Wolverine” editor Shane Reid to work his magic. But whether his cut made it to the final reel is a mystery shrouded in as much secrecy as the recipe for Coca-Cola.
Despite the cinematic tug-of-war, a studio insider played the whole thing off as just another day in Hollywood: “Multiple edits are normal,” they said, possibly while shrugging and avoiding eye contact.
As for Baldoni, it seems his directorial ambitions might have hit a speed bump. Though his production company owns the rights to the sequel, “It Starts With Us,” he’s already passing the baton to Lively, hinting that she’d be a better fit for the director’s chair next time around. A gracious exit? Or the Hollywood version of, “Here, you deal with it”?
Only time—and maybe a well-placed tweet—will tell.