Recently unsealed text messages tied to the ongoing legal battle surrounding It Ends With Us offer a glimpse into growing tensions between director and co-star Justin Baldoni and actress Blake Lively during production of the film.
Justin Baldoni, 41, confided in his former agent at William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, Danny Greenberg, about what he described as a “really, really bad week” while directing the project in late December 2023. The messages were included in a motion filed by WME and point to deep creative disagreements that left Baldoni feeling drained and overwhelmed.
In one exchange dated December 30, 2023, Baldoni told Greenberg that Lively, 38, had reached out to request a private meeting at her New York City residence. Baldoni expressed concern about the intent of the meeting, believing it would focus on how intimate scenes in the film were shot. Lively had reportedly “refused” the use of a body double for certain sex scenes, a decision that became a major source of friction.
“That’s just setting me up for a trap,” Baldoni wrote, adding that Lively later asked him to use a body double instead. The disagreement escalated to the point where Sony executives and producer Todd Black stepped in to mediate, Baldoni said.
He also claimed Lively pushed for both actors to remain clothed in a scene that, according to him, required nudity and aligned with the source material. “If you know the book, it’s just ridiculous,” he wrote, referring to Colleen Hoover’s novel. Baldoni described the situation as “a gigantic clusterf***” and admitted he was prepared to give in to “95 percent” of Lively’s demands just to keep the peace.
The texts reveal Baldoni’s belief that Lively was “an actress who is rewriting the writer and director,” a process he said was “very draining” and particularly taxing during the holiday season. These complaints came ahead of an “all-hands” meeting attended by Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and studio executives, during which Lively allegedly presented 17 stipulations, Page Six reported.
A source close to Lively told the Daily Mail the messages were sent only after she raised concerns about specific elements of production. The case returns to court on January 22, with a trial scheduled for May 18. The legal fight has stretched on for more than a year, beginning with Lively’s December 2024 lawsuit accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment, retaliation, and emotional distress.
Baldoni has denied the claims and filed his own lawsuits, all of which both sides continue to contest. Despite the controversy, It Ends With Us earned $148 million domestically and $350 million worldwide, though its success has been largely overshadowed by the ongoing dispute.
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