Justin Baldoni admits ‘I f***ed up’ and apologised to Blake Lively during leaked voice notes as bitter lawsuit continues
A newly leaked voice note has revealed actor and director Justin Baldoni apologising to Blake Lively over their disputed rooftop scene in the film “It Ends With Us”.
The six-and-a-half-minute recording, obtained by the Daily Mail, captures Baldoni offering a grovelling apology to his co-star following tensions about script changes.
The message was reportedly sent in April 2023 after a meeting where Lively had presented her rewritten version of the scene, supported by her husband Ryan Reynolds and friend Taylor Swift.
The audio emerges as the latest development in an increasingly bitter legal battle between the two stars.
In the voice note, Baldoni can be heard saying: “I’m really sorry. I for sure fell short,” addressing Lively’s concerns about her rewritten version of the scene.
The director acknowledges his mistakes, stating: “I will admit and apologize when I fail. I’m a very flawed man, as my wife will attest.”
He expresses gratitude for Lively’s honesty, saying: “Thank you for sharing that with me. That takes a lot of trust and vulnerability, and I feel really grateful that you feel safe enough to tell me that.”
The message was reportedly sent at 2am, with Baldoni admitting text and voicemail communications were “not my biggest strength.”
The voice note also addresses Lively’s earlier message where she compared herself to Game of Thrones character Khaleesi and referred to Reynolds and Swift as her “dragons”.
“Damn right, you got great friends,” Baldoni says in the recording. “We should all have friends like that, aside from the fact they’re two of the most creative people on the planet.”
He emphasises the collective impact of the trio, adding: “The three of you guys together is unbelievable. Talk about energy. Force. All three of you.”
However, Baldoni insists he “didn’t need that,” referring to their names being raised over the scene changes, and instead praises Lively’s own creative vision.
The dispute escalated into legal action when Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment on December 31, 2024.
Baldoni responded with a £400million countersuit against Lively and Reynolds on January 17, accusing the couple of attempting to “hijack his film” and “torpedo his career”.
The director’s legal team has also sued the New York Times for defamation after the newspaper published a story about an alleged smear campaign against Lively.
Raw footage recently released by Baldoni’s team has challenged Lively’s claims about a scene where she alleged he had sexually harassed her by “dragging his lips up her neck”.
The case is now set for a provisional court date in 2026.
The legal drama continues to intensify as Lively and Reynolds face imminent subpoenas from Baldoni’s legal team.
Lawyers representing the A-list couple have made a fresh bid to prevent Baldoni’s team from launching a website containing all texts and emails exchanged between the parties.
In a letter to New York judge Lewis J. Liman, Lively’s lawyers accuse Baldoni’s team of launching “character attacks” and making “false and defamatory” statements.
The letter requests the website launch be blocked, arguing it could influence potential jurors, and calls for a conference with both sides present to discuss the matter.