At the center of the messy and vague It Ends With Us drama is a beloved actor who has an army of loyal followers online – Justin Baldoni.
Baldoni was cast as Ryle, the lead male love interest in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s hit novel of the same name, alongside Gossip Girl star Blake Lively.
Before the film’s trailer dropped and whispers (that later turned into screams) of on-set feuding emerged, Baldoni wasn’t exactly the most talked-about celebrity.
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While he had a cult following thanks to starring in jane the virgin and a reputation for being an outspoken feminist, his name hasn’t always been up in lights. Till now.
So, who exactly is Justin Baldoni and why is he suddenly so famous?
What is Justin Baldoni known for?
It all began in the early 2000s when Baldoni was just starting out in his acting career. He won a few guest spots in shows such as The Young and the Restless, Charmed, The Bold and the Beautiful and Everwood,
Unlike many soap stars, Baldoni managed to crack out of this scene in 2014 and won a career-defining role as Rafael alongside actress Gina Rodriguez in the hit drama. Jane the Virgin.
He played Rafael for five years until the show’s final episode in 2019.
During his time on the show, Baldoni became close to his co-star Rodriguez, who played titular character Jane. The pair are such close friends, he even officiated Rodriguez’ real-life 2019 wedding to her husband Joe LoCircero.
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Outside of acting, Baldoni is a producer and director with plenty of accolades to his name.
His directorial debut was the 2019 romantic drama film Five Feet Apart, which was praised for its portrayal of cystic fibrosis.
That same year, the actor’s company Wayfarer Studios secured the rights to Hoover’s 2016 novel It Ends With Us, which became a huge international success because of how it touches on themes of domestic violence and emotional abuse.
Baldoni is credited as the director for It Ends With Us, while A-lister Blake Lively signed on as both the leading role of Lily Bloom and as a producer.
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The actor fanned the flames of feud rumors in early August when he was asked on the red carpet if he would direct the movie’s sequelIt Starts With Us.
“I think there are better people for that one,” Baldoni told Entertainment Tonightt. “I think Blake Lively’s ready to direct. That’s what I think.”
Baldoni has also spoken publicly about feminism, is known as a “social entrepreneur” and has even starred in his own TEDTalk about toxic masculinity.
He has published his own book, Man Enoughwhere he discusses important topics such as mental health and vulnerability.
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“I was programmed to view vulnerability as weakness,” Baldoni says in his talk.
“So, I’ve had to really reprogram myself after 36 years of doing the opposite, and that has been the hardest work of my entire life. And healing journeys are messy, and every human being on this planet needs to take one.
“I believe that so many of the ailments that are prevalent in the world are from us as human beings acting out our trauma like children, because we haven’t taken the time to heal.”
Who did Justin Baldoni marry?
Baldoni married his wife, Swedish actress Emily Baldoni (née Fuxler), in 2013 after two years of dating.
According to reports, they met in 2011 at a mutual friend’s birthday party and had their first date at Blu Jam Cafe in Los Angeles.
It was at this very same restaurant in 2013 that Baldoni popped the question to his now-wife Emily. He shared footage of his surprise proposal on YouTube at the time.
“I told her I was running late, had the restaurant opened just for her, and set up hidden cameras all around her. When she sat down at the table, there was a TV in front of her to take her on a journey that would lead to the proposal of a lifetime,” Baldoni wrote.
The couple tied the knot just three months later in Corona California.
Baldoni shared a video of the couple’s vows onto his YouTube channelwhere he made headlines for beginning his message to his new wife with an apology.
“I want to start off my vows to you with an apology: I’m sorry for all my faults, my shortcomings, my insecurities and my ego and for everything that I’ve ever done or said that’s hurt you and everything that I’ ve brought to this relationship that hasn’t been pure,” he said.
Now, Baldoni and his wife share two children: a daughter named Maiya Grace born in 2015 and a son named Maxwell Roland-Samuel, born in 2017.
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Did Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively get along?
Neither Baldoni nor Lively have said anything specifically negative about each other in the press, however it seems clear the pair don’t exactly get along.
There were rumors of on-set tension, with claims the duo didn’t agree when it came to the creative decisions regarding the film.
And despite being the lead stars of the movie, they have not participated in any media interviews, red carpet photos or press junkets together.
There isn’t even a single photo of Baldoni and Lively on the red carpet for any of the premieres or events promoting It Ends With Us.
Then, it all came to a head at the film’s premiere, when Lively was photographed alongside her castmates including Sklenar and Jenny Slate, but Baldoni only posed alongside his wife Emily.
You can read more about the alleged feud here,
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