Justin Baldoni Audio Ignites Casting Controversy

Justin Baldoni thought he was building momentum behind one of the most anticipated book adaptations in recent memory. 

Instead, private voice notes he sent to Blake Lively have resurfaced in court filings, and they are raising new questions about casting choices, creative control, and what really happened behind the scenes of “It Ends with Us.” 

What began as a marketing strategy and script collaboration has now become part of a legal battle worth hundreds of millions.

Long before cameras rolled, Justin Baldoni had already made up his mind about who should play Lily Bloom. 

While thousands of fans of Colleen Hoover’s novel were rallying behind Abigail Cowan, Baldoni was focused on Blake Lively.

In an early voice note sent during pre-production, the director acknowledged that Cowan had strong fan support. 

“Before we announced you and for a couple of years, Abigail Cowan was who a lot of the young fans wanted to be Lily,” he told Lively in an audio clip obtained by the Daily Mail. 

However, he quickly dismissed that direction, explaining that Cowan “looks so young and of course that wasn’t the movie I was going to make or was interested in making.”

Baldoni was clear about tone. He didn’t want, as he put it, “some 22-year-old fresh out of college” at the center of the story. 

“That’s not the movie I was interested in making,” he said, signaling that he envisioned a more mature portrayal of Lily’s complicated journey.

At the time of filming in mid-2023, Cowan would have been 25. However, the 42-year-old maintained that she did not closely resemble Lively enough to make the story believable. 

Rather than follow the online campaign, Justin Baldoni focused on convincing Lively to take the role. 

According to the recordings, he believed pairing her with a younger actress who resembled her would strengthen the story.

He admitted casting Cowan might have satisfied hardcore readers and even described it as a potentially strong marketing move that could give audiences “what they wanted and what they didn’t know they wanted – both of you guys in the same film.” However, creative consistency mattered more to him.

Instead, Baldoni favored Isabela Ferrer for young Lily. He told Lively, “She’s a beast, and as soon as she came on the screen, I was like, ‘Ooof. I could see young you in her.’” 

He added that Ferrer had “depth” and insisted that viewers would “legitimately say she looks like Blake,” whereas casting Cowan might require “a bit of a suspension of disbelief.” 

Ferrer, who is two-and-a-half years younger than Cowan and a second cousin of George Clooney, ultimately landed the role.

The voice notes did not only cover casting. Baldoni also spoke at length about working with Lively on script adjustments. 

He made it clear he valued her perspective, calling on her “genius marketing brain” to help review 2,600 submissions for the younger Lily role.

In a second message discussing script revisions, Baldoni expressed enthusiasm about their collaboration. 

“I know in my bones how excited I am to work with you as a creative because you give a sh-t and that’s so f-cking cool, and you’re smart, you’re funny, and you’re all the things, and you’re a great writer,” he said.

He specifically highlighted the energy she brought to Lily’s dialogue, noting he “liked the banter and the wittiness” she had written. 

Baldoni explained he wanted audiences to see a fully realized woman entering a complicated relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid, rather than a naive character fresh out of school.

The resurfaced audio is now part of a broader legal battle. 

Blake Lively has accused Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment, as well as defaming and smearing her. 

She is seeking $161 million in damages. Baldoni denies the allegations.

Earlier this month, attorneys argued before a federal judge in New York over whether Lively’s case should be dismissed. A ruling is pending, and the trial is scheduled for May.

Baldoni previously filed his own $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively, but that case has already been dismissed.