‘Talking to you as friend’: Blake Lively’s private voice memo to Justin Baldoni unsealed amid legal battle

WASHINGTON: A voice note sent by Blake Lively to her ‘It Ends With Us’ co-star Justin Baldoni before the shooting of the film has now been unsealed and made public through court records amid the ongoing legal dispute between the two.

The voice message was sent on February 8, 2023, weeks before shooting for ‘It Ends With Us’ began. In the recording, Lively is heard speaking in a calm and open manner, telling Baldoni that she is talking to him more “as a friend” than anything else. Lively also explained that she was feeling “overwhelmed” and stretched thin from handling back-to-back projects while also caring for her young children with husband Ryan Reynolds.

“I’m talking to you as a friend at this point more than anything”, Lively said in the message to Baldoni. “The only reason I’m doing (that movie) first is because I gave them my word, and I wouldn’t go back on that”, she said in the voice message. “But having a week off in between, it’s just a lot”.

1/28 JUST RELEASED Blake Lively Voice Memo to Justin Baldoni, 4 min but I sped it up to 3 minutes for sanity’s sake. … https://t.co/akaDKDJV4H via @YouTube

— sweetandsaltylin (@Linet___K) January 29, 2026

Lively, in her messages, also shared her worries about returning to work without enough help at home. She spoke about feeling stressed about childcare and not being fully ready to leave her baby. “I still don’t have a baby nurse… 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 said.

During the filming of the romantic drama, Baldoni, according to People, later sent Lively a voice note apologising after a discussion about the alleged changes she made to a rooftop scene in the film. In that leaked audio, Baldoni expressed regret over how things played out.

According to the publication, Lively sued Baldoni in December 2024, accusing him of sexual harassment and retaliation. Baldoni has denied all the claims. Lively is also seeking more than $160 million in damages. The trial is set to take place in May 2026 in New York. (ANI)