In a Dec. 30, 2023 text to his former agent, Danny Greenberg of William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, Baldoni said he had endured a “really, really bad week” dealing with Lively as disagreements grew over how intimate scenes in the movie should be filmed.
According to the message, Lively contacted Baldoni directly and suggested a private meeting at her home. Baldoni said the situation became more complicated when disputes arose over the handling of sex scenes. He claimed Lively refused to use a body double for herself, which led Sony executives and producer Todd Black to get involved.
“That’s just setting me up for a trap,” Baldoni wrote, adding that Lively was instead pushing for a body double to be used for him.
Baldoni also said Lively rejected his storyboards and wanted both actors fully clothed during a key romantic moment. He expressed frustration, writing that if someone knew the source material, “it’s just ridiculous.” He described the situation as “a gigantic clusterf—” and told Greenberg he was giving Lively “95% of what she wants for peace,” while finding it draining to work with “an actress who is rewriting the writer and director.”
Just days later, on Jan. 4, 2024, Baldoni, Lively, Ryan Reynolds and studio representatives held an “all-hands” meeting. The discussion focused on 17 protections Lively had requested before filming resumed after the strikes. These measures, agreed to in writing in mid-November 2023, were meant to address concerns about on-set conduct and safety.
A source close to Lively disputes Baldoni’s interpretation of events. The source said the messages were sent only after Lively had detailed what she described as a hostile work environment created by Baldoni and Jamey Heath. According to the source, the text exchange shows Baldoni’s frustration over safeguards he had publicly called “reasonable” and later acknowledged as such in a deposition.
The Dec. 30 text exchange became public after WME filed a motion asking the court to keep parts of certain exhibits sealed, arguing they contained private internal communications not central to the legal issues.
The conflict traces back further. Court filings describe an alleged April 2023 on-set confrontation in which Ryan Reynolds tearfully confronted Baldoni over what he believed was fat-shaming of Lively. Witnesses claimed the exchange was seen by Taylor Swift and Hugh Jackman.
In a July 2024 deposition, Greenberg described Lively’s conduct during production as “extortion,” according to filed transcripts.
The dispute formally erupted in December 2024, when Blake Lively sued Justin Baldoni and several associates, including Jamey Heath, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation and seeking $160 million in damages. Baldoni denied the claims and filed a $400 million countersuit, which was dismissed in June by U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman.
The next court hearing is scheduled for Jan. 22, and the trial is currently set for May 18.
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