Are Colleen Hoover and Blake Lively Actually Friends? Inside Their Relationship

It Ends With Us star Blake Lively walks a fine line between being one of Hollywood’s most loved and most criticized actors. Depending on who you ask, she’s either a demanding "princess" who pulls strings to get her way on set or an innocent victim of behind-the-scenes drama — especially when it comes to her time working with Justin Baldoni.

Public opinion on Blake is split, but one thing’s for sure — she still has a solid fan base and a tight circle of friends. However, where It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover fits into that mix has been a bit of a mystery — until now. We’ve uncovered plenty of "evidence" that suggests the true nature of Blake and Colleen’s relationship.

Yes, Blake Lively and Colleen Hoover seem to be friends. Since teaming up for It Ends With Us, the two have spent plenty of time together — some of it purely casual and unrelated to filming.

Blake made their friendship clear in a birthday tribute, later shared by People, on Dec. 12, 2024. Posting a photo of herself with Colleen and a few others on her Instagram Stories, she reflected on how her life has changed "because of your work" and "your friendship." She praised Colleen, writing, "Everyone who knows this woman is changed for it. ... And she always chooses the kindest path."

Blake went on to highlight Colleen’s love for her fans, friends, community, and family — before playfully adding, "But mostly she loves Diet Pepsi. And oh boy do we love her."

In addition to spending time together, Colleen has openly supported Blake after she filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and other allegations. Blake claimed she even had to write a list of demands — one of which insisted on sticking to the intimate scenes outlined in the original script she agreed to.

Reactions to the lawsuit are split. Some believe Blake is using it as a PR move to repair her image, discrediting her claims, while others think Justin is just as guilty as the allegations suggest — including trying to tarnish her reputation. Since Blake’s lawsuit, more legal battles have unfolded, including a $7 million lawsuit filed by a crisis publicist against Blake and another from Justin against The New York Times.

It’s a chaotic mess, to say the least. But one thing is clear — Colleen is standing by Blake despite her past friendship with Justin. According to media guru Perez Hilton, Colleen and Justin were friends before she and Blake connected. He even called Colleen a "backstabber" and "disloyal" for siding with Blake over Justin.

Oh, and let’s not forget — Colleen also sided with Blake during the It Ends With Us promotion rather than with Justin, making it clear where her loyalty stands. While Colleen has stepped away from social media since the chaos surrounding the film and lawsuits, Blake has kept her content up of the two together.