The messy saga between It Ends With Us co-stars Blake Vigorous and Justin Baldoni is going through one more twist, this time within the type of a voice message Baldoni apparently despatched to Vigorous amid the movie’s manufacturing the place he may be heard apologizing to his on-screen companion.
In an almost seven-minute voice memo first printed by TMZ on Monday, Baldoni, who additionally served as director for the film, may be heard talking about script adjustments that Vigorous, one of many movie’s producers, had offered.
“Hey Blake, it’s two within the morning. Hopefully this doesn’t wake you up. There’s a lot I need to say to you,” Baldoni started the message, which TMZ obtained in its entirety.
“I need to begin with an apology,” he continued. “Man, studying the second a part of your message, my coronary heart sank. I’m actually sorry. I for positive fell brief and also you labored actually onerous on that. The way in which you framed it and the way it made you are feeling, I simply wished to say thanks for sharing that with me.
“I really feel actually grateful that you simply really feel secure sufficient to inform me that that’s how you are feeling and share that with me. And I’m actually sorry. I f–ked up. That could be a fail on my half.
“I’m removed from good. I’m a really flawed man, as my spouse will attest …. however I’ll all the time apologize after which discover my method again to centre. That’s one factor I can guarantee you of. And I’m sorry I made you are feeling that method, that should have felt horrible.”
Blake Vigorous and Justin Baldoni are seen on the set of ‘It Ends With Us’ on Jan. 12, 2024 in Jersey Metropolis, N.J.
Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Pictures
World Information has not independently verified the recording’s authenticity, nor when it was recorded or despatched. World Information has additionally reached out to each Vigorous and Baldoni’s representatives for remark and for a replica of the audio.
Within the recording, Baldoni additionally discusses the now-infamous assembly between the pair, once they met to speak concerning the film’s rooftop scene. Vigorous had rewritten the scene with the encouragement of her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and good friend Taylor Swift, and Baldoni may be heard seemingly acknowledging their enter.
“Rattling proper, you’ve received nice buddies. F–Ok, we should always all have buddies like that, apart from the truth that they’re two of essentially the most artistic individuals on the planet,” he mentioned, earlier than including, “The three of you guys collectively is unbelievable. Speak about vitality. Only a pressure, all three of you.”
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He additionally informed Vigorous that he favored her script adjustments, calling them “actually good.”
“I’m excited to undergo the entire film with you,” he mentioned, laughing often. “I’m simply excited to spend time with you. I’m excited to be in your sphere and your presence and for us to share artistic juices collectively though that sounds horrible.”
Whereas their authorized feud has been ongoing since December 2024, when Vigorous accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation first in a criticism after which in a lawsuit a couple of week later, Baldoni claimed in a January court docket submitting that he felt pressured by Reynolds and Vigorous’s “megacelebrity good friend” to approve the scene revisions after a gathering at Vigorous and Reynolds’ residence.
Baldoni sued earlier this month, accusing Vigorous and her husband of defamation and extortion and searching for at the very least US$400 million in damages.
Final week, Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, launched a 10-minute video that included one scene the place the actors’ characters Lily Bloom (Vigorous) and Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni) are gradual dancing. (The scene was referenced in Vigorous’s lawsuit in opposition to her co-star, accusing him of “behaving inappropriately” and claiming he “ignored well-established trade protocols in filming intimate scenes.”)
The footage reveals Baldoni, 40, and Vigorous, 37, filming a scene with no dialogue, talking about their spouses and joking about his nostril and her spray tan.
In an announcement following the discharge of the footage, Vigorous’s workforce says that “each body of the launched footage corroborates, to the letter,” what Vigorous included in her lawsuit, filed on Dec. 20, 2024, concerning the particular scene.
“Justin Baldoni and his lawyer might hope that this newest stunt will get forward of the damaging proof in opposition to him, however the video itself is damning,” Vigorous’s authorized workforce mentioned of their assertion.
“The video reveals Mr. Baldoni repeatedly leaning in towards Ms. Vigorous, making an attempt to kiss her, kissing her brow, rubbing his face and mouth in opposition to her neck, flicking her lip along with his thumb, caressing her, telling her how good she smells, and speaking along with her out of character. Each second of this was improvised by Mr. Baldoni with no dialogue or consent prematurely, and no intimacy coordinator current.”
In addition they point out that Baldoni was able of energy because the movie’s director and Vigorous’s boss.
“The video reveals Ms. Vigorous leaning away and repeatedly asking for the characters to simply speak. Any girl who has been inappropriately touched within the office will acknowledge Ms. Vigorous’s discomfort,” her authorized workforce mentioned. “They may acknowledge her makes an attempt at levity to attempt to deflect the undesirable touching.
“No girl ought to need to take defensive measures to keep away from being touched by their employer with out their consent,” her legal professionals mentioned. “This matter is in energetic litigation in federal court docket. Releasing this video to the media, somewhat than presenting it as proof in court docket, is one other instance of an unethical try to govern the general public. It is usually a continuation of their harassment and retaliatory marketing campaign.”
On Monday, New York federal decide Lewis J. Liman set a March 9, 2026 trial date and moved an preliminary convention from mid-February to subsequent week as the general public feud between Vigorous and Baldoni continues to develop. He informed legal professionals to be ready to deal with complaints about pretrial publicity and lawyer conduct.
Liman took the actions after Vigorous’s legal professionals claimed in a submitting on Monday {that a} lawyer for Baldoni was attempting to taint potential jurors over lawsuits the actors have filed in opposition to one another.
The legal professionals mentioned Baldoni’s lawyer was attempting to wreck Vigorous’s profession and switch potential New York jurors in opposition to her by creating an internet site to launch chosen paperwork and communications between Vigorous and Baldoni.
On a brand new and separate entrance within the sequence of authorized battles, Vigorous filed a request for a deposition of a person she says was central to turning on-line sentiment in opposition to her in the course of the movie’s launch and promotion.
It Ends With Us, primarily based on the bestselling 2016 novel by Colleen Hoover, was launched in August 2024 and exceeded field workplace expectations with a $50-million debut. It begins as a typical romantic drama earlier than taking a darkish flip into home violence. The fallout in its aftermath has made main waves in Hollywood and led to discussions of the therapy of feminine actors each on units and in media.
— With recordsdata from The Related Press
