Blake Lively’s private voice memo has just become public—and it’s giving fans a rare look at the emotional strain she was under before filming It Ends With Us. The nearly five-minute recording, unsealed by a New York federal court on January 29, 2026, is now part of her ongoing legal battle with co-star and director Justin Baldoni. In it, Lively opens up about feeling overwhelmed, “selfish,” and deeply anxious about how filming would affect her family life with husband Ryan Reynolds.
The memo was recorded in early February 2023, just weeks before production began and shortly after Lively welcomed her fourth child. In the message—sent directly to Baldoni—she describes the pressure of returning to work so quickly after giving birth. While she made clear she was committed to the film, she admitted the schedule felt daunting and emotionally taxing. She worried about the physical toll, the intensity of prep, and the challenge of balancing motherhood with a major studio production.
But what stands out most is her concern about being separated from Reynolds. Lively shared that the couple had rarely spent more than two weeks apart and that the idea of being separated for a full month felt overwhelming. She even revealed that Reynolds encouraged her to share her concerns with Baldoni, saying they had built enough trust for that kind of honesty. The confession painted a picture of a couple trying to protect their relationship amid demanding careers.
At one point, Lively acknowledged that wanting to delay production felt “selfish,” given how many people were counting on the project. Still, she admitted she was struggling. The memo ends on an unexpectedly vulnerable note, with Lively joking that recording voice messages had become her main form of social interaction during early motherhood. It’s a candid snapshot of a Hollywood star wrestling with very human pressures behind closed doors.
The timing of the memo adds another layer of intrigue. It Ends With Us premiered in August 2024, but by December of that year, Lively had filed a lawsuit accusing Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios executives of sexual harassment and retaliation. Baldoni denied the claims and countersued Lively and Reynolds for $400 million, alleging defamation and extortion. A judge dismissed his lawsuit in June 2025, allowing Lively’s case to move forward. The trial, initially set for March, has since been pushed to May.
Now, what began as a private exchange between collaborators has become a key piece of evidence in a high-stakes legal fight. The memo reveals a very different tone from the public courtroom battle—one of vulnerability, uncertainty, and a star trying to juggle motherhood, marriage, and career. As the case unfolds, this intimate recording may reshape how fans view both the film and the fractured partnership behind it.
