A newly unsealed voice message has shed fresh light on the once-cordial relationship between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, revealing that the actress referred to her It Ends With Us costar and director as a “friend” while asking for flexibility ahead of filming.

The audio, sent on Feb. 8, 2023, weeks before production began, captures Lively speaking openly to Baldoni about feeling overwhelmed by overlapping work commitments and family responsibilities. 

At the time, the two were preparing to shoot the romantic drama, long before their relationship deteriorated into a highly public legal battle.

In the message, Lively explains that her schedule had become unmanageable, as she was locked into filming another project before It Ends With Us while also navigating life with a newborn and limited childcare support. 

She emphasised that she wasn’t making demands, but rather reaching out personally. 

“I’m talking to you as a friend at this point more than anything,” she said in the recording.

Much of the message centers on timing. 

Lively shared that the production schedule was set soon after she gave birth to her son, Olin, now 2, and admitted that the reality of returning to work so quickly was causing anxiety. 

“And the closer the reality gets, the more I’m just panicking about that. Because I’d really like to just focus on our movie,” she said. 

“Shooting in April, shooting in March is just too soon after having a baby and not sleeping and wanting to be in my best shape.”

She floated the idea of adjusting the schedule, acknowledging that her reasons were partly personal. 

“Obviously there’s selfish reasons I’m telling you this,” Lively said, adding, “If by chance you’re like, ‘Oh my God, if I could go two weeks earlier, that would actually be great,’ then amazing.”

Lively also explained why she hadn’t backed out of her earlier commitment, despite the strain. 

“The only reason that I’m doing [the movie] before is because I gave them my word and I wouldn’t go back on that,” she said. 

“But having a week off in between, it’s just a lot.” She also noted the pressure of returning to work without full childcare support, saying plainly, “I still don’t have a baby nurse.”

The tone of the message is notably careful, with Lively repeatedly stressing that Baldoni was under no obligation to change anything. 

She framed the request as a conversation, not an expectation, and even joked at the end about how voice notes had become her main form of social interaction.

The resurfaced audio has drawn attention largely because of what came later. 

Lively sued Baldoni in late 2024, accusing him of sexual harassment and retaliation during production. 

Baldoni has denied the allegations. His counterlawsuit for extortion was dismissed earlier this year, and the case is now moving toward a trial scheduled for 2026.

Sources close to Lively say the voicemail underscores that she was making a reasonable request to someone who was not only her director, but also a representative of the studio, and doing so in a friendly manner. 

The message itself does not contradict her claims, but instead highlights how much their relationship changed over time.

The voice memo is part of a larger collection of unsealed court exhibits that also include emails, text messages, and testimony connected to Lively’s lawsuit. 

Among them are private messages involving friends and colleagues, including Taylor Swift, Matt Damon, Lucy Damon, and Ben Affleck, which were shared as context around Lively’s experience during and after the film’s production.

As the case continues, the newly revealed audio offers a rare glimpse into an earlier moment, when Lively and Baldoni were still on speaking terms, and when she felt comfortable enough to call him a friend.