It Ends With Us, starring Blake Lively and Brandon Sklenar, premiered in Hollywood to carry on the tradition of rom-com cliches filled with laughter and love. While it delivered on its promise, it also brought the kind of drama typical of the genre. However, labeling the drama as merely generic would be an overstatement. Although fans are well aware of cold shoulders replacing the warm energy of La La Land, their concerns escalated significantly when Johnny Depp's PR team was brought in to mitigate the mounting tension between Lively and director Justin Baldoni.

After the carefully orchestrated press tours and the New York City premiere of It Ends With Us, fans took to the internet to discuss what they saw as a noticeable tension between author Colleen Hoover, star Blake Lively, and director Justin Baldoni. Just days after these concerns emerged, The Hollywood Reporter revealed Baldoni has enlisted veteran PR crisis manager Melissa Nathan, known for her work on the high-profile Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial, to address the PR issues surrounding the film's release.

This news comes after TikTok sleuths noticed Baldoni’s frequent absence from press events and limited interaction at the premiere, along with his suggestion to pitch the Gossip Girl alum as a director for the rom-com sequel. Amid speculation about a possible rift between the filmmaker and the cast, fans also observed that neither Lively, Hoover nor the rest of the cast follow Baldoni on Instagram, despite him following them.

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Baldoni's decision to hire The Agency Group comes amid a flurry of negative headlines about him. While this move might be seen as a last-ditch effort to manage the negative attention, fans perceive it as a potential calm before a looming storm.

Amidst the growing tabloid reports about tensions between Justin Baldoni and the cast of It Ends With Us, including Blake Lively, sources revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that the rift may have stemmed during the film’s post-production. While fans already speculated Ryan Reynolds’ involvement might have overshadowed Baldoni’s vision for creative direction, the outlet reported that two separate cuts of the film have surfaced, with Lively commissioning one from editor Shane Reid, who worked on Deadpool & Wolverine.

It is unclear whether either of these cuts made it into the final version of the film, but Baldoni’s decision to hire a well-known PR crisis manager has divided fans. 

Some are convinced that Baldoni is at fault, while others believe that Lively and Reynolds’ overstepping is the greater issue. While neither fans nor the media are fully aware of the details of the perceived tension between Baldoni and the It Ends With Us cast, Melissa Nathan’s involvement is likely to help calm the situation. However, fans might never learn all the details, as Nathan is known for effectively managing and concealing A-listers’ issues.

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What do you think of Justin Baldoni's hiring of Melissa Nathan, the PR who managed the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial following issues with Blake Lively in It Ends With Us? Let us know in the comments below!