‘It Ends With Us’ Director Says Film is For Domestic Abuse Survivors Who Don’t “Go Back Home”
“It’s about that one person who’s in a similar situation to Lily.”
![Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively are seen on the set of "It Ends with Us" on January 12, 2024 in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GTb7XbTmpXpAgnFDuvZZyX-415-80.jpg)
This story contains descriptions of harassment and abusive behavior. If you or someone you know is experiencing relationship abuse in any form, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline for free, confidential support 24/7/365. Text START to 88788, call 1-800-799-SAFE(7233) or chat online at TheHotline.org.
Director and star of the new movie It Ends With Us is opening up about the inspiration behind the film and who he hopes it helps the most.
Justin Baldoni, who both directs and stars in the book-to-screen adaptation, told People in an exclusive interview that he's judging the success of the film by a "metric that oftentimes goes unnoticed."
“If it's just a big commercial success, that's on one side of it," he told the publication. "The other side of it, for both [production company] Wayfarer Studios and myself is…it's about that one person who's in a similar situation to Lily.”
Baldoni went on to say that he hopes viewers who see the film and who are themselves facing instances of domestic and intimate partner violence will be inspired by the main character, Lily Bloom (played by Blake Lively) and end up making "a different choice for themself."
“(It's for anyone) who goes to see this movie with her friends and doesn't go back home," he explained.
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively are seen on the set of "It Ends with Us" on January 12, 2024 in Jersey City, New Jersey.
In the book and subsequent film, Lively's character grew up in a home plagued by domestic violence—her mother, like so many abuse victims, was unable to walk away from the situation. In the book, her mother's abuse only ends with her father dies.
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
Later in life, Lively's character (a florist) meets a charming neurosurgeon (played by Baldoni) who, like her father, is also abusive. In the book, it was crucial to author Colleen Hoover that Baldoni's character be "painfully human."
"People spend so much time wondering why the women don't leave," Hoover said in an interview with BBC. "Where are all the people who wonder why the men are even abusive?"
When Baldoni read the novel, he told People he can remember thinking that it "could be such an empowering film."
"I just remember being so moved and so touched and so inspired by Lily's choice," he recalled, adding that he thought about both his daughter and his son while reading the book and following Bloom's experience and ultimate decision.
It Ends With Us: a Novel
"When my daughter was born and I held her for the first time, it felt like my birth,” he continued. “And then my son was born, and it feels like every day I'm presented a mirror. To have that mirror held up to my face every day is the biggest challenge and the biggest blessing of my life.
"I don't think this is a movie that's just for women," he added. "I think this is a movie for everybody.”
Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.
-
Sneakers Styled by the Fashion Set
The street-style crowd clearly knows their kicks.
By Julia Marzovilla Published
-
Beyoncé Says She's Made an "Extreme Effort" to Make Sure Her Kids "Have as Much Normalcy and Privacy as Possible"
"I have made an extreme effort to stay true to my boundaries and protect myself and my family. No amount of money is worth my peace."
By Kayleigh Roberts Published
-
Shailene Woodley Hinted at Why She and Aaron Rodgers Split in Rare Comments About Her Personal Life
“I used to be a person who, if you crossed me and disrespected that, would continue to give and give."
By Kayleigh Roberts Published