Baldoni says Blake Lively was “setting me up for a trap” in intimate scene dispute

Unsealed texts show Baldoni felt undermined on the set of his movie

Justin Baldoni was the actor-director of It Ends With Us movie, which also co-stars Blake Lively.

In newly unsealed text messages Baldoni said he believed Blake Lively was “setting me up for a trap” during production. These text messages were sent 30 December 2023. They were sent by Baldoni to company executives during filming.

Justin Baldoni claims he was the one put in an untenable position on the set of It Ends With Us. He claims co-star Blake Lively allegedly refused a body double and undermined his creative vision.

Baldoni wrote these words in a message to his former agent. He described what he saw as a professional and creative ambush by his co-star. He claimed that Lively refused to allow a body double for the film’s intimate scenes. Even though Baldoni himself was being asked to use one. This refusal, he felt, put him at a creative disadvantage. It undermined the authenticity and storytelling of key moments in the film. Baldoni also said his storyboards — developed to show the book’s emotional intensity — were overridden by Lively. This added to his frustration.

These texts came just five days before an “all-hands” meeting with studio representatives, Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. The meeting was being held to discuss on-set concerns. Baldoni conveyed how draining the experience had been, despite having made concessions to keep peace. His perspective paints him as a creative professional trying to uphold the source material under difficult conditions.

Baldoni felt trapped by Lively’s demands on intimate scenes

According to Baldoni’s messages, Lively’s stance on not using a body double for intimate moments felt like an intentional setup.

Baldoni said Sony executives and producer Todd Black had to intervene after Lively refused the double. Sony executive Black insisted Baldoni use a body double instead. This was a move Baldoni described as “setting me up for a trap.” From his viewpoint, this dynamic put undue pressure on him to behave in a way that conflicted with his directorial intentions and the tone of the source material. Baldoni believed that a collaborative solution would have preserved safety and artistic integrity. This solution was for both actors to use body doubles.

Baldoni’s frustration was compounded by Lively’s alleged rejection of his creative direction for the scenes. His comments suggest he didn’t see her actions not just as creative. He saw Lively’s disagreements as a strategic disadvantage aimed at him personally.

The texts portray Baldoni as a director trying to navigate complex on-set negotiations while maintaining the film’s original vision.

Creative disagreements escalated to professional strain

The dispute over the intimate scene was not an isolated issue, according to Baldoni’s account. He said Lively also wanted to keep both actors fully clothed in a key romantic moment. He felt this was inconsistent with the book’s emotional stakes. Baldoni framed this as a refusal to honor the source material’s intentions and a challenge to his authority as director. He described the situation as “a gigantic clusterfuck,” reflecting the depth of his exasperation. Baldoni maintained that he had agreed to most of Lively’s other requests to keep things in harmony. But, this particular disagreement felt like a set-up rather than a negotiation. From his perspective, he was trying to balance respect for his co-star’s comfort with his creative responsibilities.

Baldoni’s view is that Lively’s decisions repeatedly put him in a compromised position. His messaging paints him as someone striving to uphold the film’s integrity amid mounting tension.

Tension preceded official on-set meeting

Baldoni, Lively, Ryan Reynolds and studio representatives had a meeting. This occured five days after Baldoni sent his texts. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a list of protections Lively requests for safety / comfort on set.

According to Baldoni’s account, the unsealed messages were a response to a “really, really bad week” of disagreements. It culminated in what he felt was an unfair creative trap. For Baldoni, the meeting came after he had already been put in a difficult position by Lively’s decisions around the intimate scenes.

Baldoni emphasised that he had repeatedly tried to find common ground. He said he even gave ground on other creative choices to keep the peace. The upcoming meeting was meant to discuss the broader conflict that had been building during filming. Baldoni’s view was that the situation had escalated beyond normal creative differences. His texts underscore how he felt cornered and misrepresented in the creative process.

Baldoni denies other claims against him

Lively raised serious allegations against Baldoni. These include claims of sexual harassment and a hostile work environment. Baldoni has firmly denied these accusations. He has always positioned himself as the wronged party.

He has argued that many narratives presented against him have been taken out of context. Or they were framed in ways that don’t show the full story.

Baldoni also filed defamation lawsuits against media outlets he says published “unverified and self-serving” narratives about him. He arguing that key communications were “cherry-picked” to harm his reputation. Although some of those suits were dismissed, Baldoni continues to assert that he has been unfairly portrayed in public reporting. From his perspective, the unsealed texts are part of a larger effort to show context. And to push back against what he sees as distorted accounts against him. To show the truth of what happened on set.

Baldoni maintains that his concerns on set were about creative and professional integrity, not misconduct. His concerns include but were not limited to the body-double dispute. To Baldoni and his supporters, these legal and creative battles show a deeper struggle over narrative control and career reputation.

Ongoing legal battle and trial timeline

The legal dispute between Baldoni and Lively continues. Lively’s lawsuit seeking significant damages and Baldoni’s counter suits and context-setting efforts ongoing.

A trial related to Lively’s original complaint is scheduled for later this year. It highlights how the fallout from It Ends With Us extends far beyond the filming itself.

Baldoni’s texts about feeling “set up for a trap” have become a focal point. They set the tone in broader discussions about creative collaboration and professional respect on set. For Baldoni, the controversy over the intimate scene and the alleged creative sabotage exemplify how challenging the production became. He sees the unsealed texts as giving a voice to his side of the story. These text help to clarify how he felt undermined on set by Lively. Baldoni’s narrative frames him as a professional caught in increasingly fraught negotiations in his own movie. They affected both his reputation and the film’s production.

As the legal battle progresses, his supporters argue that these moments directly show how he was placed in a difficult and unfair position.