It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover doubled down on her support for Blake Lively amid the actress’ lawsuit against Justin Baldoni.
Hoover’s lengthy message was accompanied by screenshots of a statement from Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars. “This statement from these women and Blake’s ability to refuse to sit down and ‘be buried’ has been nothing short of inspiring,” Hoover, 45, captioned an Instagram post on Monday, December 23. “Seeing these three women stand up for their friend when they know good and well they’re going to be ripped apart by the people who choose to not accept or read receipts is inspiring.”
Hoover explained that she initially planned to share the “beautiful” statement written by America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel via her Instagram Stories in fear of negative comments.
“I wanted to show support, but I had anxiety thinking of putting my post about Blake in my feed and sending myself into a mental spiral from the inevitable comments,” the author wrote. “They can be vile, and over the last year or two, there’s been a huge shift in my attitude toward social media. I used to share so much of my life, every single day, but that all changed when I noticed people weren’t necessarily following me out of interest, but rather to tear me down.”
What ‘It Ends With Us’ Cast Has Said About Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni
Hoover admitted that things “got dark” for her, so she pulled back on what she posted.
“Rather than stand up for myself and for truth, I allowed and still allow people to blindly judge me without a rebuttal, because that’s what we’re told to do,” she added. “I am done being afraid to post in fear of the comment section hurting my reputation. I do not care about my future legacy. I never have. I care about the people who are currently in my life, who I love and know and trust. And I care about the readers who have supported me along the way, and who reach out daily to ask where I’ve been and why I haven’t released a book in years.”
Concluding her post, Hoover appeared to promise more of a presence online.
“I will see you tomorrow. And the day after that,” she wrote. “Because I like it here and I miss you.”
Us Weekly can confirm that Lively “liked” Hoover’s Instagram statement on Monday. Hoover previously showed Lively support after news broke of her lawsuit against It Ends With Us costar Baldoni, who she accused of sexual harassment. Lively further claimed that Baldoni launched a “social manipulation” campaign to “destroy” her reputation following rumors of tension between the two leads. Baldoni’s lawyer denied the “outrageous” accusations in a statement to Us, calling the lawsuit “completely false” and “intentionally salacious.”
Hoover first spoke out on Saturday, December 21, urging Lively to “never change” and “never wilt.” A similar message was shared by Ferrera, Tamblyn and Bledel, who starred alongside Lively in two Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies.
Everything Justin Baldoni Has Said About Working With Blake Lively
“As Blake’s friends and sisters for over twenty years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation,” they wrote in a joint statement on Sunday, December 22.
“Throughout the filming of It Ends with Us, we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice,” their statement continued. “Most upsetting is the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivors’ stories to silence a woman who asked for safety. The hypocrisy is astounding.”
The actresses added: “We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe working environment. We are inspired by our sister’s courage to stand up for herself and others.”
