Justin Baldoni admitted he was “not in the best place” after what he described as an “intense year” in a podcast interview recorded in November—before his legal dispute with It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively became public.
The actor and filmmaker appeared on the latest episode of the Gent’s Talk Podcast, released on Monday (February 10). However, the conversation was originally filmed in November 2024—weeks before the legal battle began. At the time, the media storm surrounding It Ends With Us’s summer release had mostly settled, but Baldoni suggested the experience was still weighing heavily on him.
“I texted my friends and colleagues, James Heath and Tera Hanks—who run Wayfarer Studios with me—that morning and told them I wasn’t in the best place,” he shared. “I was exhausted.”
He went on to say that when he sent that message, his “heart was racing” and he was struggling with “some anxiety.”
While he didn’t go into specifics, Baldoni reflected on how he hadn’t allowed himself the time to recover or process everything that had happened. “I had an intense year. A lot of material success, but also a lot of emotional stress. It was very hard on me and my family,” he admitted. “I wear a lot of hats, and I carry a lot because I love what I do.”
He also acknowledged the pressures of constantly striving for success. “It’s easy to get swept up in the cycle of opportunity and ambition, but it’s important to take a step back and breathe,” he added.
Just a month after this interview was recorded, Blake Lively accused Baldoni of on-set harassment and of orchestrating a smear campaign against her. Baldoni has denied the allegations, countersuing Lively for defamation while also filing a separate libel complaint against The New York Times for a story it ran about the allegations.
Since then, multiple lawsuits have emerged surrounding the situation. As of now, Lively’s original lawsuit is set to go to trial on March 9, 2026, though the judge recently suggested it could start sooner—provided both parties refrain from making further public statements.
