New court documents are giving insight into how Colleen Hoover felt when the headline-making lawsuit between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni over It Ends With Us exploded. Though aside from some public support of the Gossip Girl alum, the popular author has largely stepped away from the legal battle that has plagued her first movie adaptation, a new declaration filed by the Wayfarer co-defendants earlier this month includes an alleged text she sent the Jane the Virgin alum, claiming she felt "forced" to pick a side in the multi-million dollar lawsuit.
Per People, Justin, who recently missed a deadline to file an amended complaint in his defamation lawsuit against Blake, leading to the lawsuit's dismissal, copy-pasted a text allegedly sent to him by Colleen, and sent it to his PR team on August 15, 2024. "It just feels like I'm on an island," the text started.
© Getty Images for Sony PicturesColleen further allegedly claimed "the hate" was "being directed at" her, and told Justin: "You guys posting that article and allowing it to fuel the comments is hurtful. And the timing of it just feels like you're worried about your image but not the women who are behind this story." It Ends With Us, which Justin directed and produced, largely told a story of a woman experiencing domestic abuse.
"I know things took an awful turn. And I felt forced to choose when I did not want to. But the back and forth articles from both camps are just so upsetting and ridiculous," the text continued. "It's making everyone working on this movie look immature. Everyone is out there trying to save themselves and now this has turned into a huge mess. And I know you guys think I've made decisions for certain reasons but I have felt the rift from long before I ever was in contact with Blake."
© Getty ImagesIn the alleged texts, Colleen also alluded to Justin's apparent dishonesty, giving insight into what the creative process of bringing her book to the screen was like — and how she was excluded from it. "It started with me not being allowed to read the script until I was sat with readers," she said, revealing: "But then all the interviews made it seem like you included me in the script from the beginning. Then the whole documentary thing where I said no so very many times. And the book."
The text continued: "When I asked you guys to at least donate a portion of the proceeds to DV [domestic violence] and then I was told the only way a donation would be made is if I took 1% and donated that myself. Then the whole tattoo thing. All the texts of you blaming Blake for that and reiterating that she didn't read the book every time I'd just try to ask you what to say to readers."
© Instagram"I have been disappointed personally by your actions many times. I appreciate that you haven't directly said anything negative. That's how it should be. But you are grown men with a platform. You know how to use it to protect your image. Please don't continue to use it to harm me or mine. That's all I'm asking," the alleged text concluded.
Colleen previously expressed her support of Blake — as have many of her castmates — the day her first complaint against Justin came to light, writing on her Instagram Stories: "You have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt."
