"Fans of the book hated that idea": Katie Joy alleges Sony forced Justin Baldoni to cast Blake Lively in It Ends With Us against his wishes

As the ongoing legal conflict between It Ends With Us actors Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively escalates, Katie Joy, the host of Without A Crystal Ball, cited a source who claimed that the co-stars did not get along from the beginning of the shoot, which led to Baldoni not wanting to cast Lively as Lily Bloom, the protagonist of the movie.

However, Sony Pictures Entertainment, the co-financer and distributor of It Ends With Us, allegedly pressured him into doing so.

The source added that the casting decision for Lily Bloom in the movie was influenced by several factors, particularly the budget and the need to hire a well-known actress between the ages of 20 and 25, as Lily is portrayed within that age range in Colleen Hoover's book.

However, Sony allegedly preferred a mature actress to make Lily's character relatable to a wider audience, particularly for marketability.

Katie's source further alleged that the delay in casting the other actors, despite Lively being cast early on, was due to Justin Baldoni (who is also the director of the movie) realizing that the script had to be rewritten to match Lily's age with Lively.

That meant that Baldoni, who plays Ryle Kincaid, Lily's love interest, had to age up his character to match hers, which led to further delays in casting other actors, and the fans of the book "hated" this idea.

"So, the backlash started on Sony's choice to cast an older actress, and the fans of the book hated that idea. That's really where the backlash started on day one."

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Source claims Justin Baldoni was a "perfect prey" for Blake Lively

The source also informed Katie that Justin Baldoni is the kind of individual who makes others feel understood and valued. He is careful about how he affects people's feelings and treats them with respect. He appreciates the contributions of others and sometimes becomes overly focused on ensuring that he doesn’t hurt anyone or cause them distress.

She suggested this could have made him an ideal target for Blake Lively. Who, on the contrary, the source had described as egotistical and manipulative.

"[He] was like the perfect prey for Blake," the source stated.

The source further speculated that she may have viewed him as somewhat obscure in the industry, which could have created a power dynamic from their first meeting.

The differences between them weren't just about the script; Blake aspired to direct the next film. Sony chose her due to her connection with WME, the talent agency, and Ryan, who, although not part of the cast, had a significant presence that Blake could have used to her advantage, Katie's source added.

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The legal feud between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, explained

Four months after the release of It Ends With Us, on December 20, 2024, Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing him of "repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behaviour", which led to "severe emotional distress," and orchestrating a smear campaign against her, as reported by Deadline.

The 87-page complaint was also filed against It Ends With Us producer Jamey Heath, Justin Baldoni's production company Wayfarer Studios, and its co-founder Steve Sadwitz.

In a statement to The New York Times on December 22, 2024, the Gossip Girl alum said

"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 following day, The New York Times posted an article titled 'We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine, which expanded on Lively's claims that Justin Baldoni plotted a smear campaign to "bury" her reputation. The article contained text and email exchanges between Baldoni and his team.

In response, on December 31, 2024, the Jane the Virgin actor sued the outlet for $250 million, claiming that the article "cherry-picked and altered communications stripped of necessary context and deliberately spliced to mislead."

Additionally, Baldoni filed a separate lawsuit against Lively, her publicist Leslie Sloane, and Reynolds on January 16, 2025, for defamation and civil extortion.

"This is a case about two of the most powerful stars in the world deploying their enormous power to steal an entire film right out of the hands of its director and production studio," the filing stated.

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Meanwhile, the trial is scheduled for March 2026.

Edited by Bharath S