Hundreds of emails and text messages between some of Hollywood’s biggest stars became public this week as part of Blake Lively’s ongoing lawsuit against her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, dragging A-list names like Taylor Swift, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Anna Wintour into the high-profile legal drama.
Key data
The communications disclosed in a major leak of documents on Tuesday are mostly from 2024, the year It Ends With Us was released, and show how Lively spoke to her inner circle and others in Hollywood about what she claims was a toxic work environment on the film’s set and alleged sexual harassment by Baldoni, as well as how she sought advice on an edit of the film that was under her supervision.
Dozens of text messages between Lively and longtime friend Taylor Swift made it clear that their relationship hit a rocky patch after Lively opened up to Swift about her conflict with Baldoni, who appeared to be aware of the civil rights complaint Lively planned to file against him, and at one point Swift called Baldoni a “moron.”
Former Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who co-hosted the Met Gala with Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds in 2022, reportedly sent Lively a message of support in which she called It Ends With Us a “very brave and moving film,” and suggested she was aware of the drama unfolding with Baldoni: “Knowing how difficult the situation was for you made me feel especially proud of you,” she wrote.
Lively separately reached out to actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck to get their take on her version of the film, telling Affleck that his time on set was “the most disturbing experience I’ve ever had on a movie,” and Damon that the project “almost killed me.”
More information: Court publishes messages between Lively and Swift about legal dispute with Baldoni
In her message to Damon and his wife, Lively said she “had to do everything” for the film and asked for their support for an edit of the film she made separately from Baldoni, the director, adding that Baldoni had “zero experience,” also accusing him of being “in a cult” and believing that “he is the prophet of our century.”
Damon reportedly responded supportively and invited Lively to direct a film with Artists Equity, the production company he shares with Affleck.
Lively’s allegations against Baldoni include that he helped orchestrate a smear campaign against her, and an alleged unsealed text message from Baldoni shows him sharing a social media post claiming Hailey Bieber has a “history of harassing many women,” telling his publicist, “This is what we would need.”
Additional context
Text messages from actress Jenny Slate were also declassified this week, as was a transcript of a deposition she gave last year. In a message to her former agent, she called Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath “truly unfit” and said they made her feel “repulsed and deeply irritated,” adding: “I know Blake is experiencing this on a much more serious level.” In a later message, she said that men “tell really strange lies and Justin is shockingly wrong.” In other messages, he called Baldoni a “false ally,” a “fraud,” and “the biggest clown and most intense narcissist.”
Surprising fact
In a text message with his talent agent, Warren Zavala, Reynolds compared the confrontation between his wife and Baldoni to the very public lawsuit between actor Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard. When the agent suggested that Reynolds and Lively stay on the sidelines and “see if the noise dies down,” rather than taking action directly against Baldoni, Reynolds responded, “And how did it go for Depp?” “Not well. In the end it destroyed them both,” Zavala replied.
Key background
It’s been more than a year since Lively uncovered rumors of a conflict between Baldoni and other crew members on the set of It Ends With Us by filing a complaint with the California Department of Civil Rights, alleging sexual harassment and other inappropriate conduct during filming. Days later, the New York Times published an explosive report detailing her accusations, and the following week Lively filed a federal lawsuit against Baldoni, her publicist, Wayfarer Studios and other defendants for “retaliation against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety issues.” Baldoni quickly filed a countersuit and sued the New York Times over its coverage, but both lawsuits were later dismissed. Lively’s lawsuit is still ongoing. A judge heard arguments Thursday on Baldoni’s motion to dismiss the case, but a decision has not yet been made. If allowed to continue, the trial is scheduled for May 18.
This article was originally published on Forbes US
