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Social media is flooded with people trying to decode the behind-the-scenes drama between the It Ends With Us cast, and the internet just can’t crack the code. For the unaware, It Ends With Us is a movie adapted from Colleen Hoover’s book of the same name, starring Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni (who also directed the movie) and Brandon Sklenar in the lead roles.

Since the press tour started for the movie, Baldoni has not been seen with the rest of the cast — at all! Not for a single picture or interview, which is rather rare in Hollywood; even the Don’t Worry Darling cast had pictures together despite the Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde drama. Additionally, people are also talking about the polar opposite ways Lively and Baldoni are promoting the movie, her having a fun, frivolous girlie pop time and him actually talking about the important issues the movie discusses — like domestic abuse.

So what is the tea? Let’s start at the beginning.

Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us, published in 2016, follows Lily Bloom (portrayed by Lively) who grew up in a broken home, with a father who abused her mother. Later in life, she herself ends up in an abusive relationship with Ryle Kincaid (played by Baldoni). The plot follows Lily’s journey and deals with the very serious issue of domestic violence (DV).

Given the plot of the book and movie, audiences were expecting a sombre press tour, with a focus on raising awareness against DV. What they weren’t ready for were promotions of Lively’s haircare line, red carpet appearances from Deadpool and Wolverine, scenes written by Ryan Renolds (for some random reason) and a complete freeze-out of the main lead and director.

The first thing social media users noticed was that Baldoni was only seen with his wife on the red carpet, never with the rest of the cast and that they had no pictures together. Strange, given Hollywood’s penchant for group photos with the entire cast. Moreover, Lively, Hoover, and the rest of the cast do not follow Baldoni on Instagram, he, however, follows them. During the movie’s production, Hoover and Baldoni appeared together on each other’s Instagrams numerous times.

Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that there was a fracture among the filmmakers in the postproduction process, wherein two different cuts of the movie emerged. However, it is not out of the ordinary to have multiple cuts of a movie, and this certainly wouldn’t explain why Baldoni has been ostracised.

According to Rolling Stone, since its conception and success, It Ends With Us “has straddled a tenuous line between the gravity of its subject and its widespread appeal” and the message of DV awareness has been ignored in favour of selling tickets for a romance movie (which, dear reader, this is not). Lively’s floral looks on the press tour are front and centre — her character is a florist — and she even wore Britney Spears’ iconic 2002 floral Versace dress to the premiere.

There has also been a lot of cross-promotion with Marvel’s action comedy Deadpool & Wolverine, which stars Lively’s husband Renolds in the titular role. Hugh Jackman was at the movie’s premiere alongside Renolds, for some odd reason, making it all feel rather fun and light-hearted, instead of the topic of DV being dealt with the seriousness it deserves. The glamorous trio did not discuss DV but photographs aplenty were clicked.

Netizens also criticised Lively telling audiences to “grab your friends, put on your florals” and go watch the movie and repeated promotion of her haircare line and alcoholic beverages line, Betty Buzz. Lively’s company threw her a floral theme party for the release of the movie, which she shared on her official Instagram handle, much to people’s chagrin, who called out her “tone deaf” attitude.

Social media users also maintained that Baldoni was the “only person actually speaking against DV”. Unlike Lively, the Jane the Virgin actor has repeatedly raised awareness about DV and posted about it to his Instagram. Following all the flak, Lively also posted an Instagram story (which disappear in 24 hours) about how victims of DV can seek help.

Meanwhile, Baldoni received praise for the way he has treated the subject matter and for being the only one to actually talk about it. Despite this, Hoover, whose own mother was a DV survivor, was only spotted with Lively and the other cast members during all the promotions, which further begs the question — why the complete Baldoni exclusion?

Chicks in the Office, an American podcast, discussed that perhaps Baldoni was not with the rest of the cast because his character was the antagonist in a way. However, they quickly highlighted that actors who play the bad guys are, more often than not, just as much a part of the press promotions as the hero.

Recently, sources told TMZ that Lively felt “fat-shamed” by Baldoni because he asked how much she weighs. According to the publication’s sources, Baldoni, who has a history of back problems, had to lift Blake for a scene and therefore asked his on-set trainer how much she weighed and how could he train to protect his back from injury.

TMZ sources also alleged that Lively felt uncomfortable because Baldoni “lingered” during a kissing scene. It maintained that the cast and crew agree there’s bad blood between the costars, however, sources stated that Baldoni is not the “clear-cut villain”, as some people who worked on the film are standing by him. Others claim the beef is just a promotional tactic for the film.

Whatever the reality is, the internet is rallying behind Baldoni. An Instagram user said Baldoni was being “completely sabotaged” which was “disgusting”. She stated that while she had always been a fan of Lively, she was on Baldoni’s side.

Recently, Baldoni also hired a PR crisis manager, as the internet continues to speculate and theorise about what could possibly be wrong and why Lively is treating this movie like a rom-com.

As the drama continues to proliferate, social media is doing what it does best — making memes. People parodied Lively’s behaviour and statements from the press tour, while others promoted movies in Lively’s style; talking about a serious movie in a flippant, light-hearted way.

Memes and gossip aside, DV is a very real issue that continues to impact women across the globe. If you, or someone you know, is facing abuse, please seek help. You can contact the Rozan Counseling Helpline at 0304-111-1741. Women in Punjab can contact the Punjab Women’s Toll-Free Helpline 1043 which is available 24/7.