A newly revealed voicemail message has shed new light on Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s once-cordial relationship, revealing that the actress was referring to her. It ends with us costar and director as a “friend” while asking for flexibility before filming.
The audio, sent on February 8, 2023, weeks before production began, shows Lively speaking openly to Baldoni about feeling overwhelmed by overlapping work commitments and family responsibilities.
At the time, the two were preparing to film the romantic drama, long before their relationship deteriorated into a very public legal battle.
In the post, Lively explains that her schedule had become unmanageable because she was forced to film another project beforehand. It ends with us while navigating life with a newborn and limited childcare support.
She emphasized that she was not making requests, but rather reaching out personally.
“I’m speaking 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 shortly after giving birth to her son, Olin, now 2, and admitted that the reality of returning to work so quickly caused anxiety.
“And the closer it gets to reality, the more I panic about it. Because I really would like to just focus on our film,” she said.
“Shooting in April, shooting in March, it’s just too soon after having a baby and not sleeping and wanting to be at your best.”
She floated the idea of adjusting the schedule, acknowledging that her reasons were partly personal.
“Obviously there are selfish reasons why I’m telling you this,” Lively said, adding, “If by some chance you’re like, ‘Oh my God, if I could go two weeks early, that would be really awesome,’ then that’s amazing.”
Lively also explained why she didn’t back out of her previous engagement, despite the tension.
“The only reason I do [the movie] before, it’s because I gave them my word and I’m not going back on that,” she said.
“But having a week off in between is just a lot.” She also highlighted the pressure of returning to work without full childcare support, clearly stating: “I still don’t have a nanny.”
The tone of the message is particularly cautious, with Lively repeatedly emphasizing that Baldoni was not obligated 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 primary form of social interaction.
The resurfaced audio gained attention in large part because of what happened later.
Lively sued Baldoni in late 2024, accusing him of sexual harassment and retaliation during production.
Baldoni has denied the allegations. His extortion countersuit was dismissed earlier this year and the case now heads to a trial scheduled for 2026.
Sources close to Lively say the voicemail emphasizes that she was making a reasonable request of someone who was not only her manager, but also a representative of the studio, and that she was doing it in a friendly manner.
The post itself doesn’t contradict her claims, but rather highlights how much their relationship has changed over time.
The voice memo is part of a larger collection of unsealed exhibits that also include emails, text messages and testimony related to Lively’s trial.
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 time, when Lively and Baldoni were still on good terms and she felt comfortable enough to call him a friend.
