A storyboard artist from It Ends With Us opened up about what it was like working with Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively.
Crew member Talia Spencer had something to say about Baldoni
The IEWU crew member was recently interviewed by 60 Minutes Australia, where she shared her experience on the movie set. She called Baldoni “one of the few directors I’ve worked for that was kind and respectful.”
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She also talked about how he brought her onto the project
According to Spencer, one of the big reasons she signed on was because it really felt like he genuinely cared. She said he seemed super into the whole idea behind the film and wasn’t just doing it for attention or fame.
But she also shared some not-so-good things that she saw on-set
Talia shared her take on what might’ve gone down between Blake and Justin. “I feel like maybe Blake smelled his kindness, mistook it for weakness and tried to take advantage and take power,” she said.
When they asked if she thought Blake actually “wrestled control of the film” from Baldoni, Talia didn’t hold back. “I think she tried to, yes,” she answered.
Lively initiated this never-ending legal battle in December 2024
So yeah, this whole mess kicked off back in December 2024 when Blake filed a lawsuit against Baldoni. She accused him of sexual harassment and said he went on to smear her afterward as payback.
Baldoni countersued Lively and a few other people
Baldoni denied everything Blake accused him of. And then in January, he fired back with a countersuit. He didn’t just go after Blake, he also dragged her husband Ryan Reynolds, their publicist Leslie Sloane, and her PR firm, Vision PR, Inc. He’s accusing them of defamation and civil extortion.
But who was actually in charge?
Baldoni and Lively created two different versions of the film. In his complaint, Baldoni says that during production, two separate versions of It Ends With Us came to life. One was all Baldoni’s, and the other one was Blake’s. She actually ended up getting a producer credit for it, since her version is the one that became the final film.
Lively was involved in many creative aspects of the film
When it came time to promote the film, Blake and others talked about how she was super involved in shaping the final version of the movie. Even some of the costumes came from her own closet!
She also used her connections to put together the soundtrack, and she even mentioned that her husband, Ryan Reynolds, helped out with some dialogue for one key scene.
The director didn’t really deny her creative input
When PEOPLE gave the first look at It Ends With Us in April 2024, Baldoni couldn’t help but praise Blake. In an interview, he said, “There wasn’t a part of this production that [Lively] didn’t touch and have influence on. And everything she put her hands on and her mind to, she made better.”
Back in January, Blake’s lawyers pushed back on what they said were false claims
They denied that Blake took over the creative control and caused tension between the cast and Baldoni. They argued that “the evidence will show that the cast and others had their own negative experiences with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer.”
