Blake Lively Asks 'Friend' Justin Baldoni If He Can Change Filming Schedule For Her In Voice Memo, Said Ryan Reynolds Encouraged Her Because Of The 'Great Trust' They Had -- LISTEN!

Before the issues between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively began, it turns out they had a solid friendship where she could even ask him to change the filming schedule for It Ends With Us!

TMZ obtained a four-minute-long voice message that the Gossip Girl alum sent to her co-star/director before shooting began for the domestic violence drama. In it, Blake is flustered about her hectic schedule, complaining that she took on too much professionally while trying to juggle a newborn and other family obligations. She and husband, Ryan Reynolds, share three daughters — 11-year-old James, 9-year-old Inez, and 6-year-old Betty — and 2-year-old son, Olin.

Related: How Blake’s IEWU Co-Star Brandon Sklenar Responded To Shady Unsealed Justin Baldoni Texts!

According to Blake, she already committed to filming another project called Proxy — an upcoming science fiction movie by director Kornél Mundruczó — before It Ends With Us. She told Justin the filmmaker asked if the start date for the drama could be pushed because they had “very little time to prep,” but she said no. At the same time, while the actress is “so excited” about the movie, she also felt “stressed” about not having a baby nurse and going back to work so soon, all while preparing for these films:

“Just the idea of going back to work right away. Also, the idea of like prepping for our movie and wanting to work out every day all that and yet being on set all day, every day. Like what have I done? The only reason that I’m doing Proxy before is because I gave them my word and I wouldn’t go back on that and felt like I had to make it work. But having a week off in between, it’s just a lot. It’s a lot. … Shooting in April, shooting in March is just too soon after having a baby and not sleeping and wanting to be in my best shape and all that.”

Blake noted she tossed out the idea to the Proxy director of filming to September since they needed more time, but also wanted to see if Justin could start production on It Ends With Us a “couple weeks earlier” than originally planned — around May.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants alum mentioned, on top of everything else, she and Ryan planned to travel with their kids to London in June after school ends — which would need to change if the film continued on the same schedule. The Simple Favor star explained the couple have been “really stressed” about spending a month apart, and the longest they’d ever been apart was less than two weeks. And “selfishly,” she admitted, it would be great if the filming started earlier for those reasons. However, she also stressed:

“None of it’s your problem, that’s why I’m talking to you as a friend at this point more than anything.”

Blake insisted there is no pressure to switch anything, but wanted to ask Justin just in case. She was even unsure to bring it up to Justin, but Ryan encouraged her to “fill him in,” noting that they had “such a great trust” between them.

Wow!

Yes, as you can tell, Blake is speaking very highly of Justin here! But before anyone starts calling her a hypocrite, it is important to note the voice message came BEFORE production — and all of the alleged sexual harassment and retaliation — started! And a source close to Blake also pointed out to TMZ that the audio only shows her making a request to her director and should not be interpreted as evidence of her being demanding. Clearly their relationship was pretty good at one point — and that had been made clear to Justin, but obviously that supposed “trust” they had is clearly gone now!

It is unknown if Justin moved up the schedule. However, the rest of the production for It Ends With Us got pushed to January 2024 after the writers’ strike began in May 2023. Listen to the entire audio (below):

Now, supporters of Justin might say this conversation — the calling him a “friend” and talking of their “great trust” probably put him at ease around the powerhouse Hollywood couple, at a more comfortable spot than he would have otherwise felt. But supporters of Blake might say all of that that’s irrelevant anytime alleged sexual harassment comes into play. Trust can be gained, but it can also be broken. So what do U think? Let us know in the comments!

[Image via CBS Mornings/Access Hollywood/TODAY/YouTube]