Brandon Sklenar said he is “team It Ends With Us” after Gayle King questioned where his loyalties lie amid the ongoing legal battle between former co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.
Sklenar, who was on CBS Mornings to promote the second season of 1923, explained that he wanted to maintain focus on the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel about a relationship colored by domestic violence rather than extraneous matters.
“I just want people to remember why we made the movie in the first place and what it stands for, and just keeping the focus on that,” he said. “Like that movie meant so much to me, and I have someone very, very close to me in my life whose gone through what Lily’s [Lively’s character] going through for a long time, and I’ve been on the frontlines of helping her navigate that space.”
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He continued, “It’s unfortunate that things get taken away from what the ethos of that thing is and it gets convoluted.”
When host King asked, somewhat jokingly, whether he was “team Blake or team Justin,” Sklenar avoided the questioned entirely. King admitted she wasn’t really expecting a straightforward answer anyhow. Watch the moment, and full interview, below:
Will Brandon Sklenar share the screen with legends Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren in the highly-anticipated second season of #1923TV?
The star, who plays Spencer Dutton, says he doesn’t want to spoil any of the drama — but teases a “profoundly beautiful” season 2 of the… pic.twitter.com/KHSZ8yGmae
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) February 17, 2025
Previously, Sklenar did seem to choose sides, so to speak. In December, as fallout began amid Lively’s explosive 10-claim complaint against Baldoni and his associates, whom she accused of orchestrating a hostile work environment, sexual harassment and “astroturfing” smear campaign, Sklenar took to his Instagram, sharing a screenshot of the document and a link to the New York Times site featuring the 80-page filing. “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD READ THIS,” the performer wrote on his Instagram Story, tagging Lively along with a red heart emoji.
Ahead of the film’s Aug. 9 theatrical release, rumors swirled about tension on set between Lively and Baldoni, with the two stars not appearing at press opportunities together. Shortly thereafter, Sklenar released a statement calling for an end to the social media chatter, which was decidedly anti-Lively. “Vilifying the women who put so much of their heart and soul into making this film because they believe so strongly in its message seems counterproductive and detracts from what this film is about,” he said in part. “It is, in fact, the opposite of the point.”
Amid all the hullabaloo, Lively and husband Ryan Reynolds stepped out on the red carpet together for SNL50: The Anniversary Special in a first outing last night since the inception of their legal dispute. The latter even made a thinly veiled reference to all the intense media attention in a bit on the show, telling Tina Fey and Amy Poehler that he was doing “great. Why, what have you heard?”
With a flurry of filings and accusations since, scores of prominent Hollywood players have come out in support of Lively and women’s rights to a secure working environment, while Baldoni has largely been blacklisted. The former Jane the Virgin star has sued the New York Times, which initially published the inaugural filing, and in response, Lively has said that the tactic is indicative of victim-blaming. As of Jan. 16, Baldoni is demanding $400 million from Reynolds and Lively citing defamation, extortion and more.
A trial date is set for March 29, 2026 in New York federal court.
The post Brandon Sklenar Says He’s “Team It Ends With Us” After Gayle King Asks Where His Loyalties Lie In Lively-Baldoni Legal Battle appeared first on Deadline.
