As It Ends With Us drama between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively intensifies with wide discussions, THR has reported a new story that puts the focus on Baldoni’s religion. Sources close to the film told the outlet that the Baha’i faith was prominent on the set and several employees of Wayfarer Studios were followers of the religion.
The source added that the rituals of the religion became a part of the set and may have been the root of some of the clashes that occurred on set. The drama blew to epic proportions after Lively filed a complaint on December 20 that became the basis of a lawsuit against Baldoni. He too filed a counter-suit of defamation, seeking $400 million in damages.
It Ends With Us set allegedly saw a lot of physical contact between crew members
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively are set to have a long year ahead before their trial begins in March 2026. Fans continue to get updates regarding the case and the claims that each parties make on a daily basis. As the drama gets heated on social media and fans brutally bash the concerned parties, THR does a deep dive into what happened on the It Ends With Us set.
Fans should know that Baldoni formed Wayfarer Studios with billionaire Steve Sarowitz, who is a Baha’i follower. Their first project was a docudrama on their religion. Before stepping into the director’s role in It Ends With Us, he directed Cole Sprouse and Haley Lu Richardson in Five Feet Apart.
One source who worked on this film told THR that the director talked a lot about his religion on set and that it “had shades of Scientology.” However, another source from the film found his approach of “sharing feelings” and the influence of his religion refreshing. When it came to It Ends With Us, THR reported that his religion took an even more significant presence.
A source shared that several members of the crew were engaged in a Baha’i prayer before the first day of filming. Sources shared that whenever Baldoni took major creative decisions, he would engage in such prayers. Two sources told the outlet that there was “an unusual amount of physical contact” as the crew members were often spotted hugging together.
Zackery Heern, a Baha’i follower and professor at Idaho State University, shared with THR that the faith’s principles are interpreted differently in different regions. Heern shared that followers were more inclined to hug in regions like France while not so much in Saudi Arabia.
Did Justin Baldoni’s faith cause issues with Blake Lively?
Blake Lively’s complaint against Justin Baldoni didn’t have any mention of his faith. However, THR’s report made some connections between the religion and the issues that happened between Lively and Baldoni. One of the incidents mentioned in Lively’s complaint was related to the intimate scene where Lily Bloom gives birth.
The complaint mentioned that she was alarmed to learn that Baldoni’s best friend Adam Mondschein played the doctor in the scene. Mondschein is a fellow Baha’i follower as well and he appeared in the Baha’i documentary that Baldoni produced.
Another incident that Lively mentioned was regarding Baldoni’s claim that he could speak to her dead father. According to Zackary Heern, the Baha’i faith had a strong belief in the afterlife. However, he noted that the religion does not encourage its followers to speak to the dead.
Interestingly, Baldoni viewed any movie set to be a community, an extension of the concept of equality promoted by the Baha’i faith. A source working on Five Feet Apart shared that Baldoni considered everyone valuable despite the hierarchy of the production. This may have caused a power vacuum on the set of It Ends With Us, which Lively allegedly tried to fill.
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