'It Ends With Us' author no longer tells people she wrote novel: Here's why

Colleen Hoover is now embarrassed about being the author of It Ends With Us amid the ongoing Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni legal battle.

Lively claims Baldoni sexually harassed her during the filming of It Ends With Us and launched a retaliatory smear campaign against her when she spoke up against him. Baldoni, who was also the director of the film, countersued her and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, but that suit was tossed by a judge.

Now, the bestselling author is embarrassed to tell people she penned the novel.

"I can’t even recommend it anymore. I feel like [the lawsuit] has overshadowed it,” she told Elle. "I’m almost embarrassed to say I wrote it. When people ask what I do, I’m just like, ‘I’m a writer. Please don’t ask me what I wrote.' "

"The book was inspired by her story, and now it gives us PTSD to think about it," she said. "I feel awful because I almost feel like she’s gone through more with the aftermath of this film, more pain than she went through with my dad, just seeing the ugliness of it."

"The more time that passes, the easier everything gets for all of us," she reflected. "But it is sad, because I was very proud of that book. And I’m still proud of it, but less publicly so. Maybe I need therapy, I don’t know.”