The actress additionally requested not to be paired with Baldoni, whom she referred to as “the most intense narcissist,” while promoting the movie.

Jenny Slate says filming It Ends With Us was ‘gross and disturbing,’ calls Justin Baldoni a ‘clown’ in text messages

The actress additionally requested not to be paired with Baldoni, whom she referred to as "the most intense narcissist," while promoting the movie.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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January 20, 2026 6:01 p.m. ET

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Jenny Slate; Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni star in 'It Ends With Us'. Credit:

JC Olivera/Variety via Getty; Courtesy Sony Pictures Ent.

Jenny Slate had a difficult time working with Justin Baldoni, according to her now unsealed deposition for the ongoing *It Ends With Us* legal battle.

On Tuesday, Jan. 20, new evidence and documents were unsealed as part of the legal dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Among the documents was a transcript of Slate's deposition, held Sept. 26 in New York, where several of her own text messages were read aloud, and the star addressed the issues that arose while working alongside Baldoni and Wayfarer producer Jamey Heath.

"This week was really intense for a few reasons," Slate wrote in a text message to her former agent. "It's like fascinating and also so s---ty. Justin and Jamey [Heath] are truly unfit. I'm not scared or anything, just repulsed and deeply irritated, and I know Blake is experiencing that on a much more serious level."

In a subsequent text, she continued, "I feel like it's about to get really bad and I'm not sure what Blake's limit is but she's really taken a lot of crap from them, like crazy s---, and I'm not kidding when I tell you that Justin and Jamey me freak me out. Like they tell really weird lies and Justin is astoundingly wrongheaded."

Blake Lively and Jenny Slate at the world premiere of 'It Ends With Us'.

Eric Charbonneau/Getty

Referencing Baldoni's TED Talk about empowering women and redefining masculinity, Slate wrote, "I really don't get how he did a TED Talk. He is worse than most of the bros I've encountered, not because he's predatory but because of his general fragility and misogyny, like not seeming to be aware of any of the obvious no-no's."

In additional unsealed text messages obtained by PEOPLE, the actress specifically requested not to be paired with Baldoni or Heath while promoting the movie. In one text to her team, she wrote, "I don't want to do anything with Justin, I don't want to talk about him, like ... nothing. And the same goes for Jamey [Heath], who is truly unprofessional."

Slate also described filming *It Ends With Us* as "a really gross and disturbing shoot," claiming "I'm one of many who feel [this] way." She then noted that both she and Lively have taken their complaints directly to the studio.

"Justin is truly a false ally and I'm unwilling to do anything that promotes the image that he's crafting as a 'male feminist,'" Slate wrote in one message. "Honestly I have no words to describe what a fraud he is."

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In a separate text, Slate added, "I honestly have never ever encountered anything like this dude. He's the biggest clown and the most intense narcissist. Lots of lessons learned!"

Elsewhere in her deposition, Slate is asked about an alleged incident in which she claims Baldoni said to her on set, "I can say this because my wife is here, but you look sexy in what you're wearing."

Slate characterized the comment as "not appropriate" on set or in "any workplace."

"The comment was about me, not my character. It wasn't useful for my work. It wasn't anything I wanted. It was unwanted and had no place, in my professional experience," she stated in her deposition. She then explained that she did not express her frustration with the comment in the moment because "I didn't feel comfortable. He was my boss, and I just wanted to do my work and leave."

Representatives for Baldoni, Wayfarer, and Slate did not immediately respond to **'s request for comment.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in 'It Ends With Us'.

Nicole Rivelli/Sony Pictures Entertainment

On Tuesday afternoon, an attorney for Lively addressed the unsealed documents in a statement, writing, "The newly unsealed evidence shows the concerns of Ms. Lively and others were documented in real-time as early as Spring 2023, and Wayfarer understood them as 'sexual harassment' concerns. The evidence also documents how Wayfarer refused to investigate, but instead attempted to 'bury' Ms. Lively and others who spoke up through retaliation.”

The ongoing legal battle began when Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department last December, accusing her costar and director of sexual harassment on the set of *It Ends With Us* and claiming that he orchestrated a smear campaign against her in the aftermath. She subsequently filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and Wayfarer in New York federal court.

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Baldoni responded with his own $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist Leslie Sloane, claiming civil extortion, defamation, breach of contract, and invasion of privacy. His suit was ultimately dismissed in June, after Judge Lewis J. Liman found that Lively's claims against Baldoni are covered by litigation privilege and not considered defamatory.

After news of Lively's initial complaint against Baldoni made headlines in December 2024, Slate spoke out in support of her costar, calling the allegations "terribly dark" and "disturbing."

"As Blake Lively’s cast mate and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation," Slate said in a statement to *Today*. "Blake is a leader, loyal friend and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her… I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side."

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