A newly revealed voicemail shed new light on the once cordial relationship between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, revealing that the actress referred to her. Finish with us co-star and director as a “friend” while asking for flexibility before filming.
The audio, sent on February 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 film the romantic drama, long before their relationship deteriorated into a very public legal battle.
In the message, Lively explains that her schedule had become unmanageable, as she was previously stuck filming another project. Finish with us while also coping with life with a newborn and limited childcare support.
He emphasized that he was not making demands, but rather reaching out personally.
“Right now I’m talking to you as a friend more than anything,” she said in the recording.
Much of the message focuses 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 was causing her anxiety.
“And the closer reality gets, the more I panic. Because I would really like to focus on our movie,” he said.
“Shooting in April, shooting in March is too soon after having a baby, not sleeping and wanting to be in my best shape.”
He raised the idea of adjusting the schedule, acknowledging that his reasons were partly personal.
“Obviously, there are selfish reasons why I’m telling you this,” Lively said, adding, “If you happen to say, ‘Oh my God, if I could go two weeks earlier, that would be really cool,’ then awesome.”
Lively also explained why she hadn’t backed out of her previous engagement, despite the tension.
“The only reason I’m doing [the movie] Before, it is because I gave them my word and I would not go back on that,” he said.
“But having a week off in between is too much.” She also noted the pressure of returning to work without full childcare support and stated clearly, “I don’t have a nanny yet.”
The tone of the message is remarkably careful, with Lively repeatedly emphasizing 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 primary form of social interaction.
The resurfaced audio has drawn much attention for what came next.
Lively sued Baldoni in late 2024, accusing him of sexual harassment and retaliation during production.
Baldoni has denied the allegations. His racketeering countersuit 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 manager, but also a representative of the studio, and doing so in a friendly manner.
The message itself does not contradict his claims, but instead highlights how much their relationship changed over time.
The voice memo is part of a larger collection of unsealed court evidence that also includes emails, text messages and testimony related to Lively’s lawsuit.
Among them were private messages involving friends and colleagues, including Taylor Swift, Matt Damon, Lucy Damon and Ben Affleck, which were shared as context about 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 talking and when she felt comfortable enough to call him a friend.
