Colleen Hoover's It Ends With Us has finally hit theaters, and I'm living for star Blake Lively's killer outfits on the press circuit. But what about the director and co-star, Justin Baldoni? The 40-year-old is making a name for himself in the entertainment world after appearing in several movies and TV shows, from Heroes to Happy Endings. And now, I'm curious to know more about his life behind the scenes. Here's everything you need to know about Baldoni, AKA Ryle Kincaid from It Ends With Us.
Who Is Justin Baldoni, AKA Ryle from 'It Ends With Us'?
I knew he looked familiar...
•
Published Aug 9, 2024
Aaron Poole/E! Entertainment/Getty Images
Aaron Poole/E! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
1. Who Is Justin Baldoni?
Justin Baldoni is an actor, producer and director with more than a dozen acting credits to his name. He's best known for playing Rafael Solano on the CW's satirical telenovela, Jane the Virgin, but he has also appeared in The Bold and the Beautiful, Charmed, Everwood, CSI: NY, Happy Endings and Heroes.
In addition, Baldoni produced and directed a few projects, including Clouds, Five Feet Apart, It Ends With Us and his upcoming film, Laughing at My Nightmare. In 2017, the star also created a male talk show called Man Enough through his media company, Wayfarer Entertainment.
However, before he catapulted himself onto screens everywhere as Rafael and founded his media company, Baldoni was the creator of an extremely popular docuseries, My Last Days. The show was billed as a story about living as told by the dying. CW ended up picking up the third season, and this project allowed the It Ends With Us director to launch Wayfarer Entertainment.
Getty Images
2. What Is His Movie, It Ends With Us, About?
Based on Colleen Hoover's 2016 novel of the same name, It Ends With Us follows Lily Bloom (Lively), a college graduate who has recently buried her father. She moves to Boston with the ambition of starting her own business, but under the cloud of memories of her parents' tumultuous and abusive relationship.
Eventually, she opens a flower shop and simultaneously meets the handsome and charming neurosurgeon, Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni). Though she initially rebuffs him as she wants commitment and he wants something casual, eventually, they fall in love. Everything, however, is upended into chaos when Atlas, Lily's high shcool sweetheart, re-enters her life and Ryle reveals his true character.
3. And What's With All the Alleged Drama?
Right now, TikTok is exploding with videos alleging and analyzing a massive falling out between Baldoni and the rest of the cast. Keep in mind that everyone is *speculating*, though the virality of many posts warrants a mention of the supposed situation.
There are a TON of different facets to the supposed feud, but in brief, people have pointed out that Baldoni has been noticeably absent from photographs involving Lively, Hoover and many other cast members while they've been on the press junket. Actually, he's been absent, period. Seems odd if you're both the director and the co-star, right? Additionally, many have noted that the majority of the It Ends With Us cast has unfollowed Baldoni on social media. There was also Jenny Slate's (who plays Ryle's sister, Allysa), cryptic interview that made the rounds on X.
But, one TikToker, Arianna Lillie, has a viral video positing that Ryan Reynolds, Lively's husband, is behind the drama.
"And I’m not saying that Blake Lively has specifically been problematic, but I knew something was up the second I heard that Ryan Reynolds was coming in and rewriting scenes of a movie that Justin Baldoni is not only starring in, but also directing, and is the whole reason this project is happening," Lillie notes.
The tea is piping.
Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage
4. Who Is Justin Baldoni's Wife?
The actor is married to Emily Baldoni (previously Emily Fuxler), a Swedish actress who's best known for her leading role in Coherence. After dating for over a year, they tied the knot in Corona, California in July 2013.
Not surprisingly, the 40-year-old has appeared in some of her husband's films, like Five Feet Apart and Clouds, but she also boasts an impressive list of acting credits, including Bones, Mad Men, The Mentalist and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
When she's not in front of the camera, Emily is busy running her business, We Are AMMA, which makes a breathable, lightweight nursing covers for mothers.
5. Does Justin Baldoni Have Children?
He and his wife share two children: a 9-year-old daughter, Maiya, and a 6-year-old son, Maxwell.
During his interview with The Bump, Baldoni revealed that he has a unique approach to parenting. He said, "Every night we say mantras, like 'I'm brave, I'm strong and powerful.' When it comes to [his daughter], I always lead with the more masculine words. 'I'm a leader, I’m resilient.' I want her to have these qualities despite the world telling her she shouldn’t. And for my son, I’m focusing on the qualities the world tells him it’s not okay to have: empathy, compassion, sensitivity. So at night, I start with more feminine words for him. 'I am patient, I’m loving, I’m kind.'”
6. Did Justin Baldoni Write a Book?
He sure did. In 2022, Baldoni released a children's book called Boys Will Be Human, described as a "self-esteem-building" guide for young boys.
During his appearance on The Today Show, he said, "I wrote this book kind of for myself. When I was 12, 13, 14, it was one of the loneliest times in my life. It was tough. It's so hard when you're bullied and you start finding things on the internet you shouldn't buy, and you're introduced to a whole new world, and you don't have anyone to talk to. You feel like you're the only person in the world going through it."
He continued, "I thought it was really important to reach boys before they become men, before we put on all that armor that we spend our lives trying to take off." And, clearly, many agreed, as Boys Will Be Human peaked on both Amazon's and The New York Times's bestsellers lists.
7. Is He on Social Media?
Baldoni is very active on Instagram, where he has over three million followers. His posts range from project announcements and personal updates to heartwarming family posts—including his recent tribute to Emily in honor of her 40th birthday.
The director also has an official X account (formerly Twitter), but he hasn't tweeted since 2019.
