Blake Lively’s Private Voicemail to Baldoni Fuels Legal Drama

An audio message from Blake Lively to Justin Baldoni has emerged in their ongoing legal dispute, exposing the complexities of their working relationship during the filming of It Ends With Us in 2023. This voicemail sheds light on their professional and personal interactions, highlighting Lively’s concerns over scheduling amid the escalating accusations of sexual harassment.

The two actors are embroiled in a heated confrontation rooted in allegations raised by Lively months after filming completed. She accused Baldoni of making her uncomfortable through several encounters while portraying his on-screen love interest, allegations that sparked the current legal battle.

Lively Expresses Stress and Scheduling Concerns in Voicemail

In the audio, Lively admits to wanting to adjust the filming schedule for personal reasons. She acknowledges this desire as selfish and shows her emotional strain as a new mother juggling multiple projects. These candid remarks provide a glimpse of the pressures she faced during this period.

Lively opens with a friendly tone:

“Hey, I hope you’re so well. Just wanted to connect, just to put something on your radar,”

she says, continuing,

“So, between us, like this is so premature for me to even share this with you. All good, all good stuff. Headline is great, good, great stuff. But I was talking to Ryan, and I was like, I don’t know if we should share this, but he was like you guys have such a great trust, you know, filament.”

This message reflects her struggle with back-to-back commitments, including managing her newborn and syncing her work with her family life. Lively confides in Baldoni about not having a consistent baby nurse and feeling the challenge of returning to work swiftly after childbirth.

“I don’t talk to him like I talk to you. So I haven’t told him, like, how stressed I’ve been with not having a baby nurse. Still don’t have one, by the way. I found someone, and she was only available for like five days,”

Lively reveals. Further explaining,

“But anyway, still not a baby nurse, just the idea of going back to work right away. And also the idea of like… You know, prepping for our movie and like wanting to work out every day and all that. But yet being on set all day every day, I’m like, ‘What have I done?’”

She underscores the physical and emotional toll, referencing her recent childbirth in February 2023 and the demands of filming just weeks later.

“Shooting in April, shooting in March is just too soon after having a baby and not sleeping and wanting to be in my best shape and all that,”

she adds, emphasizing her vulnerability during the production timeline.

Implications of Scheduling Requests Amidst Legal Dispute

Lively suggests the possibility of moving the filming schedule earlier, aware that her request could be perceived as self-serving. She provides an opening to Baldoni:

“So, I just wanted to let you know that, like, in case you wanted to go a couple weeks earlier, you’re welcome to, and obviously there are selfish reasons I’m telling you this. I know that our schedules are scheduled. I’m not trying to move anything, but, like, if by chance you’re like, ‘Oh my God, if I could go two weeks earlier that would actually be great,’ then amazing.”

She discloses the strain this situation is placing on her relationship with Ryan Reynolds, noting,

“Ryan and I have also been really stressed about spending a month apart… none of it’s your problem. That’s why I’m talking to you as a friend at this point more than anything.”

These remarks are interpreted as evidence supporting Baldoni’s defense against harassment allegations. Entertainment lawyer Tre Lovell acknowledged the message’s limited impact on the legal case but noted it strengthens Baldoni’s claim that Lively sought control over production.

“Nothing about these recordings reflect a ‘smoking gun’ in the litigation, but they further bolster Baldoni’s claims that this lawsuit has nothing to do with sexual harassment or retaliation on his part, but is about efforts by Lively to take over the production and control creative elements,”

Lovell said.

Similarly, Jordan Matthews, another entertainment attorney, remarked on the way the audio portrays Lively’s conduct.

“Of course, the messages make it look like Lively may have been difficult to work with, since she was essentially demanding a change in the production schedule and this plays into Baldoni’s argument that she used these claims as leverage to get her way,”

Matthews explained, adding that the case will likely proceed to trial due to unresolved complexities.

Legal Experts Highlight Credibility Issues Raised by Audio Evidence

The audio recordings contrast sharply with Lively’s serious sexual harassment allegations against Baldoni and director Jamey Heath, sparking questions about her credibility among legal observers. Bryan Sullivan, a legal partner involved in entertainment litigation, pointed out the conflicting impression created by the messages.

“The allegations come off as if Justin Baldoni is this awful person who is harassing her, demeaning her, yelling at her, and then you have these voicemails from her that show her being nice and thankful to him,”

Sullivan noted, emphasizing the potential doubt these messages cast on her claims.

He further explained how such contradictions challenge judges during pre-trial motions:

“From a jury perspective … this is how a judge would look at it – Does this raise an issue of credibility of what she’s saying? And it could, because could a jury hearing this think that she is lying, exaggerating, misstating? Only remembering the bad stuff?”

According to Sullivan, judges generally prefer to leave credibility decisions to juries when inconsistencies arise.

“The judge will not make credibility determinations if they see that there’s a credibility issue. They will deny the motion and let the jury decide,”

he said.

Defense attorney Oleg Nekritin echoed this view, stating that cases hinging on contested claims usually avoid summary judgment.

“Generally, in a he said/she said case, courts rarely grant summary judgments,”

Nekritin said, adding,

“Instead, they permit the jury to make findings of fact about the allegations and defenses of the parties.”

Details of Alleged Incidents and Highlighted Depositions

The dispute deepened with released depositions, text messages, and other documents submitted for a summary judgment motion in January 2025. These materials reveal more about the interactions between Lively, Baldoni, director Jamey Heath, and producer Alex Saks.

During a deposition on July 31, Lively recalled a meeting with Baldoni, Heath, and Saks where she discussed the alleged incidents that have since been called sexual harassment. However, she referred to these encounters as “HR claims” rather than sexual harassment during this meeting.

In her testimony, Lively described uncomfortable actions she witnessed or experienced on set, including a specific moment involving Heath.

“I remember discussing the video that Jamey showed me. I remember discussing the – Jamey entering my trailer. And I remember – I don’t know if I told him this or if this is another thing that Ange shared, but how bad it felt for him to tell me personally that I felt sex – that I looked sexy and that I looked hot, and that I was also disturbed by the way that I understood Jenny to be feeling and experiences I’d seen with her,”

she said according to court documents.

Despite initially labeling these as HR-related, Lively described the behavior as “pretty obviously sexual harassment,” highlighting the blurred definitions and evolving nature of her claims.

Baldoni’s Countersuit and Current Legal Status

Justin Baldoni filed his own lawsuit in January 2025, asserting that Lively’s accusations were fabricated to mend her public image after tensions arose during the film’s press tour. The suit alleged that Lively had taken control over various aspects of the production. However, this countersuit has been dismissed.

The accumulation of evidence, including Lively’s voicemail, depositions, and text messages, may influence how jurors interpret the case’s credibility questions. With judges typically reluctant to make final rulings on such disputes, the matter is expected to proceed to trial, giving a jury the responsibility to weigh the contrasting accounts.

Significance of the Case and Expected Developments

This legal conflict between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni illustrates the challenges of workplace disputes blending with personal dynamics in high-profile film productions. The released audio message underlines the complicated atmosphere on set, compounded by Lively’s role as a new mother and her efforts to balance family and work demands.

The case’s evolution will be closely watched for its implications on handling sexual harassment claims in the entertainment industry, especially where conflicting narratives arise. The upcoming trial promises a critical examination of all evidence, ultimately resting on determinations about honesty, power, and influence behind the scenes.