Additional Coverage:
- Colleen Hoover says the Lively-Baldoni lawsuits made her ’embarrassed’ to say she wrote ‘It Ends With Us’ (businessinsider.com)
Colleen Hoover Speaks Out: Legal Drama Overshadowed “It Ends With Us” Film Adaptation
Bestselling author Colleen Hoover has finally broken her silence regarding the swirling controversy surrounding the movie adaptation of her popular novel, “It Ends With Us.” In a candid interview with Elle magazine, Hoover, 45, expressed her dismay over the ongoing legal battle between the film’s stars, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, stating unequivocally that it has “overshadowed” her beloved book.
“I can’t even recommend it anymore,” Hoover lamented about her own work. “I’m almost embarrassed to say I wrote it.
When people ask what I do, I’m just like, ‘I’m a writer. Please don’t ask me what I wrote.'”
The legal saga, which began in December 2024, saw Lively file a lawsuit against Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment, retaliation, and an attempt to damage her reputation. This initial filing triggered a series of subsequent lawsuits from both Lively and Baldoni, even drawing in figures like Baldoni’s former publicist, Stephanie Jones. While a judge dismissed Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit against Lively in June 2025, and later formally ended the suit after Baldoni missed a deadline to file an amended complaint, Lively’s original lawsuit against Baldoni remains active.
Hoover revealed to Elle that despite her executive producer credit and a brief cameo during filming, she was “completely unaware that anything was happening” between the two lead actors during production. At the time of the interview, Hoover was just weeks away from giving a deposition in the ongoing legal proceedings.
The author also shared the profound impact the highly publicized dispute has had on her family, particularly her mother. “It Ends With Us” was inspired by her mother’s personal experiences with domestic violence, and Hoover stated that the controversy has brought back painful memories.
“The book was inspired by her story, and now it gives us PTSD to think about it,” Hoover said. “I feel awful because I almost feel like she’s gone through more with the aftermath of this film, more pain than she went through with my dad, just seeing the ugliness of it.”
Reflecting on her work, Hoover concluded, “I was very proud of that book. And I’m still proud of it, but less publicly so.
Maybe I need therapy, I don’t know.” The ongoing legal battles between the film’s stars continue to cast a long shadow over the highly anticipated adaptation and its source material.