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The legal battle surrounding It Ends With Us has transformed the Colleen Hoover adaptation into one of Hollywood’s most closely watched courtroom dramas. Blake Lively sued co-star and director Justin Baldoni in late 2024. She alleged sexual harassment and retaliation tied to the film’s production. Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios, later filed countersuits accusing Lively and her team of defamation. However, a judge dismissed those claims in 2025. Now, Lively’s original lawsuit can proceed toward a scheduled 2026 trial. A recently unsealed voice memo from Lively to Baldoni is sparking reactions from fans. Here’s what everyone’s talking about.

Blake Lively left a voice memo to Justin Baldoni before filming for ‘It Ends With Us’ began

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The behind-the-scenes tensions surrounding It Ends With Us came into focus in late January 2026. A private voice memo Blake Lively sent to Justin Baldoni was unsealed as part of their ongoing legal battle. The February 2023 audio was recorded before filming began. It captures Lively speaking candidly to her co-star and director “as a friend” about the strain of returning to work shortly after giving birth and juggling overlapping film commitments. Lively and Ryan Reynolds have four children: James, 11; Inez, 9; Betty, 6; and Olin, 2.

After referring to Baldoni as a “friend” in the voice note, Lively explains why she committed to another film project before starting filming It Ends With Us. “The only reason that I’m doing [that movie] before is because I gave them my word and I wouldn’t go back on that,” she said, according to People. “But having a week off in between, it’s just a lot.”

She continued by explaining how she felt overwhelmed by the idea of returning to work so soon after giving birth. “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 added. Lively then mentioned the possibility of changing the production timeline. “Obviously, there’s selfish reasons I’m telling you this,” she continued. “If by chance you’re like, ‘Oh my God, if I could go two weeks earlier, that would actually be great,’ then amazing.”

Fans remain divided on the voice note

Fans keeping up with Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s ongoing legal battle are divided on the voice note. Many fans on Reddit are in support of Lively. They explained how Lively didn’t sound like a diva in the note. Rather, she seemed hopeful that she and Baldoni could create a schedule that worked best for both of them.

“I think the important part to focus on was that it was BEFORE filming,” one Reddit user pointed out. “If it’s the right one, she was discussing filming and another project and feeling like filming was so close after having her baby.”

“I think it was pretty sweet of her,” another user commented. “She was letting the director know she’ll be available sooner if that works for them and saying how she’s stressed about spending a month apart from her husband.”

“I see it as a very sweet message asking her boss if it’s at all possible to move the schedule, but if not, that’s OK,” another user wrote.

Other fans are siding with Baldoni.

“She is acting like [she] never has been in a movie … talking too much without say[ing] anything,” another fan commented on YouTube.

“Asking for a director to move the film for two weeks for you is crazy,” another YouTube commenter wrote.

Why has there been a recent wave of unsealed texts and voice memos?

Several categories of documents have been unsealed so far in the It Ends With Us lawsuit. Among the most closely scrutinized exhibits are private communications. These include Blake Lively’s February 2023 voice memo to Justin Baldoni discussing postpartum exhaustion and scheduling concerns. Extensive text messages involving Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, Baldoni, publicists, agents, and third parties were also unsealed.

So, why does the public get to see these documents now? Fact discovery formally closed in September 2025. Lively’s team was given a short extension in October 2025 to complete the remaining depositions. Now that the trial is slated for May 2026, discovery has been largely completed. With no new evidence being gathered, the court can decide what aspects of discovery can now go public.

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