Colleen Hoover admits embarrassment over writing It Ends with Us amid legal controversy
In a recent interview, Colleen Hoover acknowledged in a revealing Elle profile that she feels embarrassed to say she wrote her bestselling book It Ends with Us due to the ongoing legal drama surrounding its film adaptation.
"I can't even recommend it anymore. I feel like [the lawsuit] has overshadowed it. I'm almost embarrassed to say I wrote it. When people ask what I do, I'm just like, 'I'm a writer. Please don't ask me what I wrote.'"
The film adaptation, released in 2024, features Blake Lively as Lily, a woman who begins a romantic relationship with Ryle, portrayed by Justin Baldoni. Both the book and the movie address themes of domestic abuse, though the handling of these themes has been controversial among critics.
Critics previously accused Hoover of glamorizing abuse in the novel, which was first published in 2016. The movie’s production, however, became controversial after Lively accused Baldoni of inappropriate sexual conduct, intensifying a separate legal dispute between the two stars. The five-minute dispute has evolved into a broader legal saga, with Lively pursuing sexual harassment claims and Baldoni asserting defamation. A trial is scheduled for March.
Summary of current status: Hoover’s comments reflect the broader conversation around the work’s reception amid the surrounding legal cases, without altering the core facts of the original narrative or the actors’ allegations and responses.
Author’s note: Hoover addresses the tension between creative work and external disputes, highlighting the impact on how the work is perceived and referenced in public discourse.