Newly unsealed court exhibits reveal a February 8, 2023, voice memo from Blake Lively to Justin Baldoni in the weeks leading up to production of "It Ends With Us."

The recording shows Lively candidly discussing the pressures of returning to work after giving birth to her fourth child with Ryan Reynolds while juggling two film projects.

Lively noted her anxiety about shooting back-to-back films and her desire to maintain her physical routine on set. She suggested adjusting the production schedule but acknowledged the request was "selfish."

She framed her message as personal, telling Baldoni, per Us Weekly, "That's why I'm talking to you as a friend at this point more than anything but the idea of spending all of June apart is a lot. The most we have ever done is less than two weeks."

This recording appears to challenge one of her more explosive claims—that Baldoni allegedly humiliated her over her weight. Lively's lawsuit contends Baldoni asked her personal trainer Don Saladino about her weight, a comment Saladino relayed to Lively.

Saladino testified that he was surprised by Baldoni's inquiry, which he believed was related to lifting Lively in a dance scene. Saladino described feeling "uncomfortable" after hearing the comment, which he then shared with Lively. Baldoni maintains the remark was intended to avoid injury, citing his own back issues.

Anxiety and Work Pressure

In the four-and-a-half-minute message sent on February 8, 2023, Lively explained she had spoken to the director of the sci-fi movie Proxy about adjusting the start date for the movie but filming could not be postponed.

"I've been really, really under it. I don't talk to him like I talk to you, so I haven't told him about not having a baby nurse – still don't have one by the way," she said, per the Daily Mail.

Lively also described a narrow gap of just one week between filming "Proxy" and starting "It Ends With Us," saying it was "a lot" because she "really wanted to focus on our movie." She noted that the couple, she and husband Ryan Reynolds, had been "really stressed" about spending June apart, given their children's summer schedule.

Texts between Baldoni and Lively show the director offering reassurance, encouraging her "not to stress about her body" and telling her she would "look amazing." Despite these messages, Lively ultimately did not participate in "Proxy."

Fallout from Alleged Fat Shaming

The lawsuit asserts that Baldoni's comments caused Reynolds to become "enraged" and demand an apology during a January 2024 meeting, according to court documents. Baldoni's legal team maintains he was never spoken to in such a manner and has denied all claims of sexual harassment and retaliation.

The complaint also accuses Baldoni of "routinely degrad[ing]" Lively through indirect criticism of her body and weight, leaving her feeling "humiliated."

One allegation involved a claim that he told her trainer she needed to lose weight in two weeks, despite there being no scripted scene requiring such action.

Behind the Scenes: Texts and Footage

Court filings reveal private texts between Baldoni and his PR team during the controversy, including messages mocking Sony Pictures. In one text, Baldoni wrote, "Hi I'm Sony and I'm going to cozy up to Ryan (Reynolds) and erase Justin...Sony has no spine."

Other messages with cast members reveal tensions on set. Isabela Ferrer, who played a young version of Lively's character Lily Bloom, described the set as a "comfortable safe space." Baldoni's texts also referenced a "bromance" with co-star Brandon Sklenar, which he said lasted a year.

Newly released video footage reported by TMZ contradicts claims that Baldoni inappropriately told Lively her neck smelled "so good" during a dance scene. The footage shows the actors joking, with Lively laughing and responding, "Well it's not that, it's my body makeup," while Baldoni replies, "It smells good," in a clearly playful exchange.

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Blake Lively