Colleen Hoover Says She’s “Almost Embarrassed” to Have Written ‘It Ends With Us’ – Here’s Why

Colleen Hoover is speaking out about the chaos surrounding the movie version of her book It Ends With Us, and she isn’t hiding her frustration.

In a new interview with Elle magazine, the author shared how upsetting the situation has become for her, especially after the legal fight between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni took over the conversation around the film.

The movie, released in 2024, became a major success with a global box office of $350 million. But instead of celebrating, Hoover watched the headlines shift toward the conflict between its two stars.

Lively has accused Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios, of s**** harassment and retaliation, saying they tried to damage her reputation after she raised concerns about the work environment. The case is heading to trial in March 2026. Baldoni has denied the accusations and responded with a $400 million countersuit.

Looking back at everything, Hoover told Elle that the whole situation feels overwhelming. She said, “It feels like a circus. When there are real people involved, with real feelings and emotions. This actually truly has impacted some of the actors’ careers in huge ways. And I just find it all around sad.”

Hoover worked as an executive producer on the film and visited the set, but she said she had no idea anything was wrong while the movie was being made. She is now preparing to give a deposition. Until then, she’s trying to stay away from the drama as much as she can.

She explained, “I have my own story I could tell, but I don’t want to bring attention to it, and I don’t want to have to put someone else down to lift myself up.” She also added that the situation has grown so large that no one can change how the public sees it, not even her.

The experience has even changed how Hoover feels about the book itself. The novel was inspired by her mother’s past, and revisiting it after all the controversy has been painful for both of them. Hoover said, “The book was inspired by her story, and now it gives us PTSD to think about it.” She added that watching her mother struggle with the fallout from the movie has been especially hard.

She now admits she doesn’t feel comfortable telling people she wrote It Ends With Us. She told Elle, “I’m almost embarrassed to say I wrote it. When people ask what I do, I’m just like, ‘I’m a writer. Please don’t ask me what I wrote.’” Hoover hopes she’ll feel differently once the court cases are over, but for now, she says the lawsuit has overshadowed the book completely.

Even with everything going on, Hoover continues to be a major presence in Hollywood. Her book Regretting You was adapted into a film by Paramount and has earned $82 million so far. Two more books, Verity and Reminders of Him, are being turned into movies for release in 2026.

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