The escalating feud between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni might spell the end for any plans to produce “It Starts With Us,” the highly anticipated sequel to “It Ends With Us,” according to a Hollywood insider.
“This is uncharted territory, and no one knows what a sequel might look like now,” a source familiar with the situation told Variety on Tuesday. “There’s probably no world where these two will work together again.”
However, another source exclusively informed Page Six that “No definitive decisions have been made about the sequel.”
Rumors of tension between the co-stars—who portrayed leads Lily Bloom and Ryle Kincaid—have been circulating online for weeks. Earlier this month, multiple sources revealed to Page Six that Baldoni, who owns the cinematic rights to “It Ends With Us” and directed the film, allegedly made Lively feel “uncomfortable” on several occasions. One such instance involved accusations that Baldoni made Lively insecure about her postpartum body.
A source previously explained to TMZ that Lively, 37, felt “fat-shamed” when Baldoni, 40, asked the on-set trainer about her weight, as he was concerned about a scene where he had to lift her due to his history of back issues.
On the other hand, Baldoni reportedly felt sidelined by Lively, who served as a producer for the movie, and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, as they seemed to battle for creative control. Lively allegedly made significant changes to the script and wardrobe “often without consulting Justin or his team,” according to a source.
An insider corroborated this claim to Variety, revealing that Baldoni was unaware that Reynolds, 47, had “written” the movie’s rooftop scene—a detail Lively shared during the premiere—but instead thought his co-star had simply ad-libbed it.
Despite the tensions, Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios, own the cinematic rights to “It Starts With Us,” making it possible he could still be involved in the sequel.
Reps for Baldoni did not immediately return Page Six’s request for comment. However, given the high tensions—evident from the fact that the two leads didn’t even pose together at the premiere—Baldoni’s return for the second movie remains uncertain.
