Blake Lively Allegedly Reached Out to Ben Affleck About ‘Chaotic Clown’ Justin Baldoni Amid Feud

The behind-the-scenes turmoil of It Ends With Us has taken another dramatic turn with the release of unsealed court documents on Tuesday, January 20.

The filings reveal that Blake Lively sought the counsel of Hollywood heavyweights Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to navigate her conflict with director Justin Baldoni. According to reports from Us Weekly, Lively reached out to her former costar Affleck in May 2024 to ask for his eyes on her cut of the film.

In an email where the recipient’s name was redacted but contextually identified as Affleck, Lively described the production as the “most upsetting experience I’ve ever had on a movie.” She did not hold back in her characterization of the set, comparing it to famous disasters. She wrote, “It’s like if Wild Wild Country, Fyre Festival and Going Clear had a baby with The Room … Room also works though.”

Lively claimed she was forced to take over the project creatively due to Baldoni’s alleged incompetence. She stated that she “ended up rewriting and restructuring the entire script” and essentially had to direct the movie herself. She described navigating the production “via the chaotic clown ‘director’/actor/producer/financier/studio head at the center.”

The documents highlight Lively’s deep frustration with the power dynamics on set. She noted that “Yes that’s all the same person,” referring to Baldoni’s multiple credits on the film. Furthermore, she made a startling claim about the crew, alleging that “everyone” the director hired was “in a cult.”

Seeking validation for her version of the film, Lively asked Affleck to watch her edit before she had to “duke it out” with Baldoni over the final cut. She put “zero pressure” on the actor but admitted she was desperate for his insight. “I can think of very few people who would be as prescriptive and insightful as I know you would be,” she pleaded.

Lively also requested that Affleck’s then-wife, Jennifer Lopez, view the film if she was around. “I’m such a fan of Jennifer’s, I’ve told her as much every time I’ve met her, and it would be an honor to have her take,” Lively wrote. This correspondence occurred before Affleck and Lopez finalized their divorce in 2025.

The outreach for help extended beyond Affleck, as Lively’s husband Ryan Reynolds contacted Matt Damon. In messages included in the filing, Lively vented to Damon and his wife, Luciana Barroso, about Baldoni’s “enormous ego.” She claimed the director believed he was “our century’s prophet” and lamented that he had “no taste.”

Damon responded with immediate support for the couple during their professional crisis. “We’ll give you any help we can,” Damon wrote back. He also jokingly offered her a safe haven for her next project, stating, “And if this experience hasn’t totally destroyed your soul, Blake, you should come direct your next movie at Artists Equity. We’re kind of like a cult but a really nice one.”

These revelations are part of an ongoing legal battle between Lively and Baldoni that began in 2024. Lively sued Baldoni over s**** harassment claims, while Baldoni’s countersuit was dismissed in June 2025. The two are scheduled to face off in a civil trial beginning this May.

Blake Lively has remained a significant figure in pop culture since her breakout role as Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl. She has since starred in successful films such as The Shallows, The Age of Adaline, and A Simple Favor. She recently wrapped production on A Simple Favor 2, reprising her role as the mysterious Emily Nelson alongside Anna Kendrick.

Justin Baldoni, best known for his role in Jane the Virgin, has built a career directing poignant dramas like Five Feet Apart and Clouds. He is also the author of Man Enough, a book that challenges traditional masculinity, which has made the current allegations against him particularly controversial. It Ends With Us, based on the Colleen Hoover novel, was a massive financial success despite the behind-the-scenes feuds.

Tell us if you think Matt Damon and Ben Affleck getting involved will change the outcome of the trial in the comments.