Blake Lively Once Called Justin Baldoni a “Friend” Before Legal War Erupted

Justin Baldoni is back in the spotlight after a leaked voice note revealed he once warmly praised his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively, just months before their relationship turned into a bitter legal battle.

The audio message, obtained by TMZ and recorded in early 2023, captures Justin Baldoni reacting to costume photos Lively sent while preparing for her role as Lily Bloom in It Ends With Us.

“Thank you for sending those pictures,” Baldoni says in the note. “I legit got the chills when I saw it. You look beautiful. It’s going to work so well.”

At the time, the tone between the co-stars appeared friendly and professional. That impression was reinforced days later when another private message was unsealed. In it, Lively referred to Baldoni as a “friend” while discussing the film’s production schedule in February 2023.

According to People, Lively explained that her husband, Ryan Reynolds, encouraged her to be open with Baldoni because they shared “great trust.” She said she was speaking to him “as a friend more than anything” while juggling work commitments shortly after giving birth to her son, Olin.

Lively was balancing two projects at the time — working on Proxy from March to May 2023 and It Ends With Us from May to June 2023. Production on It Ends With Us later resumed in January 2024 following the writers’ strike.

Everything changed after the film’s release in August 2024, when rumors of tension between the stars began to swirl. By December, Lively filed a lawsuit accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment, allegations he strongly denied. Baldoni later countersued her in January 2025, though his case was eventually dismissed.

Since then, the dispute has continued to dominate headlines. Unsealed court documents have revealed private communications involving major Hollywood names, including Taylor Swift and Ben Affleck, adding even more attention to the case.

Now, with old messages resurfacing and emotions running high, the former co-stars are set to face each other in court. Their trial is scheduled to begin on May 18, 2026 — bringing a dramatic chapter of this Hollywood saga closer to a resolution.