'Talking to you as a friend': Blake Lively's old voice message to Justin Baldoni resurfaces amid legal battle

She might have a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, but Blake Lively once referred to him 'as a friend' in an old voice message that has just resurfaced.

Dated February 2023, and reported by outlets including People, the message was unsealed in court exhibits and legal filings.

In it, the Gossip Girl star, 38, spoke about the production schedule of the pair's 2024 film It Ends With Us – which Baldoni directed and starred in – and how she had a lot going on before production began.

Watch the videos above.

Her youngest child, Olin, was born in February 2023 and she also had another film, Proxy, on the cards.

She reportedly filmed Proxy between March and May 2023 and It Ends With Us in May and June, before the Hollywood writers strike moved it to 2024, and she had concerns about the timing and schedule.

"I'm talking to you as a friend at this point more than anything," she reportedly said in the voice memo.

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"Shooting in April, shooting in March is just too soon after having a baby and not sleeping and wanting to be in my best shape."

"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."

"But having a week off in between, it's just a lot."

"I still don't have a baby nurse," she added in part.

"Obviously there's selfish reasons I'm telling you this. If by chance you're like, 'Oh my God, if I could go two weeks earlier, that would actually be great,' then amazing."

This update comes after Taylor Swift and Lively's texts addressing the 'shift' in their friendship were revealed.

Unsealed court documents, widely reported online, highlighted the pair addressing their relationship and an apparent "shift" and some "distance".

Just last year, it was reported Baldoni's $611 million ($US400 million) defamation countersuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds had been formally ended by a federal judge in New York.

Lively's lawsuit against Baldoni continues in May 2026.

The actress first sued for alleged sexual harassment and claimed Baldoni tried to ruin her reputation. He denied the claims, and countersued for alleged defamation and extortion.

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