It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover sparks concern after claiming she’s ‘going broke’ amid Blake Lively lawsuit

Colleen Hoover has sparked concern among her followers after claiming she is “going broke” despite her estimated $10 million fortune.

The It Ends With Us author shared several videos on her Instagram Stories this week that left fans puzzled as she discussed her merchandise being put on sale for $10 apiece.

“My boss Stephanie put all of my merch on sale for $10 an item,” she said. 

“That’s like five times cheaper than what I paid for each item which means by the end of the day today, I’m going to be broke as [expletive].”

She then referenced a report by TMZ that claimed she is retiring from writing and firing her staff.

“Thanks Stephanie, you better be careful because maybe TMZ was right, maybe I am firing all my employees and retiring. Well, I can’t retire now because I’m going to be in the hole by 5pm.

“Even if you hate me, you should go buy a piece because it’s a very bad thing. It’s still going to be a great day because you guys get almost free merch, congrats,” she added.

Many fans took to social media to call the video “very sad” while others said it was “very concerning”.

However, it appears that the clip was made in jest as three more of Colleen’s books have been picked up for movie adaptations.

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The next to hit the big screen will be her thriller Verity, starring Anne Hathaway while Regretting You and Reminders of Him movie adaptations are also in the works.

It wasn’t just Colleen’s financial comments that sparked concern for her wellbeing. She also shared a series of bizarre videos about making ice cubes using Diet Pepsi.

“This may be either a new rock bottom for me or the best thing that’s ever come out of my brain,” she shared in one video. “Look at this, I poured Diet Pepsi into my ice cubes, so that I will have the best Diet Pepsi I’ve ever had in my life.”

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After admitting the ice cubes tasted “just like every other Diet Pepsi I’ve ever had,” Colleen launched into her tirade about the slashed prices of her merchandise.

Her posts come after she returned to Instagram last month after deactivating her account in January amid the ongoing legal battle between It Ends With Us co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.

Colleen deleted all traces of Blake and Justin from her profile and even removed all references to the It Ends With Us promotional tour, which took place in the summer of 2024.

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Colleen appeared to side with Blake after she filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing Justin of sexual harassment and using “sinister retaliatory tactics” in an effort to smear her name.

On New Year’s Eve, she filed a lawsuit against Justin in a New York federal court, mirroring her earlier claims. 

Justin filed a $400 million lawsuit against Blake, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, claiming defamation and extortion.

Blake vs Justin: feud timeline

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2024

9th August – It Ends With Us is released

6th August – Justin walks the red carpet away from the rest of his costars during the movie premiere

 13th August –Justin hires crisis PR Melissa Nathan who represented Johnny Depp during his defamation trial

20th December – Blake files a huge lawsuit against Justin, accusing him of “unprofessional” behaviour on set

21st December – Justin is dropped by his talent agency

22nd December – The New York Times leaks private messages, attesting to a PR smear campaign against Blake

31st December – Justin files a lawsuit against The New York Times

31st December – Blake files a lawsuit against Justin

2025

16th January  – Justin countersues Blake for $400 million

21st January – Justin’s team releases footage from the It Ends With Us set, contradicting Blake’s argument

27th January – A trial date is set for March 2026

27th January – Audio of Justin is leaked where he allegedly apologises to Blake during filming

1st February –Justin’s team launches a website with two legal documents about the dispute

5th February – Blake is sued by crisis PR firm for $7 million

Justin has denied all allegations and his lawyer, Brian Freedman called them “false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt”.

On March 20, Blake’s attorneys filed a motion to dismiss Justin’s “vengeful and rambling” lawsuit against her, a move his lawyer told People was “one of the most abhorrent examples of abusing our legal system”.