Blake Lively's 'It Ends with Us' End Credit Thank Yous Are Wild — And May Confirm That Nicepool Theory

It's official: the drama that has swirled around It Ends with Us has become a cultural sensation all on its own. Blake Lively has accused co-star Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and filed a high-profile lawsuit accusing him of "astroturfing." Justin has denied the allegations and seeks to distance himself from his former co-star.

The movie adaptation itself was controversial from the start because the author of the book it was inspired by is herself a controversial figure: Colleen Hoover.

But things just got a whole lot more interesting after eagle-eyed fans noticed that in the end credits thank yous, Blake Lively appears to be throwing in some major Easter eggs that will have fans in the know cackling, and everyone else scratching their heads. Here's what we know about what Blake's thank yous said, and what they really mean.

First, let's take a look at who she thanked. Some of the names may look a little out of place, but they aren't too odd. For instance, she thanked Britney Spears, Bradley Cooper, and Taylor Swift. She also thanked her kids, James, Inez, Betty, and Olin.

But after that, things got a little, well, weird.

Those who are paying attention will notice that she thanked It Ends with Us author Colleen Hoover's mom, Vannoy Fite. But above Vannoy's name is the name "Corn Hoover."

Who is Corn Hoover, you may ask?

That's a really good question.

Some fans online have speculated that it's a nickname she has for Colleen, while others suggest it's a reference to the word "corn," which is often used online in place of "porn" to avoid violating rules on social media. Colleen's books are graphic and descriptive, with some suggesting that they fall easily into the "corn" category.

There is, however one other possibility. In 2023, Colleen posted that her mom had been talking up a present she bought her while Colleen was traveling. After hearing about this present so many times, she was eager to get home and open it.

When she did, she discovered a pair of corn on the cob earrings. On Facebook, Colleen has shared a series of pictures of herself wearing the corn earrings and eating corn.

So, Corn Hoover? Who knows.

However, there is one reference in the thank yous that we can be fairly sure has some deeper meaning: Gordon Reynolds.

For those who have watched Deadpool & Wolverine, Blake Lively's husband Ryan Reynolds plays a number of the Deadpool versions he meets in the film.

Including one called "Nicepool."

This Nicepool is the quintessential "nice guy." Which is to say that he thinks he's nice, he's nice on the surface, but he's a little problematic.

At one point, Nicepool makes a comment about how quickly Ladypool, played by Blake Lively, snapped back physically after giving birth and then excused the inappropriate comment by saying that he identifies as a feminist. In Blake's lawsuit, she mentions that Justin made comments about her body shortly after she gave birth to her and Ryan's fourth child.

Many fans believe that Ryan included some of Nicepool's comments and personality traits with the intention of satirizing and mocking Blake's alleged sexual harasser, Justin Baldoni.

In the credits for Deadpool & Wolverine, the actor for Nicepool is listed as "Gordon Reynolds." The problem is, Gordon doesn't actually exist. He's a fictional twin Ryan concocted to credit for Nicepool.

So why does Gordon appear in the thank yous for It Ends with Us?

It could be Blake's way of confirming that the Nicepool/Justin Baldoni connection theory is correct and the character was in fact created to mock Justin.

There's no other real reason for Gordon Reynolds to be credited in the thank yous, so this may well be the confirmation amused fans have been waiting for.

We'd like to thank Corn Hoover and Gordon Reynolds for making this article possible. Without them, we wouldn't have this inside joke to chuckle about.