Daily Times

Justin Baldoni is looking for assistance amid an eyebrow-raising press tour. The director and star of It Ends With Us, the newly released romantic drama costarring Blake Lively, has hired crisis public relations manager Melissa Nathan as speculation surrounding tension amongst the cast continues, E! News can confirm.

Nathan, who runs The Agency Group, has previously worked with high-profile clients like Drake, Johnny Depp, Logan Paul and more. The new hire comes as Baldoni, 40, and Lively, 36, who also served as a producer on the film, have been placed at the center of rift rumors amid the press tour for the movie, which is based off the bestselling novel by Colleen Hoover.

Much of the rumors began when fans noticed that Baldoni has not been doing press or posing for red carpet photos with his costars, including Lively, Brandon Sklenar, Jenny Slate and Isabela Ferrer, despite being the director and one of the film’s male leads. Eagle-eyed followers also noticed that the cast do not follow Baldoni on social media but do follow Lively.

And while he has been busy promoting the project solo, Baldoni has indicated he doesn’t plan to return to direct a sequel based off Hoover’s novel, It Starts With Us.

“I think there are better people for that one,” Baldoni told Entertainment Tonight at the movie’s Aug. 6 premiere. “I think Blake Lively’s ready to direct, that’s what I think.”

Baldoni has also hinted at creative differences on set, telling ELLE Canada in an interview published Aug. 12, “There are all these things that happen every day on set, there’s always friction that happens when you make a movie like this. Then at the end of the day, it’s that friction, I believe, that creates the beautiful art. Everything in life needs friction to grow.”

Lively, meanwhile as also detailed creative differences during the production, sharing that she had to fight for the Lana Del Rey song “Cherry” to be included in the film despite others thinking it didn’t tonally fit.

However, in response to speculation about behind-the-scenes edits of the film, an insider close to the situation told E! News, “There are often several cuts during the post-production process and it’s the very nature of post-production. And everyone was in complete agreement about the final cut of the film and that it’s the best version of the film.”