Colleen Hoover is sharing an update on her feelings about the controversy surrounding her book-turned-movie It Ends With Us.
Hoover, 46, spoke about the messy legal battle between It Ends With Us stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni during her appearance on Jenna Bush Hager’s “Open Book With Jenna” podcast on Thursday, March 5.
“Is it hard to have those two things, like your very first memory, one of your pieces of art that I know you cherish, wrapped up with all of this?” Bush Hager, 44, asked the author.
Hoover responded, “You know, it is, but it’s getting easier to separate it because I do look at the success of it. Like opening week, we just were all so shocked at how much readers showed up for it and how well it did and how much it resonated. I’m so proud of that movie.”
Colleen Hoover allegedly expressed disappointment at the feud between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, according to newly revealed text messages. According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly on Thursday, November 13, Wayfarer Studios filed a declaration with multiple exhibits, including alleged communications between Hoover, 45, and Baldoni, 41. Per the documents, Baldoni appeared to […]
It Ends With Us was released in theaters in August 2024. The film, which had a $25 million budget, grossed $350 million worldwide.
Hoover then praised the team behind the movie.
“I think the actors, the director, everyone did such a good job making it that I have to look at everything else separate from the film, from the book,” she concluded. “As unfortunate as it is, I am still just very much grateful that we got to see it come to life. And, for me, I’m very proud of that film.”
ANGELA WEISS / AFP
The legal drama surrounding It Ends With Us began in December 2024 when Lively, 38, filed a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Baldoni, 42. The actress and executive producer claimed that Baldoni, who directed the film in addition to starring alongside Lively, created a hostile work environment and made inappropriate remarks about her body, among other allegations.
Baldoni subsequently filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively and husband Ryan Reynolds, but it was later dismissed in June 2025.
Hoover broke her silence on the lawsuits in November 2025, telling Elle at the time that it all “feels like a circus.”
UPDATE, 1/21/26 at 3:39 p.m. ET: Court documents obtained by Us Weekly exclusively reveal that she was initially concerned when Justin Baldoni signed on to direct the film adaptation of It Ends With Us. “I think everyone’s reaction was concern,” the transcript of Hoover’s deposition reveals. “They expressed it and said that they think it […]
“When there are real people involved, with real feelings and emotions. This actually truly has impacted some of the actors’ careers in huge ways. And I just find it all around sad,” she said.
Hoover continued, “I’m just trying to stay removed from the negativity. I have my own story I could tell … but I don’t want to bring attention to it, and I don’t want to have to put someone else down to lift myself up. So, I’d rather just ignore it and let people think and say what they’re going to say.”
In February, Lively and Baldoni participated in a court-ordered settlement conference, but it was “unsuccessful,” Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman told Deadline. The case is slated to go to trial in May if the former costars fail to reach a settlement by then.
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