'It Ends With Us' and how Hollywood covers up celebrity fallouts (2024)

While It Ends With Us grossed $50 million in its opening weekend, rumors of a fight between its stars have overshadowed the film's early success.

Justin Baldoni, the actor and filmmaker who both starred in and directed the production, has hired an experienced crisis public relations manager amid rising speculation that he and co-star Blake Lively have clashed.

While Baldoni praised Lively in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, the film's leads have not made any joint appearances at promotional events leading up to its release. Although co-stars are not always joined at the hip, the absence of a photograph or interview clip of Baldoni and Lively together is a bizarre sight, as leading co-stars usually market their project together.

Newsweek reached out to Baldoni and Lively's reps for comment on Friday afternoon.

Melissa Nathan, Johnny Depp's former crisis manager who specializes in reputation management and publicity, is now said to have been tasked with saving both the film and its stars from social media fallout.

"Baldoni's decision to hire a crisis manager is a smart move," Lauren Beeching, founder of the social media agency and crisis management firm Honest London, told Newsweek. "However, Blake Lively is so loved by the public that this will be a challenging battle."

Beeching's firm is based in London, but its crisis PR management team serves clients globally. One arm of the firm focuses on celebrity reputation management and operates in Los Angeles, California. While Beeching declined to share specific names of clients for confidentiality reasons, she did stress that many of her clients are U.S. public figures, including a mix of A-list celebrities and other high-profile individuals across different industries.

"When I work with clients, my main focus is on protecting and improving their public image, especially when they're going through tough times," she said. "Crisis PR isn't just about putting out fires—it's about carefully guiding clients through situations that could risk harming their reputation further.

"The goal is not just to deal with the immediate issue, but to help rebuild—and sometimes even strengthen—the client's public image by turning a crisis into an opportunity for positive change."

Beeching achieves this by first identifying the unfavorable narrative that has spread as soon as possible. And second, by using her quick wit and connections to arrange photo opportunities, media appearances and social media content designed to soften the blow.

Indeed, Farzana Baduel, founder and chief executive officer of Curzon PR, an award-winning public relations firm based in London, England, says it's crucial for crisis managers to regularly maintain a reputational risk register. This way, crisis management teams know who could be at risk of a very public downfall before it even happens.

"In a risk register, we would also note the likelihood of occurrence, which is typically categorized as most likely, medium, or low," Baduel told Newsweek. "As part of this process, running focus groups to identify potential reputational issues is key. For instance, with a film addressing sensitive themes, a focus group could have flagged the need for a more solemn tone during the press junket."

She added: "What we see playing out for the stars of It Ends With Us looks like a lack of strategic thinking and planning around reputation. We have a saying in crisis which is say it first, say it fast and say it sincerely. Timeliness, transparency and empathy often mitigates the impact of reputational scandals."

Crisis experts like Baduel—who has over 15 years' experience in the field—often have relationships with key media figures and influencers which help them tell their story fast, and this ideal story could then set the tone for subsequent discussions on the internet.

"The public are actually quite forgiving if you follow these rules but, ironically, the damage to someone's reputation is usually by the mishandling of the crisis, and the lack of something like a risk register or focus group, rather than the underlying issue that triggered the crisis begin with," she said.

Lively and Baldoni's Alleged Feud

Lively, 36, has enjoyed a number of years as one of Hollywood's "golden girls." The actress is known for her notable film and television roles, fashion-icon status and army of celebrity friends, including Taylor Swift. Then there's her A-lister husband, Ryan Reynolds. But she too has come under fire during the film's promotion, with some accusing her of sugarcoating the film's distressing subject matter, domestic violence.

The public began to first catch glimpse of a supposed rift between Lively and Baldoni after they spotted that the pair had not appeared together at promotional events leading up to the release of the movie. They were also not photographed together at its premiere. Reports suggest that the co-stars may have clashed over creative decisions in post-production, while social media users noted that Lively has unfollowed Baldoni on Instagram.

Lively also confirmed that her husband, Reynolds, wrote a key scene in the film, despite him not being involved in the project, which was something that originally belonged to Baldoni. Fans voiced concern online that the husband-wife takeover of certain scenes, if not the entire movie, from director Baldoni may have derailed the film from making important messages about its subject matter of domestic violence.

It Ends With Us, which was adapted from a novel of the same name, was inspired by its writer Colleen Hoover's upbringing in a household shaken by violence. The novel had been published in 2016, but became a hit on TikTok in 2022, after "BookTok" creators began raving about it. Baldoni secured the rights in 2019 to adapt the bestseller, with Lively first reported as joining the cast in January 2023.

The adaptation's recent press junket has added more fuel to the fire, with Lively being slammed by social media users for appearing to dampen down the movie's subject matter, with some users claiming Lively had unintentionally promoted the movie as a romantic comedy.

The actress, best known for The CW's Gossip Girl and The Age of Adaline, made mention of her haircare label, the vibrant outfits she wore in the film and its trending musical choices—alongside several jokes and gags—while promoting the film and its complex storyline.

"This contrast between Lively's interview tone and the subject matter of the film intensified the backlash," Baduel said. "Media training should have prepared her and helped her avoid such a PR fail."

Lively also encouraged cinemagoers to wear their "florals" to screenings of the movie, in what some claimed was the star's attempt at recreating last year's Barbenheimer buzz—what fans labeled the simultaneous release of polar-opposite movies Barbie and Oppenheimer.

Baldoni's decision to rope in Nathan—who represented Depp during his trial against Amber Heard—to save the day has made headlines, but it is not the first time that a celebrity has sought some PR magic to tone down public backlash.

"I guess a key example is Prince Andrew," Beeching said. "He faced huge public scrutiny over his associations and allegations and his crisis team tried to manage the situation through interviews and strategic communication, though the results I would imagine didn't go the way that they hoped or predicted as his reputation still isn't in a good place overall."

Actress Reese Witherspoon also acquired the support of a crisis management team when she faced a publicized incident with the police in 2013. Witherspoon and her husband at the time, Jim Toth, had been arrested after Toth was pulled over under suspicion of a DUI charge in Georgia. Witherspoon was arrested for disorderly conduct.

The actress has since shifted the focus back to her professional work, allowing her career to continue moving forward after a PR campaign rooted in getting Witherspoon favorable media appearances and opportunities.

"Her team responded by issuing apologies and strategically appearing in the media," Thomas Mustać, a senior publicist at public relations agency Otter Public Relations, told Newsweek. "These actions played a role in handling the aftermath and safeguarding her image."

The Depp and Heard defamation trial also counts as a classic example of a high-stakes PR war.

"Depp's crisis management team waged a well-executed campaign to transform his reputation from 'troubled star' to 'victim of circ*mstance' by emphasizing his artistic accomplishments and personal integrity," Lakesha Cole, founder of She PR, told Newsweek.

This case shows how crisis communications can be used to turn the tide of public opinion and rehabilitate an image besmirched by scandal.

Singer Katy Perry was recently caught up in a web of online drama after her new album, dubbed an attempt at a "career comeback," attracted criticism from fans. The pop star was slammed for partnering up with producer Dr. Luke, born Lukasz Gottwald, ahead of the release of a new song on July 11.

The release of the song "Woman's World" received immediate backlash due to the pair's collaboration which follows a lawsuit by singer Kesha. In 2010, she claimed Dr. Luke had subjected her to sexual, physical and emotional abuse. He denied the allegations and countersued that same year, claiming that the singer had defamed him.

Perry got pulled into proceedings when Kesha alleged that the "Firework" singer was also a victim of abuse at the hands of Dr. Luke. Perry strongly denied this and a judge later ruled that Kesha had defamed the producer by suggesting as much.

Kesha and Dr. Luke reached a settlement last year and agreed to "a resolution" of the case.

Perry's PR nightmare continued after it came to light this week that she and her team had filmed a new music video in one of Spain's protected areas without the necessary permit. The video is now under investigation.

The list of well-known names who have acquired the support of a crisis management team is endless. After all, as long as there are public figures, there will always be the possibility for a media frenzy that they hope to exit unscathed, but how does this actually happen?

What Do Crisis PR Managers Do?

According to Beeching, the key to being a successful crisis manager involves quickly figuring out what is going on and crafting the right response to it.

"I use media relations, social media and public appearances to shift the story in a more positive direction," she said. "I've helped clients navigate challenges similar to what's been reported with the It Ends With Us film.

"Whether it's personal scandals or disputes during projects, each situation is unique, so I tailor my approach to ensure we address the issue directly. The key is to respond quickly and authentically to maintain trust and credibility with the public."

Mustać seconds Beeching, adding that the trick is to utilize various communication platforms to convey the desired narrative effectively.

"Crisis communication goes beyond addressing concerns; it involves actively engaging with stakeholders to rebuild trust and influence public opinion positively," he said. "I've witnessed firsthand the significance of implementing thought-out crisis management tactics to navigate scenarios.

"While each situation is unique, we often devise strategies that start with a statement directly tackling the issue followed by engaging with the media to clarify facts or express regret when necessary."

Perhaps that is what Nathan will advise Baldoni to do next. His co-star, Lively, has already taken to Instagram to share a post that directs her 45 million-plus followers to domestic violence helplines. Her Instagram story appeared to be a response to her alleged earlier inaction, but Baduel worries that the move might not have its desired effect.

The founder of Curzon PR cites the cultural shift that followed the Depp Heard case, which saw sympathy toward female viewpoints in certain contexts diminish.

"The parallels between Lively's situation and the Depp-Heard case have become more pronounced, especially as Lively's co-star has hired the same crisis PR firm that represented Depp," Baduel said.

Indeed, the latest allegations that Baldoni fat-shamed Lively while filming a scene together have not garnered the online sympathy we might have previously expected.

"Public sentiment has evolved, and the narrative is no longer as sympathetic toward female viewpoints as it was during the height of the MeToo movement," she added. "There is a critical lens now being applied rather than the 'I believe her,' no matter what, narrative we saw during the height of the Me Too movement."

In light of these changes, it's essential for both Baldoni, Lively and other famous faces who get caught in similar situations to always navigate their next steps cautiously.

Beeching added: "In situations like this, it's crucial for the PR strategy to focus on transparency, empathy and clear communication. Addressing any public perception of conflict within the team, while also emphasizing the positive aspects of the project and its collaborative efforts can help redirect the narrative."

Corrected 8/16/2024 at 3:28 p.m. ET: The summary of this story has been updated to correct the spelling of Johnny Depp.