Justin Baldoni is about to open up about his “intense” year. The actor and director recently appeared in a teaser for an upcoming appearance on the “Gent’s Talk” podcast, where he appeared visibly emotional.
Baldoni, 40, became tearful in the clip as he reflected on a particularly challenging period in his life. This moment of vulnerability comes amid his ongoing legal battle with his “It Ends With Us” co-star Blake Lively.
“I had an intense year,” he says in the sneak peek. “This morning I sent a text message.”
Baldoni then admits, “I had anxiety” before the preview transitions to the “Jane the Virgin” star telling host Samir Mourani, “I haven’t talked about this yet.”
The teaser ends with Baldoni covering his face with his hands as the screen fades to black. The full episode will be released on February 10.
Baldoni’s “Gent’s Talk” interview was filmed in November, a month before Lively, 37, filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing her former co-star of sexual harassment.
In the filing, she also claimed that Baldoni allegedly masterminded a smear campaign against her.
The complaint, initially covered by the New York Times, was later turned into a formal lawsuit.
Baldoni has strongly denied the allegations made by the “Gossip Girl” star and has also filed a defamation lawsuit against the Times.
On January 16, Baldoni escalated the legal battle by filing a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist.
Earlier this week, Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman offered insight into his client’s emotional and financial state, revealing that the legal drama has had a significant toll on him.
Freedman is also representing Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, producers of *It Ends With Us*, and the publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel.
“Not to sound like a 4-year-old fighting a 4-year-old with ‘they started it,’ but in these kinds of cases, once someone says something it becomes fact,” the attorney said in a pre-trial conference, referring to Lively’s initial complaint and lawsuit. He added, “There’s no way to fight against it.”
Baldoni has made several attempts to disprove Lively’s accusations through the media, including releasing raw footage from the “It Ends With Us” set and launching a website showcasing alleged text messages exchanged between the two.
A judge has set the trial between Lively and Baldoni for May 2026.
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