From ‘love bombs’ to legal threats: The emails and texts behind bitter Lively vs Baldoni feud

Actor Justin Baldoni’s combative lawyer Bryan Freedman has been promising for weeks that he has “all the receipts” concerning his client’s battle with actress Blake Lively over her claims of sexual harassment and, on Saturday, his website containing 168 pages ofemails, text messages and WhatsApps between the stars was released.

It’s the latest twist in the fight between Ms Lively, 37, and her husband, the actor Ryan Reynolds – two of the most powerful players in Hollywood – and the until-now obscure Baldoni.

Baldoni, 41, stars in and directed the movie It Ends With Us, based on the novel by Colleen Hoover, which came out last August and co-stars Ms Lively as florist Lily Bloom.

The 168 pages lay out a timeline from January 2019 to January 2024, which shows how the once close and cordial relationship between Baldoni and Ms Lively deteriorated disastrously – to the point where he was advised: “Lawyer up – now!”

Reynolds, who starred in Deadpool and Wolverine, suffers the embarrassment of having a gushing text to Baldoni revealed in which he tells him that he and Ms Lively are “big fans” and signs off: “I happen to adore you Justin”.

And both he and Ms Lively make juvenile jokes.

In one, Reynolds, in typical bawdy fashion, suggests he will get a tattoo in an intimate place out of gratitude if Baldoni can make a scheduling change.

According to the documents, in April 2023, Baldoni was even invited to travel from New York – where the film was made – to his home in Los Angeles on a private jet with Ms Lively and her children, so that they could work on the movie together and the director, who was missing his family, could visit them.

But by July 2024, according to Baldoni, Reynolds was calling him a “deranged predator”.

This followed reports of Ms Lively’s civil legal suit which alleged sexual harassment by Baldoni.

He was later dropped by talent agency WME, who also had Reynolds on its books at the time.

The website reveals the unfolding drama in the words of the protagonists.

There is Baldoni’s reaction to a warning by Reynolds that he has “two weeks to recast” his wife’s role, and Baldoni’s sorrowful take on the “cruel and intense” situation which saw him excluded from the editing of the movie and its premiere.

We also hear from an executive at Sony who advises that Baldoni should: “Suck it up and let her in”.

There is also some inkling of panic at executive levels over the possibility that Ms Lively will get singer and friend Taylor Swift to change her mind about allowing the film to use one of her songs.

Freedman’s website (thelawsuitinfo.com) includes documents such as audience appreciation scores of competing edits of the film made by Ms Lively and Baldoni.

His got a 94 per cent ratings, hers 82 per cent.

Her version was the one released.

FEBRUARY 17, 2023

Ms Lively, who has just given birth to her son Olin, is concerned that she won’t be in shape for love scenes and asks in a text: “What’s the chance we can do body scenes at the end of the schedule?”

Baldoni responds that he isn’t able to fix the schedule yet but tells her: “I want you to know you will look amazing. Anything you are insecure about we will talk through and get creative together and make you comfortable. I just don’t want you to stress about your body. It’s the last thing you need.”

FEBRUARY 28, 2023

Baldoni and Reynolds exchange text messages. Baldoni tells him that “good ol nerves” stopped him from reaching out earlier and adds: “I’ve been a supporter and admirer of both of you from afar for years. You are in a class of your own.”

Reynolds replies: “What a loving and generous message, thank you. We’re both looking forward to getting to know you and your family better. We’re also big fans over here. Since before we met and more so after. You’ve been a wonderful collaborator with B and that means a great deal.”

He asks for Baldoni to try to move the shooting schedule so that the family can be together the whole time and concludes: “Thank you again for all you are doing. I happen to adore you Justin.”

APRIL 7-8, 2023

Ms Lively suggests that she “take a pass” at rewriting a scene between the protagonists on a rooftop.

She texts Baldoni that she wants to “amp [up] their verbal ping pong/volley” and says “how flirty and yummy and ballbusting” it will be.

Baldoni agrees and, on April 12, has a meeting at Ms Lively and Reynolds’s penthouse in New York, where the latter talks about how great his wife’s rewrite of the scene is.

They are joined by a “megacelebrity” – thought to be Ms Swift – who also insists how good Ms Lively’s rewriting is.

APRIL 12, 2023

Ms Lively says she has been bruised by other unhappy experiences over her contributions (rewriting of scripts), but that her husband and her friend make sure her voice is heard.

“I guess I have to not worry about people liking me,” she says.

Then she texts what could be read as a passive- aggressive threat: “If you ever get round to watching Game Of Thrones, you’ll appreciate that I’m Khaleesi and, like her, I happen to have a few dragons. For better or worse but usually for better. Because my dragons also protect those I fight for. So really we all benefit from those gorgeous monsters of mine. You will too, I can promise you.”

APRIL 20, 2023

An anonymous producer writes to Jamey Heath, Baldoni’s business partner at Wayfarer Studios.

“He cannot let her have opinions about everything. Or she is going to be co-directing this film.”

APRIL 25, 2023

Three days prior to this date, Baldoni had asked a personal trainer how much Ms Lively weighed in order to prepare to shoot a scene which calls for him to “scoop her up” in his arms.

He has a back injury. He is summoned to a meeting at the penthouse and Reynolds allegedly says: “How dare you ****ing ask about my wife’s weight? What is wrong with you?”

Reynolds allegedly warns Baldoni that he has “two weeks to recast” the role – something which would have cost the film company millions of dollars. He apologises.

MAY 5, 2023

Baldoni emails his notes on “sex scenes” to the intimacy co-ordinator.

The email says: “The way these are shot and what is shown will be a ‘Collaboration between [Baldoni] and Blake’. It adds that Baldoni would like to imply oral sex.

“If Blake is comfortable showing Ryle (his character) kissing her belly and then leaving the frame for a moment and staying on her face, then I think that is something women would like to see but also fine not doing it”.

MAY 16, 2023

Unflattering paparazzi shots of Ms Lively in her hand-picked wardrobe, wearing a frumpy brown skirt and pink cardigan, were published the day before.

Baldoni goes to see Ms Lively to say he wants to have more control over her wardrobe, which she wanted full autonomy on.

He texts his business partner Mr Heath and says how nervous he is.

“Seeing her in ten,” he writes.

“Send me prayers. I’m just saying I have been ignoring my gut and there is a few things we need to course correct on. I’m f***ing terrified of saying the wrong thing. Talk after.”

MAY 24, 2023

Having filmed a scripted kissing scene, the one about Ms Lively’s character giving birth is filmed.

In a complaint, she says that she was mostly nude aside from a “small piece of fabric” covering her genitalia and that there are non- essential persons present.

Baldoni’s aides say she was wearing black briefs, a pregnancy suit on her mid section and a hospital gown over her chest.

At the end of the shoot, Baldoni texts her: “I’m not going to tell you that you were amazing because you tease me for being so sentimental, but you were amazing today.”

She responds: “Thank you. I do appreciate it. I’m just a ball buster but it means a great deal to me ... You were terrific. I am proud of everything we did today.”

MAY 30, 2023

Accuser: Blake Lively says Baldoni sexually harassed her Ms Lively has called an executive at Sony to share grievances over Baldoni, saying her wardrobe was sexy.

She also complained about being shown a home birth video by Mr Heath.

Ms Lively apparently told Sony she did not want to pursue any formal grievances.

Baldoni texts her: “I want you to know that I’ve been made aware of your concerns and I hear you. They are fully received and adjustments are being made imminently. Also the dailies [raw footage] are looking wonderful and while the last two days were tough, I assure you that your work was fantastic.”

On June 2, she invites Baldoni to come and run through lines with her while she is expressing breast milk. The production shuts down on June 14 due to the strike by the Writers Guild of America.

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Just as filming is about to resume, Ms Lively’s lawyer sends a 17-point email of non-negotiable conditions which she demands be met before she returns to work.

The list of conditions’ tone and content appear to insinuate that Baldoni, Mr Heath and others had engaged in sexually inappropriate conduct during filming.

The following day, a legal representative from Sony emails Baldoni and advises: “The overall tone of the response has to be part denying the insinuations allegations but doing so in a way that doesn’t inflame/escalate further.”

DECEMBER 27, 2023

Baldoni emails his production team about the planned return to shooting in January.

He says: “Everyone knows how I feel about this and how angry I am that Blake has taken over our film and somehow rewrote a movie we spent years developing writing and funding. So yes. I am furious. And sad. But I will continue to get back up with the goal of getting us to the finish line. I am waiving the white flag and submitting. I am going to give her 98 per cent of what she wants ... creativity is impossible in an environment shrouded in fear. By now we all know what she is capable of.”

MAY 15, 2024

Ms Lively has asked for a “passenger seat” in the editing suite and has ended up having solo editing time with her own editor.

Baldoni’s poster credit saying “a film by” has been removed.

A Sony marketing executive asks him to reconsider his objections to changes “so that Blake does not change her mind about calling Taylor Swift”.

The company wants the singer to agree to having her song My Tears Ricochet used in the trailer.

Baldoni learns that Ms Lively is planning to release her version of the film at a book festival and he is not allowed to see it.

He says in a text: “The editors and director isn’t allowed to look at an actress’s cut. Got it. We will keep taking the high road.”

JULY 15, 2024

Publicity for the film gets under way.

Maximum Effort Productions, which is owned by Reynolds and Ms Lively, sets up promotion shoots, including flower arranging and baking.

Baldoni is excluded.

After the premiere, during which Baldoni and his guests were kept separate from Ms Lively and Reynolds (they watched the film in a different theatre were excluded from the party), stories of a “feud” start to emerge.

By this point, Baldoni has hired crisis PR manager Melissa Nathan.

AUGUST 12, 2024

As media speculation rages, and Ms Lively is criticised for her “tone-deaf” promo, the actress and her husband prepare a statement, which Baldoni claims they drafted and asked him, Mr Heath and Wayfarer Studios to release.

It calls the film a “troubled production” “which we accept full accountability for”.

It adds: “Blake Lively, Colleen Hoover, the entire cast and crew led with professionalism every step of the way, any negativity aimed at them is ours to own. We mutually agreed that the cast would be promoting the film separately and understood why.”

PR manager Ms Nathan texts her colleague Jen Abel, saying they will not release the statement.

She writes: “No. Have to fight it. At what point do you fight. It’s now. Lawyer up. Now.”