Brandon Sklenar Explains Wearing Justin Baldoni Flower Pin
Brandon Sklenar has opened up about wearing the same pin as his It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni.
The actor, who played Blake Lively‘s character’s love interest in It Ends With Us, had internet sleuths investigating after he showed up to the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscars party sporting a pink, floral brooch that appeared to match the one Baldoni wore to the It Ends With Us premiere in New York.
Amid the ongoing legal dispute between Lively and Baldoni over what happened on the set and during promotion of the film, observers speculated about what message was behind Sklenar’s choice to match Baldoni’s premiere accessory.
But now Sklenar says there was no hidden meaning behind his sartorial selection.
“Honestly, no. I wish I could say there was,” Sklenar told People, when asked if there was any hidden meaning behind the pin, at the 2025 SXSW premiere of his new movie The Drop. “That was a total happenstance. I woke up in the morning and saw an article and I was like, ‘Oh, damn.’ I literally had no idea. I had an idea I wanted to wear like a floral brooch of some kind and that was the color that I liked the best. And, lo and behold, someone also wore that prior to me wearing it.”
Sklenar posted about his Vanity Fair party ensemble on Instagram last week, writing in part, “Long live the (brooch).”
And the brand behind the trinket, the Anabela Chan Parrot Bloom Brooch, posted about both looks, indicating both Sklenar and Baldoni wore the same accessory.
The Hollywood Reporter had previously reached out to Sklenar’s rep and stylist for more info on the look.
Speaking to THR at the Vanity Fair party, Sklenar said he hoped people would remain focused on the film, and the domestic violence issues it explores amid the Lively-Baldoni dispute, with the stars filing dueling lawsuits.
Lively claimed in December that Baldoni and others sexually harassed her on set and then engaged in a smear campaign.
Baldoni responded with a countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicist, Leslie Sloane, alleging extortion, defamation and claims related to breach of contract.
After Lively’s sexual harassment claims first emerged, Sklenar urged his followers to read what she had to say and signaled his support for Lively, tagging her with a heart emoji.
When THR asked Sklenar at the Vanity Fair party about how he was hoping to support Lively, he said, “It’s a tough situation. I just hope everyone remembers what the movie is about and why we made it in the first place. It’s about love. It’s about supporting women in general and helping people through tough times.”
Sklenar’s remarks echo similar comments he made in an interview with THR early last month, tied to his role in the TV series 1923.
“I’m really proud of that movie and what it means and what it stands for,” he said. “It was deeply personal to me. I’ve got someone very, very close to me who has been in that situation that Lily [Blake Lively‘s character] has been in for years, and I’ve been really on the frontlines helping her. So it means a lot to me and I’m just happy that it meant a lot to so many people as well.”
As for a possible It Ends With Us sequel, Sklenar said, “I would love to continue the story if it ever happens.”
Sklenar previously defended the women behind the film after initial rumors of a rift between Lively and Baldoni shortly after It Ends With Us was released in August.
“Colleen and the women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance and for women choosing a better life for themselves,” Sklenar wrote in a lengthy statement. “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. It is, in fact, the opposite of the point.”
He added in the post, shared long before Lively went public with sexual harassment claims, “What may or may not have happened behind the scenes does not and hopefully should not detract from what our intentions were in making this film. It’s been disheartening to see the amount of negativity being projected online.”
Lively, incidentally, was also at SXSW this past weekend, at the premiere of her Another Simple Favor movie with Anna Kendrick.
