Justin Baldoni has shared text messages he claims to have received from his It Ends with Us co-star Blake Lively, in which they discuss enhancing a scene in the film to make it more “flirty and yummy.”
This release comes after Lively filed a lawsuit against him for sexual harassment and for attempting to damage her reputation.
Their legal teams met in court for the first time yesterday (February 3) during a pre-trial hearing. Lively’s lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, accused Baldoni’s team of making ‘inflammatory extrajudicial comments’ to the media concerning the case. In response, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freidman, accused Lively’s side of trying to enforce a ‘gag order’ to prevent him from speaking to the press.
Judge Lewis Liman criticized both parties for providing ‘the public plenty to feast upon’ regarding the case.
Baldoni, who has filed a defamation lawsuit against Lively, recently unveiled a website featuring court documents, including text messages allegedly sent by the A Simple Favour actress to him.
In the film, their characters, Lily and Ryle, initially meet on a rooftop, with their interaction being playfully flirty, setting the stage for their friendship and eventual romance.
The contentious scene, which Lively reportedly modified, is at the core of the texts made public by Baldoni’s team.
The exchange, dated April 8, 2023, purportedly shows the co-stars discussing the rooftop scene, with Lively seemingly wanting both characters to flirt in a way that gives her character more presence.
Baldoni supposedly gives her permission to adjust the dialogue, to which she allegedly replies, “You’re the absolute best. Thank you.”
A subsequent text attributed to Lively reads, “I can send you my pass at the roof or just read with you when we get together next week. Lemme know what you prefer.”
She allegedly adds, “If you knew me (in person) longer, you’d have a sense of how flirty and yummy the ball-busting would play.”
According to the messages, Baldoni agreed with Lively that her character, Lily, should be ‘strong and witty and playful and bold,’ allegedly stating, “That’s why I wanted you.”
In December 2024, Lively lodged a legal complaint against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and allegedly orchestrating a ‘smear campaign’ against her. In January, she filed another lawsuit for harassment and retaliation, alleging inappropriate on-set conduct by Baldoni, particularly during a scene where their characters slow dance.
Baldoni denied all accusations and his company initiated its own lawsuit against Lively, releasing on-set footage of the controversial scene.
Accompanying the footage, Baldoni’s team stated: “Both actors are clearly behaving well within the scope of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism.”
Lively’s representatives claimed the video supports her account and is ‘damning’ of Baldoni, condemning its release as ‘an unethical attempt to manipulate the public.’
The statement reads: “Any woman who has been inappropriately touched in the workplace will recognize Ms. Lively’s discomfort.”
“They will recognize her attempts at levity to try to deflect the unwanted touching. No woman should have to take defensive measures to avoid being touched by their employer without their consent.”
The trial between Lively and Baldoni is scheduled to begin on March 9, 2026.