Blake Lively‘s claim that she was fat shamed by Justin Baldoni has been challenged by a newly surfaced audio recording in which the actress discusses her desire to delay filming to regain her best physical shape after childbirth. The audio, obtained from court documents related to a $160 million lawsuit filed in New York, captures her candid conversation with Baldoni in February 2023—weeks after giving birth to her fourth child and months before production started on their 2024 film It Ends with Us.
In the recording, Lively openly expresses anxiety about returning to work so soon, mentioning her intention to exercise daily. This disclosure contrasts with her later allegations that Baldoni made humiliating comments about her weight shortly after her delivery.
Details of the Disputed Fat-Shaming Allegation
Lively’s lawsuit accuses Baldoni, who is both the director and her co-star, of making disparaging remarks about her body. She asserts Baldoni spoke to her personal trainer, Dan Saladino, about her weight—a comment Saladino then relayed to her, which left Lively feeling humiliated. This allegation forms one of the most striking elements of her claim.
The suit, filed by the former Gossip Girl star, also includes accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation through a smear campaign by Baldoni. However, Baldoni denies these charges, and while he filed a $400 million defamation countersuit, a judge dismissed it last year.
In his deposition, Saladino described being uncomfortable when Baldoni asked him about Lively’s weight, reportedly out of concern for lifting her during a dance scene. Baldoni has explained that his questions stemmed from back problems and a desire to avoid injury on set.
The audio message from Lively to Baldoni, dated February 8, 2023, was sent three months prior to the beginning of filming, suggesting she was openly concerned about timing and her physical readiness well before any weight-related incident became public.
Blake Lively’s Struggle Balancing Family and Filming Commitments
In the over four-minute message, Lively tells Baldoni about her conversation with the director of another project, Proxy, which was scheduled before It Ends With Us. She reveals the other director wanted to postpone their film’s start date due to limited preparation time, but she declined because she aimed to prioritize their shared movie.
Lively confides she had not secured a baby nurse weeks after childbirth and finds the idea of juggling daily workouts alongside constant filming overwhelming. She notes the short turnaround between the two projects—only a week—posed a significant challenge, especially as she wished to focus on It Ends With Us.
She specifically cites concerns about starting It Ends With Us in March, calling it
“too soon after having a baby,”
and expresses a desire to be in her best shape for the filming. Additionally, she mentions the stress she and her husband Ryan Reynolds felt about spending June apart, given their usual practice of staying together to care for their children during summer holidays.
Ultimately, Lively decided not to proceed with Proxy.
Reactions and Tensions Surrounding the Fat-Shaming Incident
The fat-shaming accusation reportedly infuriated Ryan Reynolds, who confronted Baldoni during a meeting at their shared home in January 2024. Court documents describe Reynolds as “enraged,” demanding an apology that Baldoni refused to provide. This refusal allegedly escalated Reynolds’ anger, and Baldoni’s legal team claimed he had never experienced such a confrontation before.
Lively’s complaint asserts Baldoni frequently undermined her by making indirect criticisms about her body and weight, creating an environment where she felt publicly humiliated after learning about Baldoni’s comments through her trainer. She alleges he pressured her to lose weight rapidly, including a claim that he wanted her to shed pounds within two weeks, despite there being no corresponding scene requiring such a change.
Inside Baldoni’s Perspective and Public Relations Efforts
The recently released court filings reveal how Baldoni privately reacted as the controversy unfolded. Included are text exchanges with Jennifer Abel, a member of Baldoni’s PR team, showing his frustration with Sony, the film’s distributor. Baldoni sarcastically texted,
“Hi I’m Sony and I’m going to cozy up to Ryan (Reynolds) and erase Justin…Sony has no spine.”
Abel countered by emphasizing that online backlash against Lively was from “real people” without involvement of bots. Texts also reveal Baldoni received messages from cast members during filming, including Isabela Ferrer, who portrayed a younger version of Lively’s character, Lily Bloom. Ferrer described the set as a “comfortable safe space,” contrasting with the tensions surrounding the cast offscreen.
However, Ferrer gave a deposition expressing shock over Baldoni’s comments about a filmed sex scene, as he reportedly described the loss of virginity scene as “hot” despite the character’s young age in the storyline.
Additional Revelations from On-Set Footage and Social Media
Baldoni’s lawyers introduced raw footage from It Ends With Us to disprove Lively’s allegation that he “suggestively” told her her neck smelled “so good” during a dance scene. The video, first reported in July 2023, shows Baldoni joking about rubbing his beard on Lively, who laughs and responds casually. When Baldoni says “It smells good,” Lively replies,
“Well it’s not that, it’s my body makeup,”
seemingly dismissive of any inappropriate intent.
Despite this, Lively maintains that Baldoni “nuzzled” her neck without consent in an unscripted moment. This remains a contentious point in ongoing litigation.
The texts also include Baldoni’s claims about strained relationships with co-stars, such as Brandon Sklenar, who plays Atlas Corrigan—the love interest of Lively’s character. Baldoni described having
“a bromance for a year and then nothing”
with Sklenar, indicating social tensions during production.
In further exchanges, Baldoni accused Ryan Reynolds of unblocking him and his wife Emily on social media purely to monitor them, deepening the personal conflicts tied to the legal battle.
The Broader Context and What Lies Ahead
This audio and new evidence complicate the narrative around Blake Lively’s fat-shaming claim, raising questions about the timing and context of events on the It Ends With Us set. As Lively pursues a $160 million lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and retaliation, the revelations are likely to influence how the case unfolds during the May trial.
The dispute has drawn considerable public attention, not only because of the high-profile names involved but also due to the serious nature of accusations involving on-set behavior and personal boundaries. The outcome could have significant implications for industry standards around harassment, body image, and the accountability of those in positions of power on film sets.
With both parties steadfast in their positions, and conflicting evidence adding complexity, the trial promises an intense examination of the claims that have dominated headlines for months.
