Colleen Hoover, the author of It Ends With Us, has broken her silence on the allegations made by Blake Lively in a new lawsuit filed against her co-star and director Justin Baldoni.
The 45-year-old writer took to her social media page with a statement of support and solidarity for the actress, 37, while firmly taking a side on the matter.
She shared a statement on her Instagram Stories alongside a photo of herself hugging Blake after a screening of the movie, praising the star for her kindness.
“@blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met,” she penned. “Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.”
Colleen then linked out to a New York Times article titled “‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,” which shares a paper trail of the alleged attempts by Justin’s team to malign Blake’s reputation after she claimed misconduct on the set of the movie.
The movie, which was released in August, received mixed critical reception but ended up becoming a surprise box office success, and opened as the number one movie in the country on its release weekend.
However, the film itself was overshadowed by discourse surrounding the alleged feud between Blake and Justin, stemming from reports of on-set disagreements between the two. Justin also attended carpets and conducted interviews separately from everyone else in the cast, and neither Blake nor Colleen follow him on Instagram.
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The documents in the lawsuit, which HELLO! has seen, allege a hostile work environment so bad that a workplace meeting was held “with all parties” to address concerns; it was also attended by Blake’s husband Ryan Reynolds and Wayfarer Productions’ Jamey Heath.
© It Ends With Us“I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted,” the A Simple Favor star shared in a statement.
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“The emotional impact on Ms. Lively has been extreme, not only affecting her, but her family, including her husband and four children,” the filing went on to claim.
© Getty Images“There are days when she has struggled to get out of bed, and she frequently chooses not to venture outside in public. While she has fought to maintain her personal life and business interests, behind closed doors she has suffered from grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety.”
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Brian Freedman, a lawyer for Justin, in turn slammed the allegations, calling them “false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt.”
© Getty Images“It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions,” his statement continued.