Justin Baldoni is so grateful to have one of his co-stars on his side — especially during the massive drama with Blake Lively!
As Perezcious readers know, rumors of a feud with the Gossip Girl alum started during the release of It Ends With Us this year. It quickly became apparent they were not speaking. Then fans realized NO ONE was speaking to Justin — and they started asking why. Stories came out saying Justin was “borderline abusive” on set. Meanwhile some bad press did go the other way — with book fans noting Blake wasn’t being respectful to the film’s serious subject matter and a lot of mean girl behavior popping up from resurfaced interviews.
Whether this was about creative differences or more, the cast did seem to uniformly side with Blake and hubby Ryan Reynolds. That was tough on the 40-year-old filmmaker.
Related: Anne Hathaway Reacts After Interview Resurfaces With Reporter Who Almost Quit After Blake’s Diss!
However, he had the support of a former castmate through it all. Back in September, Gina Rodriguez who starred on Jane the Virgin with Justin, praised him amid the controversy to People, calling him her “brother forever,” a “sweet, sweet soul,” and “hands down the person I stay in touch with the most.”
That was a huge deal when so many anonymous sources were badmouthing him!
Well, her touching comments got back around to Justin. And his response? He gushed about how much her words “meant” to him, especially after all the drama:
“You know what? That came at a very special time for me and that meant a lot. She really showed up for me. That was really sweet. She’s a sweetheart. She’s family forever.”
Aww! And without a doubt, Justin knows they will work together again! He continued:
“I’d love to work with her. She’s so talented. I hope it’s a movie that she directs. She’s a fantastic director, so I would love to act in something that she directs. People don’t realize how gifted she really is also behind the scenes. She’s a real filmmaker.”
Blake, on the other hand? We bet there is zero chance we’ll see them work together again! Not even in the IEWU sequel! When asked about it, Justin suggested it would be a good idea for Blake to dive in and direct it herself — something many took as confirmation of the rumors she had been trying to wrest creative control from him the whole time. Hmm.
[Image via Phil Lewis/MEGA/WENN]
