Close enough… welcome back, Don’t Worry Darling. The movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel, It Ends With Us, doesn’t officially hit theaters until August 9, but the rumored cast drama is all anyone (me) can talk about. There is some incredibly weird tension between Justin Baldoni and the rest of the cast and Colleen. Social media detectives began to notice the undeniably off vibes during the promo the cast did ahead of the August 6 world premiere. Then, the drama was even more obvious at the premiere. There’s been Instagram unfollowing, dodging questions in interviews, and surprising red carpet choices.

So, what the fuck is going on here? I’ve been doing some hardcore digging: Here’s a detailed breakdown of the Justin Baldoni It Ends With Us drama.

It Ends With Us Justin Baldoni Drama Explained

What Happened Between Justin Baldoni And The It Ends With Us Cast?

Image Credit: Getty

It seems clear that Justin and basically the whole rest of the cast (plus Colleen and Blake’s husband, Ryan Reynolds) are not on speaking terms. Hasan Minhaj, who plays Marshall in the film, is literally the only member of the cast who still follows Justin on Instagram. Justin was absent from most of the press events leading up to the August 6 world premiere, and when he did show up to the premiere, he wasn’t seen with anyone else who was involved in the film. The director and actor was photographed solo and with his wife, Emily Baldoni, and his friends. It’s very strange that we didn’t get a photo of him and Colleen or one of him, Blake, and Brandon together.

Notably, Liz Plank, a close friend of Justin’s and his co-host for The Man Enough Podcast, attended the premiere but did not share any content with him or about him. However, she does still follow him on Instagram… for now. It Ends With Us was also filmed by Wayfarer Studios LLC, the same company that produces Justin and Liz’s podcast, but The Man Enough Podcast has not promoted the movie at all. Definitely a head-scratcher.

What Has The It Ends With Us Cast Said About Working With Justin Baldoni?

Umm, not much. When Jenny Slate (Allysa) was asked about having Justin as both a director and a scene partner, she did some nervous rambling and did not answer the question. “I mean, what an intense job, like to have to do so many things!” Jenny can be seen saying in the now-viral interview clip. “I just found myself being like, ‘Wow, I really just wanna have one job at once.’ And in fact, I’ve often felt that way. Like, I really like writing… But yeah, I was looking around like, ‘I’m good with just acting.'” She really painted a picture of working with Justin there.

While Justin has been gushing about Blake in his It Ends With Us interviews recently, she hasn’t said a word about working with him. Media training is so annoying.

Theories About The It Ends With Us Cast Drama

Devastatingly, we don’t really know the tea yet; all we know is that it’s boiling. But there are some compelling theories floating around on social media. On Twitter, user @kirkxxs theorized that Ryan’s involvement in the writing process could be the source of the conflict. “My theory is baldoni was like ‘why does ryan have to fucking be here’ and they collectively decided to shun him,” they wrote.

TikTok user Sofie Moon Scout claims that their father is a retired industry exec and shared some *alleged* insight in a series of comments. Sofie said that Blake and Ryan didn’t get along with Justin from the beginning and fought for creative control. “They tried to throw their weight around, but Sony had Justin’s back,” they wrote. “That’s when they threatened to take their money and Blake off of the picture.” According to Sofie, Colleen loves Blake, so she helped convince Sony to give Blake and Ryan some creative control.” Sofie alleged that a lot of the film was rewritten and re-shot under Blake and Ryan’s direction.

I shall be staying tuned for any and all updates.

Did Justin Baldoni Shade Blake Lively?

At the New York City premiere, Justin had a strategic but possibly shady response when Entertainment Tonight asked if he would direct the sequel, It Starts With Us. “I think that there are better people for that one,” he said, carefully. The actor and director added, “I think Blake Lively’s ready to direct, that’s what I think.” Oop.