Text messages between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively have surfaced, offering new insight into the fat-shaming allegations surrounding the production of It Ends with Us.
Amid their ongoing legal battle, Baldoni and his legal team released the messages alongside an amended version of his $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively.
Highlights:
- Justin Baldoni and his legal team released a series of text messages exchanged with Blake Lively.
- Messages from February 2023 revealed discussions about Lively’s weight.
- Screenshots showed Baldoni’s response to Lively’s concerns about her body.
- Additionally, Baldoni allegedly inquired about Lively’s weight from her longtime personal trainer.
The 41-year-old director also provided a timeline spanning from 2019 to 2025, featuring emails, WhatsApp messages, and other communications related to the production of the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel.
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively’s Messages Reveal New Details on Fat-Shaming Allegations
The timeline includes Baldoni’s early text exchanges with Lively, indicating that they shared a friendly relationship before tensions arose.
According to Baldoni’s lawsuit, his legal team stated that the two “grew close,” exchanging text messages daily at one point.
However, messages from February 2023 reveal that discussions about Lively’s weight eventually became a topic in their conversations.
February 2023 was the same month Blake Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, announced the birth of their fourth child, Olin.
In a text message sent on February 9, 2023, the Gossip Girl alum thanked Baldoni for his “support” and “friendship.”
Baldoni then responded by saying he was “worried” about her, to which Lively jokingly mentioned wanting to lose 20 pounds before filming began.
In response, Baldoni reacted with a thumbs-down emoji.
Texts from February 2023 Reveal Discussions About Lively’s Weight
About a week later, newly postpartum Lively asked Baldoni if their intimate scenes could be scheduled for the end of filming.
“What’s the chance we can do body scenes at the end of the schedule?” she texted on February 17, 2023.
Baldoni responded, stating he couldn’t confirm the scheduling right away but reassured her that she would “look amazing” in the scenes.
Lively Expressed a Desire to Lose Weight After Welcoming Her Fourth Child
“Anything you are insecure about, we will talk through and get creative together to make you comfortable,” Baldoni reassured her.
He emphasized that he didn’t want his co-star, a mother of four, to be worrying about her body, calling it the “last thing” she needed.
His message appeared to contradict Lively’s accusations that Baldoni had found “back-channel ways of criticizing her body and her weight.”
Lively Requested to Delay “Body Scenes” Due to Postpartum Concerns
Later messages from February 2023 revealed that Lively introduced her personal trainer, Don Saladino, to Baldoni for guidance on “nutrition and exercise” as well as “special accommodations” for his back injury.
Baldoni and Saladino then exchanged messages, primarily discussing strength training for Baldoni’s back in preparation for a scene where he had to lift Lively.
As their conversation progressed, Baldoni eventually asked the trainer about Lively’s weight, which he later claimed was in “good faith.”
The question about Lively’s weight became a major point of contention between Baldoni and Lively, eventually drawing her husband, Ryan Reynolds, into the conflict.
In his $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times, Baldoni alleged that Reynolds summoned him to the couple’s New York City penthouse and “berated” him for “fat-shaming” his wife.
“How dare you f—–g ask about my wife’s weight?” the Deadpool star allegedly demanded. “What’s wrong with you?”
Legal Filings Allege Baldoni Asked Lively’s Trainer About Her Weight for a Lift Scene
“The confrontation that followed was so aggressive that Baldoni felt compelled to offer repeated apologies,” the lawsuit claimed.
After the clash, Lively refused to participate in the lift scene, and Reynolds insisted it be removed from the script.
In an effort to “rebuild rapport” and maintain a smooth working relationship, Baldoni allegedly “continued to bend to [Lively’s] will,” according to the lawsuit.
In her own lawsuit, Lively cited another incident in which she informed Baldoni that she had strep throat. In response, he connected her with a health coach for gut health advice after taking antibiotics.
Lively claimed in her lawsuit that this was yet another subtle attempt at fat-shaming her, as the health coach turned out to be a weight-loss specialist.
Despite the growing tensions between them, the co-stars still shared some seemingly positive moments, including one related to Lively’s birthday.
Despite Tensions, Baldoni Allegedly Attempted to “Rebuild Rapport” with Lively
On August 25, 2023, Jane the Virgin star Justin Baldoni sent Lively a lengthy birthday message for her 36th birthday. Along with his well wishes, he praised her for being “so fantastic in the film.”
A few days later, the Age of Adaline actress responded, thanking him for his “thoughtful” gift, a matcha machine.
However, tensions between the two escalated in December when Lively filed a legal complaint, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment, fostering a hostile work environment during the film’s production, and orchestrating a retaliatory social media campaign to damage her reputation.
Justin Baldoni Praised Lively as “Fantastic in the Film” in His Birthday Message to Her
On December 31, Justin Baldoni filed a libel lawsuit against The New York Times over its coverage of Blake Lively’s allegations. That same day, Lively filed her own lawsuit against Baldoni in the Southern District of New York.
Baldoni’s legal team responded on January 16 with a $400 million lawsuit, accusing Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, of multiple charges.
The first court hearing took place on Monday, February 3, marking the first in-person meeting between attorneys from both sides in federal court. Neither Lively nor Baldoni attended the pre-trial conference.
A federal judge indicated that the initial trial date, set for March 2026, might be moved up due to extensive media coverage. The judge also urged attorneys to refrain from public statements that could influence a potential jury.
Social Media User Claims Released Video Exposes Lively’s Alleged Lies
