Blake Lively
Blake Lively has made a subtle appeal for privacy after a recent paparazzi encounter, reinforcing her long-standing stance that fame should not come at the expense of her children’s wellbeing. blakelively/Instagram

The production of It Ends With Us has been rumoured to be tense, but newly unsealed court documents suggest the situation was even more volatile than previously understood. Within the filings is an alleged email from Blake Lively to Ben Affleck, in which she asks for his input while stressing there is 'zero pressure'.​

Comparing The Film Set To Notorious Cults And Disasters

The claims sit within fresh court paperwork tied to Lively and Justin Baldoni's ongoing dispute. In the alleged email, dated 17 May 2024, Lively tells Affleck she has come through 'the most upsetting experience' she has ever had on a film.​

Lively wrote that a documentary about the making of the film would be 'more interesting than the movie could ever be'. She added: 'It's like if Wild Wild Country, Fyre Festival and Going Clear had a baby with The Room ... Room also works though,' before alleging Baldoni was the 'chaotic clown "director"/actor/producer/financier/studio head at the centre' and claiming 'he and everyone he had on the movie is in a cult.'​

Unveiling The 'Chaotic Clown' And Power Struggles

Lively's email frames the conflict as a power struggle that bled into writing and directing decisions. She tells Affleck she 'ended up rewriting and restructuring the entire script' and says she had to 'direct the movie via the chaotic clown', rather than being officially in charge.​

She also mentions 'wild HR issues' in passing, without spelling them out in the message. In context, it reads like a grim aside—one more problem on a set she says pushed her to breaking point.

A High-Stakes Editing 'Bake Off' Against the Clock

Lively also describes what sounds like an exhausting fight in post-production, with Affleck telling her she is in a 'bake off' with Baldoni in the edit. The email claims Baldoni had been editing since July, while she was given '10 days' for her own pass, with the 'bake off' due in 12 days.​

That deadline is why she reaches out to Affleck at all. Lively asks whether he can spare '1:58' to watch the film and send notes—again repeating there is 'zero pressure', even as she admits: 'This movie nearly killed me.'​

Seeking Insight From Industry Titans And Impending Trial

In the same email, Lively tells Affleck she would welcome thoughts not only from him, but from his family as well. She writes that if his then-wife and children are around, she would 'love their opinion also', while flagging that the film includes domestic violence.​

The alleged message has resurfaced as the legal dispute continues, with the newly unsealed court documents adding fresh detail to how Lively privately described the production at the time.

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