Justin Baldoni sent his apology to Blake Lively after they had both discussed her alterations to a scene from their film It Ends with Us.
Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment while working together on their 2024 box-office success, a film he directed. Baldoni issued an apology to Lively after filing a $400 million defamation countersuit against her.
Following a review of their communication texts, both parties disclosed the discussion Lively had initiated about the alterations she had made to the rooftop scene during production.
In the messages, Lively expressed disappointment with Baldoni’s initial response to her tweaks. She reportedly stated that her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and her close friend—later identified as Taylor Swift—praised the changes.
Baldoni later responded, saying he “really love(d) what (she) di” and that her edits “[made] it so much more fun and interesting.”
Baldoni praises ‘unbelievable’ creativity of friends in honest voice note
Further insights came from an audio recording on January 27. In the nearly seven-minute voice note, Baldoni began with an apology. “I’m really sorry. I for sure fell short, and you worked really hard on that,” he said, per Daily Mail.
“And the way you framed it and how that made you feel, I just want to say thank you for sharing that with me,” Baldoni continued.
“That takes a lot of trust and vulnerability. I feel really grateful that you feel safe enough to tell me that’s how you feel and share that with me. I’m really sorry, I f***ed up.”
“I’m a very flawed man as my wife will attest,” and vowed to “do better.”
“Damn right you’ve got great friends if that’s how you felt and they knew that. We should all have friends like that; aside from the fact that they’re the two most creative people on the planet. The three of you guys together is unbelievable. Talk about energy; just a force, all three of you,” he praised Lively.
ALSO READ| Justin Baldoni appears to apologise to Blake Lively in voice note over It Ends With Us rooftop scene
“I’m excited to go through the whole movie with you. I’m just excited to spend time with you,” Baldoni concluded.
Baldoni’s legal team has announced plans to launch a website containing correspondence and videos they claim will refute Lively’s allegations. “If they want to unethically gag the truth by threatening to wield their power in Hollywood, we will fight it every step of the way. Defending ourselves is not retaliation, it is a human right,” his attorney told People Magazine.
