Amid his feud with Blake Lively while filming It Ends with Us, Justin Baldoni received a message of support from friend and The Office alum Rainn Wilson. Details of the group chat were made public after Baldoni’s lawyers submitted documents as evidence.
On January 5, 2024, in a text thread that included Baldoni, actor Travis Van Winkle, musician Andy Grammer, and It Ends With Us producer Jamie Heath, Wilson asked, “Brothers, any updates?”
In response, Baldoni outlined “one of the most difficult nights of my life” that she briefly discussed with Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds.
“Ryan was talking to me and scolding me like a 5-year-old,” Baldoni wrote. “They basically said that Jamie and I were not who we claimed to be and that doing the podcast was dangerous because it would make people think we were safe.”
Later in the message, Baldoni wrote, “The words creepy and abusive were used in my actions.” “Then I was given the words what to say and I had to apologize, but I couldn’t apologize because my brain was trying to figure out what was going on.”
Baldoni also wrote, “While I think this is extremely unfair, the only way forward was to acknowledge her and Ryan’s feelings, apologize, and suffer the wrath of her angry husband.”
“Oh my god. I can’t believe it,” Wilson wrote back. “You were set up, ambushed, and personally attacked. I am stunned. I totally agree that you are stunned like a deer in headlights. Maybe you shouldn’t have apologized right away. Start apologizing now. I’m so grateful that Jamie is your partner and can step in diplomatically if needed. Come on, brother. Let’s make a great, important, interesting piece of storytelling. That’s all you can do right now.”
Lively’s first legal case against Baldoni began when she filed a complaint with the California Department of Civil Rights on December 20, 2024, alleging that Baldoni sexually harassed her and created a hostile work environment. Meanwhile, Baldoni sued Lively and Reynolds for defamation, but the suit was dismissed. On November 12, Baldoni filed a motion to dismiss Lively’s sexual harassment claims, which are scheduled to go to trial in March.
