Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have filed lawsuits against each other in recent weeks, with Ryan Reynolds’ wife claiming that the It Ends with Us director sexually harassed her on set. However, early exchanges between the two personalities suggested that they had a friendly relationship before things went south.
Droves of emails and text messages between them have now been released from Lively’s original complaint and Baldoni’s subsequent $400 million defamation lawsuit. This indicates they had a rapport at the start of shooting the movie in May 2023.
At the time, as the actor’s legal team, Lively and Baldoni constantly communicated, sharing stories and photos of their whereabouts, talking about family illnesses, and exchanging jokes and memes.
It’s a good feeling to get work done that we’re proud of. And to do it together. It just clicks when we find it. And that’s just as rewarding as filming it. Or editing it. Or marketing it. Or releasing it. This is all storytelling. This is why we do it,” Lively wrote in one text in Baldoni’s lawsuit.
In a follow-up text, the A Simple Favor actress thanked Baldoni for his “collaboration” and added that she was “really proud of what [they’re] doing.” Screenshots from the court filings indicated that Baldoni “loved” the message and retorted, “I like sentimental blake,” to which Lively responded with, “Never met her.”
“I also like a**hole Blake…don’t worry,” Baldoni later said. Lively ended the exchange with the same self-deprecating humor, stating, “I’ve never met her. So have my suppositories.”
A day before they officially started filming for the movie, Lively texted Baldoni that she was “grateful for all [they had] built so far.” The Rhythm Section star said, “I’m excited to start tomorrow. But it’s only one piece of the journey. We started months ago. Thank you for caring so much and for putting every bit of you into showing it.”
Baldoni said the same jeers after their successful first days on set. “I’m not going to tell you that you were amazing because you tease me for being so sentimental – but you were amazing today,” he told Lively on May 23, 2023, as per the filing.
“Thank you I do appreciate it. I’m just a ball buster but it means a lot to me. I care a great deal. And always want to deliver. You were terrific. I’m proud of everything we did today, but really every day,” Lively answered.
The email and text exchanges have become significant in their respective lawsuits. In her original complaint, Baldoni claimed that Lively “cherry-picked” messages out of context.
As for Lively, she filed a California civil rights complaint, followed by a lawsuit, against Baldoni in December. The All I See Is You actress claimed Baldoni sexually harassed her on set, adding that the director included more intimate scenes that were initially agreed upon, showed her graphic videos, weight-shamed her, and made her feel uncomfortable on various occasions with sexually suggestive remarks.
Lively also accused him of conspiring to ruin her reputation. Weeks later, Baldoni filed his own lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds and their PR team, saying that they orchestrated a smear campaign with the New York Times, which he also sued in a $250 million libel lawsuit.
Baldoni included even more correspondence between himself and Lively in his countersuit. However, the director allegedly apologized to Lively in a leaked voice memo after she allegedly texted about “not always [being] good” at speaking up and instead bowing down to “threatening egos” out of fear of affecting the entire process.
Per the Daily Mail, Lively sent the messages after a disagreement over rewrites of the “rooftop scene.” Their trial is scheduled for March 2026.
Jaja has a degree in journalism and took classes in international law and business communication. Jaja’s career spans roles at prominent international media outlets, including Business Times and Brigada. As a news editor, she covered a wide range of beats, including business, economy, cryptocurrency, and personal finance. Additionally, she has successfully managed teams of writers producing content on gaming, technology, and entertainment.
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