The legal saga between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has reignited after desperate texts between Lively and a string of A-Listers were revealed.
The two actors starred together in It Ends With Us, the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling book about domestic violence, which Baldoni also directed. What ensued was a slew of press-tour drama and online speculation, culminating in Lively suing Baldoni in December 2024.
The Gossip Girl actress accused Baldoni, 41, of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign against her. Baldoni’s counter-suit, in which he accused Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion, was dismissed in June 2025. Baldoni is defending the claims made against him.
Now, as a part of the ongoing Lively-Baldoni case, hundreds of exhibits were unsealed, revealing messages between Lively and a slew of starry celebrities.
Among the many people Lively, 38, messaged were her one-time bestie, Taylor Swift; Matt Damon and his wife; and Ben Affleck.
The exchanges between Lively and the Hollywood standouts include a fair amount of favors being asked for. In a lengthy email to Affleck in May 2024, she asked him to provide feedback on the movie before its August release. Lively and Affleck starred together in 2010’s The Town. She told the actor that she just finished “the most upsetting experience” that she has “ever had on a movie.”
“I ended up rewriting and restructuring the entire script, I also ended up having to direct the movie via the chaotic clown ‘director’/actor/producer/financier/studio head at the center,” Lively wrote, without naming Baldoni explicitly.
“Yes that’s all the same person. oh and did I mention he and everyone he had on the movie is in a cult. If I would’ve just formally directed it, it would’ve been much easier, but having to troubleshoot through his taste, ego and preexisting decisions made it so difficult and that’s not even touching on any of the wild HR issues and beyond,” she continued.
Lively ended the email asking Affleck to give her “any ideas or notes” on the film, but said there was “zero pressure.”
“I just really want this to work after all I’ve put into it. This movie nearly killed me. And I can think of very few people who would be as prescriptive and insightful as I know you would be,” she said.
Within the same exchange, Lively referenced her husband, Ryan Reynolds and said he reached out to “Matt” to watch the movie. “can you believe Jason Bourne is watching my movie!?!?! I’ll get you an autograph one day. Don’t worry,” she wrote to Affleck.
That same month, Reynolds, 49, emailed Damon and his wife, Luciana, asking if their offer to watch the movie is “still open” and writing, “We’d LOVE to get your well earned pov.”
Lively also emailed the actor and his wife, reiterating to the couple that the movie “nearly killed” her. She said of Baldoni: “he also has no taste , and an enormous ego, but only because he’s in a cult and believes he’s our century’s prophet.”
Both Damon and Luciana responded magnanimously to Lively. Luciana, Damon’s wife of around two decades, wrote, “I’m so sorry you had such an awful experience doing a job you love!”
Damon, meanwhile, responded, “We’ll give you any help we can. And if this experience hasn’t totally destroyed your soul, Blake, you should come direct your next movie at Artists Equity. We’re kind of like a cult but a really nice one.”
In several exchanges with Swift, Lively, and the pop star discussed the case with Baldoni, often slamming the director. In one thread, Swift sent Lively a screenshot of a People magazine article on Baldoni and wrote, “I think this b---h knows something is coming because he’s gotten out his tiny violin.”
At one point in their exchange from April 2023, Lively asked Swift for “a favor” and called Baldoni “this doofus director of my movie.”
“Can you tell him you’re excited for the movie,” she wrote to Swift. “That you read the book but what you’re freaking out over is the pages I sent you.” Lively told Swift that she didn’t have to read the pages “of course,” but that she would send them over. She then called Swift “the greatest living storyteller” and emphasized that Swift’s words would “go such a long way.”
In response, Swift replied, “I’ll do anything for you !!” Over an hour later, she messaged Lively, “I’m on your street.”
Swift and Lively also had a heart-to-heart about their friendship. The two are allegedly not speaking amid the ongoing legal battle, in which Swift has featured heavily.
In December 2024, Lively asked Swift, “is everything OK?” and said she “felt like a bad friend lately.” Swift allegedly replied, that reading Lively’s messages “felt like I was reading a mass corporate email sent to 200 employees.” But she added, “You don’t need to apologize. Just come back please 🙏," and said, “I just kinda miss my funny, dark, normal-speaking friend who talks to me like herself.”
Lively also shared her sentiments about the film with Vogue powerhouse Anna Wintour, with whom she had a long association. According to the Daily Mail, Wintour replied to Lively sympathetically, saying, “how hard a situation it was,” with regard to making the film.
The various text messages were released ahead of a summary judgment scheduled for May 22. Lively’s case is set for trial in May.
