Colleen Hoover’s online silence coincides with a brewing legal storm between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, the stars of the film adaptation of her bestselling novel.
Colleen Hoover supported Lively when the allegations first came to light. (Photo Credits: X)
Author Colleen Hoover, celebrated for It Ends With Us, has taken a step back from social media, leaving her Instagram followers puzzled. It’s unclear when Hoover made the decision to deactivate her account but her absence was first flagged on Reddit earlier this week, sparking conversations about the potential reasons behind her sudden departure. Her online silence coincides with a brewing legal storm between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, the stars of the film adaptation of her bestselling novel. Baldoni, 40, has launched a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, 37, her husband Ryan Reynolds, 48 and her publicist Leslie Sloane.
The claims include Defamation, civil extortion and false light invasion of privacy among others. This legal battle follows another of Baldoni’s lawsuits, a $250 million case against The New York Times, over their reporting on Lively’s allegations against him. These allegations include sexual harassment and claims that Baldoni orchestrated a smear campaign targeting the actress, reports Daily Mail.
Hoover reportedly supported Lively when the allegations first came to light in December last year. In a heartfelt Instagram post, she shared a photo of herself embracing Lively, along with a link to the New York Times article. She captioned it, “Blake Lively, 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.”
The drama has only escalated since then. It all began last summer when whispers of tension between the It Ends With Us co-stars surfaced as the film was being released. In December, Lively officially filed a complaint against Baldoni, accusing him of harassment and orchestrating a retaliatory smear campaign.
The fallout was swift. Lively’s complaint triggered a backlash against Baldoni, leading to his lawsuit against The New York Times. But the most explosive twist came when Baldoni filed a $400 million suit against Lively, Reynolds and Sloane, accusing them of defamation and other allegations.
Adding fuel to the fire, Baldoni’s legal team recently released a video, obtained by DailyMail.com, reportedly showing behind-the-scenes footage from a dance scene between Baldoni and Lively on the It Ends With Us set. The video, intended to refute Lively’s harassment claims, shows multiple takes of the scene and portrays what Baldoni’s team argues were cordial interactions.
Lively, however, fired back. Her legal team described the video as “damning” and claimed it supports her allegations. According to her legal team, the video shows Baldoni engaging in unsolicited physical interactions, including leaning in to kiss Lively, caressing her and making comments about her appearance and scent.
Lively’s lawyers also allege that none of the intimacy shown in the scene was choreographed. Instead, they claim Baldoni, who directed the film in addition to starring in it, improvised the interactions without prior discussion or consent.
The legal team highlighted Lively’s visible discomfort in the footage, interpreting her actions as attempts to deflect unwanted advances. “Any woman who has been inappropriately touched in the workplace will recognize Ms. Lively’s discomfort,” they said.
Lively’s team also condemned the release of the video, calling it “an unethical attempt to manipulate the public” and part of a larger harassment campaign.
For now, Hoover’s decision to step away from Instagram suggests she might be seeking respite from the storm that has engulfed her book’s adaptation and its high-profile stars.
