It Ended with Them. Colleen Hoover’s Back. The Baldoni-Lively Drama Isn’t.
by Nicole Stawiarski · Thought CatalogUpdated 2 minutes ago, September 30, 2026
Blake Lively’s It Ends With Us premiere in August 2024 happened at AMC Lincoln Square, the same Upper West Side theater. She wore Britney Spears‘ actual 2002 Versace butterfly dress (she confirmed it on the carpet), and Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman showed up as support. Justin Baldoni, her director and co-star, never posed with her.
Baldoni later described that night in his 2025 countersuit. He said his group was pulled off the carpet when Lively arrived, then kept in a windowless basement room stacked with popcorn and soda before being sent to a separate screening. He filed photos with the claim.
His countersuit was dismissed. Lively’s remaining claims settled May 4, 2026, days before trial. In August the court awarded her about $407,000 in fees and costs, a fraction of the $8 million she asked for.
Tonight Verity walked that same carpet. Hoover posed in one big lineup with Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, Josh Hartnett, director Michael Showalter, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Brady Wagner and Sienna Kulovitz.
Hathaway, who’s expecting her third child, wore a black lace Prabal Gurung mermaid gown with a sheer glitter cape. Johnson’s white two-piece had fringe (the only thing shredded all night). Hartnett kept it to a dark suit.
Hathaway and Hoover are both producers on this one, and Johnson’s an executive producer. Hoover told Variety she was nervous about It Ends With Us. About Verity, she said “this one is pure excitement.”
Verity hits theaters Friday, October 2. Any drama is scheduled for the screen.
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