Scarlett Johansson, a leading figure in Hollywood, has been pulled into the legal dispute surrounding It Ends With Us after a recorded conversation surfaced, where executives were heard comparing her to Blake Lively.
This audio was submitted as evidence by Lively’s legal team in a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and personal boundary violations on the set of the 2024 blockbuster film, which grossed $350 million.
Steve Sarowitz, the billionaire who co-founded Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios, is heard in the clip praising his work with the ‘pleasant’ Johansson on her directorial venture Eleanor the Great, describing it as ‘completely different’ from his experience with Lively.
The conversation, obtained by Us Weekly, occurred between Sarowitz, 61, and filmmaker Claire Ayoub. Ayoub recorded the discussion after enduring ‘repeated, negative interactions’, including ‘verbal abuse’, from Baldoni while collaborating on the 2024 film Empire Waist.
“I love this women’s empowerment. We have another first-time director we supported,” Sarowitz commented, making a lighthearted reference to his work with Johansson to Ayoub.
Ayoub responded: “A woman named Scarlett Johansson? I’m so excited for her!”
In a joking manner, Sarowitz mentioned the Black Widow star, whose movies have amassed over $15 billion throughout her career, saying: “We’re trying to give her her first big break. Maybe people will hear of her after this.”
The billionaire, who supported the unsuccessful $400 million defamation case filed by Baldoni following allegations of sexual harassment against his co-star, continued to extol Johansson’s virtues to emphasize the difference with Lively.
He remarked: “She was so cool, calm, collected and confident … and nice. It’s so interesting because you work with so many people.
“Almost everybody is nice, and then there’s Blake — she is totally different than everyone else. Not to say anything bad about her, but she’s different.”
Sarowitz further stated: “I think for the most part most people see what we are doing see we’re nice and they’re nice back. Even if they weren’t perfectly nice. I just think some people forgot to learn how to be nice.”
During a 40-minute discussion with Ayoub, he expressed a lack of enthusiasm for the film’s release, stating: “The It Ends With Us drama is simply a drama. I’m done with it. Let the chips fall where they may.”
Sarowitz, who was also part of the failed defamation lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds (Johansson’s ex), and the New York Times, claimed that the allegations were ‘fabricated with the intent to bring Justin down.’
However, other women involved in the It Ends With Us production seem to corroborate Lively’s accusations of misconduct. Colleen Hoover, the author of the book on which the film is based, mentioned Baldoni’s ‘narcissistic behavior’ in her deposition.
Recalling a private dinner where Baldoni attempted to sway her opinion against Lively, Hoover testified: “For a man who has a platform of building women up, that I left the dinner disappointed that it felt like I was made to not like her.
“I left the dinner feeling like the intention was to get me on their side or, you know, just explain their side before I heard it from her.”
Us Weekly further reports that another co-star of Baldoni, Jenny Slate, voiced similar concerns. Slate stated: “This has been a really gross and disturbing shoot, and I’m one of many who feel thus [sic] way, and Blake and I have both complained directly to Ange [Giannetti] at Sony.
“Justin is truly a false ally and I’m unwilling to do anything that promotes the image that he’s crafting as a ‘male feminist’ … like … honestly I have no words to describe what a fraud he is.”
The court case involving It Ends With Us is scheduled for a jury trial set for May.