NEW YORK (Court TV) — Newly unsealed text messages reveal actor and director Justin Baldoni told his agent that co-star Blake Lively was setting him up for “a trap” by refusing to use a body double during intimate scenes for their film “It Ends With Us.”
This combination of images shows Blake Lively at the London screening of the film “It ‘Ends With Us” on Aug. 8, 2024, left, and Justin Baldoni, right. (AP Photo)
The messages, part of a motion filed by Baldoni’s former talent agency William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, offer a behind-the-scenes look at the deteriorating relationship between the two stars during production of the romantic drama.
“She had the audacity to email me directly and invite me to a meeting at her house alone if I chose,” Baldoni wrote to his agent Danny Greenberg on Dec. 30, 2023. “She’s refused a body, double which now Sony and Todd have to jump in to make sure that happens because that’s just setting me up for a trap. Altnough [sic] she’s making me have one.”
Baldoni, who directed and starred in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, described the production as “a gigantic cluster f*ck” in the messages to Greenberg.
“She’s rejected all my storyboards for the sex scenes, so so so he has to get involved because she’s trying to keep all of both of our clothes on for the big love scene, which is just ridiculous if you know the book,” Baldoni wrote.
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The actor-director also complained that Lively was “rewriting the writer and Director” and said she didn’t want Wayfarer Studios CEO Jamey Heath on set.
“I’ve gone through the whole script I’m giving her a 95% of what she wants for peace but this is just a brutal experience,” Baldoni wrote.
Greenberg responded that there “has to be a line” and said he would talk with producer Todd Lieberman and WME’s then-Executive Chairman Patrick Whitesell if needed.
“I’m doing my best to just stay positive and give her as many wins as possible to just finish this thing but it’s gonna be tough,” Baldoni wrote. “At some point Warren needs to know that she is destroying her reputation.”
Baldoni also predicted future conflicts during post-production.
“Where we will need the most help is during the Edit because I’m not going to get everything she wants and I foresee that being a big issue,” he wrote.
The text messages were included in exhibits attached to summary judgment motions filed by both parties in the ongoing legal battle. WME filed a motion on Jan. 5, 2026, requesting that certain portions of the communications remain sealed, arguing the agency’s privacy interests outweigh public access.
In the letter-motion, WME attorney Susan Leader argued that the communications reflect “advocacy based on information conveyed to such employees by their clients” and constitute inadmissible hearsay. The motion notes that WME employees, including Greenberg, had no personal knowledge of events during filming.
“There is no evidence that the WME employees participating in the communications have any personal knowledge of what happened during the filming of It Ends With Us and, in fact, they did not,” the motion states.
WME dropped Baldoni as a client in August 2024, shortly after the film’s release. The agency continues to represent Lively.
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The unsealed messages also include a brief exchange from August 2024, after the film’s release, in which Whitesell congratulated Greenberg on handling the situation.
“Great news. Great job navigating,” Whitesell wrote on Aug. 10, 2024.
Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni in December 2024, accusing him of sexual harassment and conducting a smear campaign to damage her reputation. Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and the New York Times, seeking damages for defamation. In June, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman dismissed Baldoni’s countersuit, finding that its two main claims were fundamentally flawed.
Lively’s lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial on March 9, 2026.
This story was generated with the assistance of AI using information gathered and verified by a human journalist. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy before publication.
