Justin Baldoni has hired crisis PR veteran Melissa Nathan amid the release of his new film It Ends With Us, Us Weekly has learned. Nathan launched her firm, The Agency Group, earlier this summer after nearly a decade working for leading crisis strategist Matthew Hiltzik . She and her company specialize in communications, crisis, reputation management, personal publicity and digital team services across the entertainment industry.
The news comes amid online speculation of a rift between Baldoni and his It Ends With Us costar Blake Lively . In recent days, fans have pointed out that Baldoni has been removed from much of the movie’s promotion and was noticeably absent for cast photos during the New York City premiere on August 6. Some also noted that neither Lively, 36, nor the rest of the cast, follow Baldoni on social media, though he follows them.
Earlier this week, sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Baldoni, who also directed the film, and Lively, who serves as a producer, had a falling out in the post-production stage when two different cuts of the movie emerged. Lively reportedly commissioned a cut of the movie from Deadpool & Wolverine editor Shane Reid , although it’s unknown which edit made the final cut. Other outlets, meanwhile, have reported that Baldoni allegedly made Lively “uncomfortable” while on set.
It Ends With Us — an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’ s novel of the same name — follows florist Lily Bloom (played by Lively) as she enters into a.