At a Glance
- Blake Lively wrote to Matt Damon that making It Ends with Us “nearly killed me,” unsealed court filings show
- She claims she rewrote the script, directed actors, and was barred from post production until a rushed 10-day “bake off”
- Husband Ryan Reynolds told Damon there was “zero pressure” to watch, joking the shoot was an “all-time zinger”
- Why it matters: The private email is now public evidence in Lively’s ongoing harassment lawsuit against director Justin Baldoni
In a blistering email unsealed this week, Blake Lively told Matt Damon that working on It Ends with Us pushed her to the brink, alleging she was forced to shoulder directing and writing duties while being locked out of the final edit.
The message, dated May 17, 2024, surfaced ahead of a January 22 summary judgment hearing in Lively’s lawsuit against co-star and director Justin Baldoni, 41. Lively, 38, sued in December 2024 claiming sexual harassment and retaliation; Baldoni denies wrongdoing and previously filed a $400 million countersuit that U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed in June. A trial is set for May 18.
“This movie nearly killed me”
The email opens with Lively thanking Damon for considering a screening and warning him the film tackles domestic violence.
> “Thank you for even considering. And it’s not a bad movie. So who knows, you just may enjoy some of it,” she wrote, according to the filing.
She added: “Be warned it covers domestic violence in key places so just want to be sure you know. This movie nearly killed me.”
Lively claims she took over directing and writing
Lively alleged that Baldoni, who also served as producer, financier, and head of the studio, had “zero experience” and “no taste” as well as “an enormous ego.”
She wrote:
- “I rewrote the entire script.”
- “I directed every actor.”
- The cinematographer “couldn’t get anything from him” and repeatedly asked her for guidance.
Locked out of post production
After production wrapped, Lively claims Baldoni sidelined her from editing until the final weeks.
> “They gave me 10 days to scrap together an edit to compete with an edit he’s been making since July,” the message states.
She said she slept “about an hour and a half each night” while racing to finish her cut for an internal studio “bake off.” The upcoming screening would be her “first and only feedback” before executives chose which version to release.
> “It’s all the drama-none of it the good stuff,” she wrote.
Reynolds jumps in with “zero pressure”
Ryan Reynolds, 49, joined the thread, telling Damon he could stream the movie on Lively’s Pix account.
> “Zero pressure,” Reynolds wrote, adding that family came first and that the Damon daughters were welcome at a friends-and-family screening.
He joked that the production was “one of the all-time zingers on and off set,” quipping, “One day, we’ll make a movie about the movie.”
What’s next
The unsealed emails are now part of the public court record. Both sides are preparing for the May 18 trial unless the January 22 hearing produces a last-minute resolution.
Key Takeaways
- Lively’s private complaints about Baldoni’s control are now public evidence.
- The email chain offers a rare window into star-producer tensions on a major Hollywood release.
- With trial five months away, the dueling narratives over who controlled It Ends with Us are set to intensify.
