Justin Baldoni claimed Blake Lively was "setting me up for a trap" during the filming of "It Ends With Us," according to newly unsealed private messages that reveal growing tension behind the scenes of the movie.

The text, sent in late 2023, shows Baldoni expressing frustration as disagreements with his co-star escalated.

In a Dec. 30, 2023 message to his former agent, Danny Greenberg of William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, Baldoni said he had gone through a "really, really bad week" dealing with Lively.

He wrote that Lively contacted him directly and suggested meeting privately at her home, which made him uncomfortable, given the ongoing disputes over how intimate scenes in the film would be handled.

Baldoni, 41, claimed the conflict centered on filming sex scenes. He said Lively, 38, refused to use a body double for those scenes, which led Sony executives and producer Todd Black to step in, Yahoo reported.

Baldoni wrote that Lively then wanted a body double to stand in for him instead. "That's just setting me up for a trap," he said in the message.

He also stated that Lively rejected his storyboards and pushed for both actors to remain fully clothed during scenes he believed were critical romantic moments.

Referring to the book the movie is based on, Baldoni wrote, "If you know the book, it's just ridiculous."

He described the situation as "a gigantic clusterf---" and said he was giving Lively "95% of what she wants for peace."

Still, he added that working with "an actress who is rewriting the writer and director" had been exhausting and took up much of his holiday break.

Source Defends Blake Lively After Baldoni Texts Surface

Days later, on Jan. 4, 2024, Baldoni, Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and studio leaders attended an "all-hands" meeting. The meeting focused on 17 protections Lively had requested before filming resumed after the strikes.

These protections had already been agreed to in writing in mid-November 2023 and were meant to address safety and conduct concerns on set.

A source close to Lively disputed Baldoni's claims, saying the messages were sent only after Lively detailed what she believed was a hostile work environment.

According to People, the source said the text exchange showed Baldoni's anger over safeguards he had publicly called "reasonable" and "essential."

The message later appeared in a court motion filed by WME, which asked to keep parts of the exhibits sealed, arguing they were private and not central to the case.

The dispute later became public in December 2024, when Lively sued Baldoni and others, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation.

Baldoni denied the claims and filed a countersuit that was later dismissed. A hearing is set for Jan. 22, with trial currently scheduled for May 18.

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