Blake Lively revealed the emotional challenges she faced balancing her career and personal life during a private moment, expressing feelings of stress and “selfish” fears related to her separation from husband Ryan Reynolds. This candid insight comes from a voice memo recorded in early 2023, made public during a New York federal court proceeding on 29 January 2026, as part of Lively’s ongoing legal dispute with actor-director Justin Baldoni.
The nearly five-minute message highlights Lively’s inner turmoil over returning to work shortly after welcoming her fourth child, underscoring the emotional toll her commitments imposed on her marriage. The recording, originally intended as a private communication with Baldoni and now a key exhibit in a $160 million sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit, reveals the pressures faced by this Hollywood power couple well before their professional collaboration devolved into litigation.
Behind the Scenes With ‘It Ends With Us’: Lively’s Private Conversation
Recorded weeks before the start of the film production, Lively’s voice memo was sent to Justin Baldoni, whom she considered a confidant. In it, she shared her growing anxiety about managing the demands of a major movie project following the birth of her child, and the potential strain this would place on her 11-year marriage to Ryan Reynolds.
Lively opened the message cautiously, with a tone of tentative optimism about the film while acknowledging the difficulty she anticipated. She said,
“Hey. I hope you’re so well. Just wanted to connect just to put something on your radar,”
before admitting the conversation felt “so premature” yet necessary. The message, dated 8 February 2023, was encouraged by Reynolds himself. He advised her to be open with Baldoni, fostering a sense of trust as she navigated her conflicting emotions.
In the memo, Lively described the challenge of juggling newborn care with the preparedness required for the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestseller, portraying her professional obligations as a source of significant emotional strain.
Balancing Work and Family: Lively’s ‘Selfish’ Concerns Over Filming Schedule
Lively candidly addressed the practical difficulties she feared would arise from returning to a demanding filming schedule so soon after childbirth. She reflected on the physical and emotional exhaustion involved, explaining the challenge of coordinating her recovery, daily workouts, and the intense pre-production required by the film.
“Just the idea of going back to work every day right away and also the idea of, you know, prepping for our movie and wanting to work out every day and all that and yet being on set every day,”
she confessed, adding,
“I’m like, ‘What have I done?’”
Despite these reservations, she said her commitment to the project drove her decision to proceed:
“The only reason that I’m doing [that movie] before is because I gave them my word and I wouldn’t go back on that and felt like I had to make it work. But having a week off in between, it’s just a lot. It’s a lot.”
Lively expressed a desire to delay production, which was slated to begin in March—
“just too soon after having a baby”
—yet felt conflicted about this wish, describing it as “selfish” considering the size and scope of the film and those relying on its timeline.
Another layer of her anxiety stemmed from the emotional impact of spending a significant time apart from Reynolds. She said,
“Selfishly, what I would love about that is that Ryan and I have also been really stressed about spending a month apart. None of it is your problem,”
adding,
“That’s why I’m talking to you as a friend at this point more than anything, but the idea of spending all of June apart is a lot. The most we have ever done is less than two weeks.”
These words highlight the couple’s commitment to maintaining close proximity despite their high-profile, demanding careers, and the departure this film’s schedule represented for their usual routine.
Lively concluded the message with a poignant note on the isolation she felt during this time, saying,
“So nice talking to you. Not talking to you, this is so sad. This is my social interaction these days, just talking into voice memos. OK, I hope you’re well. Send my love to your family who don’t know me. Take care, bye.”
Transition From Supportive Message to Legal Dispute
Although It Ends With Us premiered successfully in cinemas in August 2024, the relationship between Lively and Baldoni deteriorated dramatically soon after. By December of that year, Lively had initiated a lawsuit accusing Baldoni, who is widely known for his role in Jane the Virgin, and executives at Wayfarer Studios of sexual harassment and retaliation.
Baldoni denied these claims and countered with a $400 million lawsuit accusing Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds of defamation and extortion. A judge dismissed Baldoni’s countersuit in June 2025, allowing Lively’s case to move forward toward trial.
Originally scheduled for March, the trial was postponed to May 2026. Against this backdrop, the previously private voice memo has gained heightened importance as a key piece of evidence, shedding light on Lively’s efforts to protect her family while fulfilling her professional obligations.
What began as a heartfelt appeal to a trusted collaborator has now become a critical document in a contentious courtroom battle, reframing the story behind It Ends With Us and the working relationship between Lively and Baldoni.
