Justin Baldoni’s newly released explosive audio about his It Ends with Us costar, Blake Lively casting escalated an already tense situation.
Audio tapes obtained by the Daily Mail revealed that fans of the book It Ends with Us once wanted Baldoni to cast someone else instead of Lively to play Lily Bloom.
According to the 42-year-old actor, he admitted that the novel lovers suggested him to cast Chilling Adventures of Sabrina actress Abigail Cowan, instead, he insisted that the Gossip Girl alum was right choice for the role.
"That's not the movie I was interested in making,' he said, maybe referring to the idea of many Hollywood movies which star an older man with a much younger love interest.
The Jane the Virgin actor, who also directed the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover's book, told Lively that he did consider Cowan for the role of a younger Lily but decided she did not look enough like Lively to make the character seem realistic.
Baldoni, in his audio, could be seen saying, "Before we announced you and for a couple of years, Abigail Cowan was who a lot of the young fans wanted to be Lily.
"She looks so young and of course that wasn't the movie I was going to make or was interested in making.
"But she wants it so bad…she's a great actress but doesn't look anything like you. I really don't want anything to take us out of the movie."
Baldoni eventually favoured Isabela Ferrer to play the part of young Lily.
In December 2024, the Another Simple Favor actress accused her costar over sexual harassment, which Baldoni denies.
He later, in January 2025, counter-sued Lively which was dismissed by a judge.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are scheduled to go to trial on May 18, 2026.
