Whether they're your cup of tea or not, one thing you can always count on a Colleen Hoover adaptation to do is tug at your heartstrings. It's just what they do. It doesn't matter if you're a total CoHo stan or just here for the drama, you already know the vibes — it is going to be a complete emotional rollercoaster. 

And her newest film is absolutely no different. Reminders of Him is heavy, deeply emotional, and hits on every theme of grief, forgiveness, and the messy kind of love that we've come to expect from her world.

But as much as the book wrecked us, there is one raw, real-life detail that makes the movie a million times harder to watch. And it's all in the casting of Ledger Ward.

Watch: The trailer for Reminders of Him. Article continues after video.

Let me start by saying that I love Tyriq Withers. I first saw him on-screen in Him, followed by the I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot, and, while neither film was for me personally, both times, I could tell this man was a rising star. 

So when I saw he was playing the leading man in Reminders of Him, I knew I was going to love it. And he did not disappoint. His performance is nuanced, endearing and deeply intentional, proving to us, once again, that Withers really is one to watch. 

But now, knowing his personal life story has made me see the movie through an entirely new lens. It makes an already beautiful performance feel that much more fragile and real. 

Because, sadly, his real life closely mirrors what Ledger goes through in the movie. 

"What initially made me drawn to Ledger is how my personal life is kind of parallel to what Ledger is experiencing," Withers said in an on-set interview. 

Warning: spoiler alerts for the plot of Reminders of Him begin now.

For those who haven't seen the film (or need a refresher from the book), Ledger is the emotional anchor.

He steps up to raise his best friend Scotty's daughter, Diem, after Scotty dies in a car accident.

In real life, Withers' older brother, Kionte, passed away in a car crash back in 2021. The two were close, and Withers talks about his brother as a kind of mentor or father figure.

Image: Universal Pictures

"I'd experienced grief before, but not like this," he told Quintessential Gentleman. "It was just like, F**k, take me instead. My brother had a son. He was a beautiful father."

The tragedy occurred right as Withers' acting career was taking off, and he's been open about how it impacted and shapes the way he moves through the world. 

Especially his approach to his nephew.

"I'm very personally connected to the story. I tragically lost my blood brother in 2021. He's survived by his son, who is my nephew. He's 8 now. He's my only critic I care about. If he's proud, I'm good," Withers said on Today with Jenna and Sheinelle .

"We're all rooted in grief." 

Speaking about the passing of his brother, Withers admitted to feeling intense feelings of anger, even wishing it had been him instead. 

"I was so angry. I was cussing at God," he said on The Pivot Podcast. "... and I remember thinking, 'Why not me?'"

"He was bringing life into the world and he was raising his son… I'm over here chasing the surface level. I'm playing dress up on camera… and it felt so useless. When you have a young man who's being a present, soft, sensitive father. Who's teaching and raising his son. I remember I was just so angry."

Image: Universal Pictures

Knowing this now, there's a specific line from the book that hits so differently: "Not a day goes by that I don't wish I could have traded places with him in life and in death. I'd give up the life I've been living in an instant if it meant he could have just one day with Diem," Ledger says in Chapter 12. 

It's that exact selfless ache that makes Ledger such a complex character. And having seen the film, I truly feel there was no one who could have played this role better than Withers. 

It's been five years since his brother's passing, but it seems the memory of Kionte remains the steady, pulsing heartbeat of everything Withers does.

"I developed a whole different relationship with the art of acting. Because no matter what project I'm incorporated in, I'm looking for him," Withers said. 

Feature Image: Universal Pictures.