Amid Blake Lively Drama, Justin Baldoni Explains How He Saved His Marriage With Emily Baldoni After Its Roughest Phase

Actors Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively starred together in 2024’s It Ends With Us as Ryle Kincaid and Lily Bloom, respectively. The actor also served as the director of the movie, which is based on the top-selling novel of the same name by Colleen Hoover. The movie is centered around the tumultuous relationship Lily Bloom has with Ryle Kincaid and how it gets affected when her first love, Atlas Corrigan, comes back.

The movie received mixed reviews from the critics and the audience upon its release as they pointed out significant changes made in the film compared to the source material. However, it was a success when it was released on the streaming platform. But Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively’s legal battle now overshadows the success of the movie, and now Baldoni’s interview talking about his marriage has got fans leaning a little more towards his side of the story.

It Ends With Us star Justin Baldoni gets honest about saving his marriage with Emily Baldoni

Justin Baldoni met his now-wife, Emily Baldoni, back in 2011, and the two of them got engaged in 2013, with the actor making a short proposal film for his now-wife. The couple got married months later in California, and now, after eleven years, they share a son and a daughter.

However, just like no relationship is perfect, Justin and Emily Baldoni’s marriage wasn’t either. The actor in a recent podcast interview at Gent’s Talk shared about how he saved his marriage. He explained that when he met his now wife, he made a conscious effort to not repeat the patterns from all of his previous relationships or his dating life. Baldoni noted,

That meant I went all in, whether or not she was ready; she had a lot of un-programming to do herself. We had polarity issues; there were moments when we didn’t know if we were going to make it.

The actor-director shared that looking from the outside, his marriage looked great, but internally it was different. He explained that it looked/felt like he was leaning towards feminine, whereas Emily Baldoni may have been more masculine. But he noted that it was all just trauma and programming before explaining,

If we allow ourselves the risk of being hurt, being left, being cheated on, and being abandoned so that we don’t abandon ourselves, I think the reward is freedom. It’s a really hard thing to face, and it’s a Dark Night of the Soul situation for most men, but I wasn’t willing to sacrifice myself anymore for somebody else.

But he was willing to lose to Emily because she was the one. Baldoni took to his social media to share a post where he thanked his wife for being there for him. He mentioned he and his wife chose someone who is on a lifelong search for growth, who never stops being curious, who stays accountable, and who never gives up.

He noted that the duo have the same qualities, and while so many things about them are opposite, no matter how much the world tries to pull them apart, every single thing brings them back together like glue.

Justin Baldoni added that he’s made a lot of mistakes, and it’s Emily Baldoni’s grace compassion, love, and belief that he could be better. The actor thanked his wife for everything she had done.

Justin Baldoni admits to having an ‘intense year’

It’s no surprise that the cast members of It Ends With Us had an intense year considering how the promotional tour drew a significant amount of attention, but for all the wrong reasons. The cast, especially Blake Lively, received backlash for promoting a movie with a very sensitive subject as a romantic drama. On the other hand, Baldoni, who decided to talk about the domestic and emotional abuse involved in the movie, was highly praised for it.

In his conversation on Gent’s Talk, the actor revealed that he has had an intense year, adding that he had anxiety. He mentioned that he had shared his anxiety with his best friend and the president of his production company. Baldoni mentioned,

I told them that I wasn’t in the best place. I told them that I was exhausted, that I haven’t given myself time to recover or time to heal. I had an intense year—a lot of material success and a lot of emotional stress. It was very hard on me and my family.

The actor-director shared with the host that he wasn’t feeling his full self, as he wasn’t getting the sleep he needed. He explained that he loves how movies made under his production company are making an impact, and he appreciates the ones who work for them but added that at times, it’s easy to fall back into the same programming.

He mentioned that it’s easy to get swept away by the current of self and be overtaken by the wave of success and opportunity. He acknowledged he is a work in progress but strives to be radically sincere and authentic.

Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively’s scandal-turned-legal battle is getting messier day by day. The actor recently launched a website detailing their alleged text messages and everything related because he wanted the audience to have access to everything. The trial date set for their case is March 9, 2026.