Bestselling author Colleen Hoover has quietly stepped back from Instagram amid the intensifying legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, the stars of the film adaptation of her novel, It Ends With Us. Lively filed a sexual harassment complaint against her co-star in December resulting in a counter lawsuit filed by Baldoni against the Gossip Girl star and New York Times.
Colleen Hoover deactivates Instagram
In her lawsuit, Lively, who portrayed Lily Bloom in the movie adaptation of Hoover’s 2016 novel, alleged that Baldoni created a ‘hostile’ working environment on set, entered her van while she was breastfeeding her newborn, added intimate scenes in the script without her consent, and accused Baldoni of launching a smear campaign against her leading to a whirlwind of legal battles.
Hoover on the other hand, like many Hollywood celebs had previously shown her support for Lively on Instagram but has remained silent as the situation intensifies.
The day after Lively filed her complaint followed by a New York Times piece, “We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,” Hoover showed her support for the actress. “@blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive, and patient since the day we met,” the author wrote alongside a photo of herself and Lively embracing. “Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.”
However, the internet recently realised that her Instagram account is currently inactive. It Ends With Us, a 2016 novel by Colleen Hoover, tells the story of Lily Bloom, whose relationship with her boyfriend, Ryle Kincaid, tragically turns abusive. This novel was adapted into a film, directed by Justin Baldoni, which was released in theaters in August 2024.
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Lively & Reynolds ask court to silence Baldoni’s lawyer
According to TMZ, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are asking the court to stop Justin Baldoni’s lawyer from making public statements about the case.
They believe the lawyer is making false statements and harming their reputation. Baldoni’s lawyer released footage from the movie set to prove Baldoni’s innocence. Lively’s team says the footage is misleading and made her uncomfortable. Baldoni’s team believes a gag order is unfair because they say the actor has already been smeared by the media and he just wants to release evidence to prove his innocence.
