Blake Lively's private voice memos to Justin Baldoni revealed: 'Talking to you as a friend'

Blake Lively reached out to Justin Baldoni with a request and it’s now part of the public record.

In February 2023, the It Ends With Us star sent Baldoni a private voice memo about the film’s production schedule, recently unsealed amid their ongoing legal battle.

“I hope you’re so well,” Lively began in the court exhibit obtained by People on Thursday. “I just wanted to connect to put something on your radar.”

At the time, Lively, who was filming back-to-back projects shortly after welcoming her son Olin, admitted she was nervous about asking for a schedule adjustment. Her husband, Ryan Reynolds, 49, had reportedly encouraged her: “You guys have such a great trust. Fill [Baldoni] in.”

Lively, 38, said she was reaching out “as a friend more than anything,” explaining how “stressed” she felt balancing It Ends With Us and Proxy, while also navigating post-baby life. She noted, “I don’t talk to [that director] like I talk to” Baldoni, briefly mentioning her struggles finding a baby nurse.

“It’s just a lot,” she said, acknowledging the difficulty of shooting so soon after giving birth. “The only reason that I’m doing [that movie] before is because I gave them my word and I wouldn’t go back on that. But having a week off in between, it’s just a lot.”

Lively, mother of daughters James, 11, Inez, 9, and Betty, 6, added, “Shooting in April, shooting in March is just too soon after having a baby and not sleeping and wanting to be in my best shape.” She also shared the strain of being apart from Reynolds for an extended period: “Ryan and I have also been really stressed about spending a month apart. … The most we’ve ever done is less than two weeks.”

She clarified, “so not [Baldoni’s] problem,” before adding, “I know our schedule is our schedule, I’m not trying to move anything. But if by chance you’re like, ‘Oh my God, if I could go two weeks earlier, that would actually be great,’ then amazing. If it is what it is, then it is what it is.”

Lively wrapped the memo,which she asked Baldoni to “keep between” them with a hint of humor about her limited social life: “So nice talking to you. [Well], not talking to you. This is so sad. This is my social interaction these days — just talking into voice memos.”

At the time, she filmed Proxy from March to May 2023, then “It Ends With Us” from May to June 2023, though the writers’ strike later pushed the rest of production to January 2024. By the film’s UK premiere in August 2024, Lively and Baldoni were reportedly feuding, avoiding interaction during promotions.

Four months later, Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment, which he denied; his countersuit was dismissed in January 2025. The unsealed voice memo, along with texts and emails involving A-listers like Taylor Swift and Ben Affleck, has fueled the ongoing public fascination with their legal battle.