Bestselling author Colleen Hoover has revealed that the bitter legal battle surrounding the film adaptation of her novel It Ends With Us has left her with psychological trauma and changed how she feels about her own work.
The Legal Circus That Changed Everything
In a candid interview with Elle published on Thursday 20th November 2025, the 45-year-old author described the ongoing lawsuits between stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni as deeply distressing. Hoover served as an executive producer on the 2024 film adaptation, which has since become embroiled in legal warfare that the author says now overshadows the book's original message.
The legal saga began when Lively, 38, sued her co-star and director Baldoni, 41, accusing him of sexual harassment and orchestrating a campaign to destroy her reputation. Baldoni quickly countersued, alleging that Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds were attempting to ruin his career. Hoover was deposed last month as part of the ongoing legal proceedings.
From Pride to Embarrassment
What makes the situation particularly painful for Hoover is the personal inspiration behind her 2016 romance novel. The book was based on her mother's experiences with domestic abuse, making the current legal ugliness especially difficult to bear.
"It now gives us PTSD to think about it," Hoover confessed to Elle, speaking weeks before her deposition. "I feel awful because I almost feel like she's gone through more with the aftermath of this film, more pain than she went through with my dad, just seeing the ugliness of it."
The author's relationship with her own work has fundamentally changed as a result of the legal drama. "I can't even recommend it anymore," she admitted. "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.'"
Ongoing Legal Battle and Personal Impact
The legal situation continues to develop, with Baldoni's countersuit being dismissed earlier this month after he failed to file an amended complaint. However, Lively's $160 million lawsuit against Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios co-defendants remains active and is scheduled for trial in March 2026.
Hoover described the entire situation as "unfortunate" and "disappointing," adding that "it feels like a circus" when real people's careers and emotions are involved. She noted that the legal battle has significantly impacted some of the actors' careers in major ways.
Despite her attempts to remain neutral, Hoover has shown public support for Lively, writing in an Instagram Story last December: "@blakelively you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met."
However, text messages revealed in legal documents show Hoover felt pressured to choose sides. In August 2024, she allegedly texted Baldoni: "I felt forced to choose when I did not want to" and expressed disappointment in his actions.
Reflecting on the entire experience, Hoover acknowledged: "The more time that passes, the easier everything gets for all of us. But it is sad, because I was very proud of that book. And I'm still proud of it, but less publicly so. Maybe I need therapy, I don't know."
