Brandon Sklenar, known for his role in It Ends With Us, has firmly shot down speculation that a fashion choice was meant to signal support for co-star and director Justin Baldoni amid the latter’s ongoing legal battle. Sklenar insists his decision to wear an eye-catching floral lapel pin was pure coincidence, not a statement of solidarity or alignment in the dispute.
The controversy began when Sklenar attended the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 2 wearing a floral brooch strikingly similar to one Baldoni had worn at It Ends With Us’ premiere months earlier. Internet sleuths and fans quickly connected the dots and speculated that Sklenar might be subtly backing Baldoni, who has been embroiled in a very public legal feud with It Ends With Us star Blake Lively.
At the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival, where Sklenar was promoting his new film Drop, the actor was asked directly whether there was any hidden meaning behind choosing the same accessory. “Honestly, no. I wish I could say there was,” Sklenar told People. “That was a total happenstance.” He explained that he simply wanted to wear a floral brooch in a color he liked and was unaware it matched what Baldoni had worn at the earlier event.
Sklenar even took to Instagram after the Oscar party, playfully captioning a photo of his outfit, “Long live the (brooch),” drawing further attention to the pin that sparked the speculation. But according to him, there was no deeper message behind the sartorial choice beyond personal style.
The timing of the pin discussion comes amid a highly publicized dispute between Baldoni and Lively related to It Ends With Us. Lively filed a civil complaint in late 2024 alleging sexual harassment and other misconduct on the film’s set, while Baldoni has vehemently denied the accusations and pursued legal action of his own.
Despite being at the center of It Ends With Us, a film based on Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel that explores themes of love and domestic abuse, Sklenar has sought to remain neutral publicly as the off-screen drama unfolds. He previously told The Hollywood Reporter that he hopes fans focus on the movie’s core message about love and supporting women rather than the feud surrounding its cast and crew.
For now, Sklenar’s clarification appears aimed at dispelling confusion and closing the door on unfounded interpretations of a lighthearted accessory choice, reminding observers that sometimes, even in Hollywood, a brooch is just a brooch.
