In recent court filings, Lively and Reynolds asked the judge in the case to toss Baldoni’s lawsuit against them. Lively’s lawyers argued that Baldoni’s “vengeful and rambling lawsuit” is “a profound abuse of the legal process,” and that the “Gossip Girl” star was “legally entitled” to bring her case to the New York Times.

Baldoni’s voice memo was part of the effort to soften his image. The director and star of It Ends With Us entered 2025 having just been sued by Lively for creating a hostile work environment, with specific allegations including sexual harassment.

Members of the right's massive media ecosystem are attracting even bigger audiences by stretching outside their comfort zones.