In recent months, this site has opted out of covering the Justin Baldoni-Blake Lively case, just because it was getting too toxic and it was just leading to too many fights in the comment section. The trial was supposed to start in March, but it’s been pushed back to May. My gut says that there will be no settlement or end to this ahead of the trial. Well, this week, a mountain of information has been released in the case. We now have access to some of the texts and emails between Blake and Taylor Swift before, during and after Blake’s lawsuit filing. We also have emails sent from Blake to Ben Affleck. Some of the most interesting stuff (in my opinion) are the emails back-and-forth between various Sony executives as they watched helplessly from the sidelines as this situation grew more contentious and toxic. Some highlights from Blake’s communications:
Jenny Slate had a terrible time: In one message, Slate stated that filming the movie “has been a really gross and disturbing shoot, and I’m one of many who feel [this] way. 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,’” she wrote in one message. “Honestly I have no words to describe what a fraud he is.” In another text Slate said of Baldoni, “I honestly have never ever encountered anything like this dude. He’s the biggest clown and the most intense narcissist. Lots of lessons learned!”
Taylor Swift called Baldoni a bitch: “I think this bitch knows something is coming because he’s gotten out his tiny violin,” Swift wrote in a message to Lively while sending a screenshot of a People magazine story about Baldoni. The New York Times exposé about Baldoni and Lively’s feud was also set to be published at the time. “It’s rings different when he doesn’t end the story by saying ‘Did I always listen when they said no? No.’ like he did with me. But that must not’ve tested well in the focus group,” Lively wrote. “He’s being honored at the vital voices for women event on Monday.”
Blake’s email to Ben Affleck: On May 17, 2024 Blake wrote to Ben: “I’m writing with a zero pressure ask. I’ve just come out the other side (well almost) of the most upsetting experience I’ve ever had on a movie. The making of doc of this film would be more interesting than the movie could ever be. It’s like if Wild Wild Country, Fyre Festival and Going Clear had a baby with The Room … Room also works though. Anyway, 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. 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. Anyway, now I’m in a bake off with him in the edit. He’s been editing since, I kid you not, July, and they gave me 10 days to do my own pass. We have a bake off in 12 days….If your wife or kids are around, I’d love their opinion also (fyi it does cover domestic violence so no one is caught off guard). I’m such a fan of Jennifer’s, I’ve told her as much every time I’ve met her, and it would be an honor to have her take.”
There were even more emails and texts released between Taylor and Blake as well, dating back to when Blake was actually working on It Ends With Us and rewriting scenes. Blake is quite clear in her messages that Taylor spoke to Baldoni about the film and that Blake used Taylor to persuade Baldoni on certain film-related things.
It was also revealed that Sony executive Andrea Giannetti called Blake a “f–king terrorist” for threatening to walk out of IEWU mid-production unless her 17-point list of demands were met. As the film was being released in August 2024, you might remember that Blake was also promoting her booze line and her haircare line. Sony execs were stressed out about it:
Senior executives at Sony Pictures Entertainment privately criticized Blake Lively during the height of the It Ends With Us controversy, with one suggesting she was “done” in Hollywood. In legal documents unsealed Wednesday, Jan. 21, ahead of a summary judgment hearing in the lawsuit between Lively, 38, and Justin Baldoni, 41, internal emails dated Aug. 21, 2024 show Sanford Panitch, executive vice president and president of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group, weighing in with studio leadership.
“It’s quite ironic because she has a huge hit movie headed to $300M-plus,” Panitch wrote. “And probably will never work again, or not for a while. Although even Hathaway recovered. Tom thinks she’s probably and bizarrely unhirable right now.” Another executive pushed back, arguing the backlash would fade. “This will pass. She is going to be FINE,” the executive wrote.
Panitch disagreed. “No. Disagree,” he responded. “She is done for. At least for a while. It’s cooked.”
He went on to speculate that Lively had told someone named Josh that she was retiring, adding that any return could take years. He compared the potential pause to an “Eva Mendes time,” referencing the actress’s long step back from acting. “She did it to herself,” Panitch wrote.
Panitch also detailed what he believed were the key decisions that escalated the backlash. “What everyone ever has done in show business for time and memorial is protect ‘the show,’” he wrote. “Then none of the sleuthing would have happened.”
He further criticized the timing of Lively’s business activity, calling the launch of her haircare brand, Blake Brown, during the controversy “epic-level stupid.” “She wouldn’t listen,” Panitch added. “She knows better.”
At this point, I’m not sure Blake or Justin Baldoni will ever work again. If there’s one lesson I hope people take from this is that when a work situation is going wrong or you find yourself in some kind of toxic professional situation: you should keep everything documented in writing. Not only that, you need to text, speak and email like you know everything is one day going to be read aloud in a deposition or in court.
Note by CB: Due to excessive bot activity we’ve closed down this comment thread. As Kaiser said above, the comment threads get heated quickly and this influences our decision whether to cover these stories.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images.
