Justin Baldoni has spoken about sending a text to his team following a year filled with ’emotional stress’ connected to the Blake Lively lawsuit in an eye-opening interview.
If you haven’t been following the story, Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively have been in a legal battle since last Christmas.
The former Gossip Girl star sued Baldoni, her It Ends With Us co-actor, accusing him of sexual harassment on the film’s set. Reports suggest that Lively discussed the alleged toxic work environment with Baldoni, alongside her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
Lively claimed she asked for ‘no more sex scenes’ to be included in the film beyond the initial agreement and accused the director of making remarks about her weight.
In an article with The New York Times, Lively, a mother of four, alleged that Baldoni, who directed the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s popular novel, and his company, Wayfarer Studios, initiated a campaign to damage her reputation.
Baldoni has denied all allegations and has counter-sued Lively and Reynolds for $400 million, citing claims of civil extortion and defamation, among others.
Additionally, Baldoni has initiated a separate lawsuit against The New York Times regarding Lively’s op-ed.
In a conversation on the Gent’s Talk Podcast with host Samir Mourani, Baldoni shared his emotional experiences over the past year.
During a discussion on masculinity, Baldoni mentioned he avoids the term ‘toxic masculinity’ and described the challenging year he has faced.
He said he texted his closest friend, publicist, and company president, admitting he was not ‘in the best place.’
He elaborated: “I told them that I was exhausted, that I haven’t allowed myself time to recover or heal. I had an intense year,” he said. “There were many successes and a lot of emotional stress. It was a tough time for me and my family.”
This segment was recorded at the We Are Man Enough studio in Los Angeles in November last year, a month prior to Lively filing her legal complaint.
Baldoni further explained, “I sent this text this morning saying, ‘I love you both’, I just need you to know that I’m not in the best place.”
He also addressed his mental health, saying: “I experienced anxiety.”
“I realized that I haven’t given myself the necessary time to heal from this year.”
The podcast, part of the It Ends With Us press tour, highlights a potential fallout between Baldoni and Lively, as observed by fans.
The episode description mentions Baldoni discussing ‘the film, domestic violence, his relationship with his father, mental health, marriage, and masculinity’.
The remarks come as Baldoni, 41, and his legal team, led by attorney Bryan Freedman, have launched a website containing extensive documents related to the case.
This includes a revised draft of Baldoni and Wayfarer’s legal complaint against Lively, Reynolds, and Lively’s publicist, Leslie Sloane, along with alleged emails and text messages between Baldoni, Lively, and other production members.
A New York judge, Lewis Linman, has scheduled a trial for the Hollywood legal dispute to start in March next year. A pre-trial hearing has restricted the legal teams from speaking to the press to prevent influencing the future jury.