Hollywood's ongoing legal drama has ensnared another major star, with Scarlett Johansson becoming the latest celebrity dragged into the bitter courtroom battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. The 41-year-old Avengers actress finds herself mentioned in explosive audio evidence filed by Lively's legal team, obtained exclusively by the Daily Mail, mere months before the Gossip Girl alum faces Baldoni in a high-stakes trial scheduled for May.
Audio Evidence Reveals Contrasting Opinions
In a surprising development, Steve Sarowitz, co-founder of Baldoni's Wayfarer production company, brought up Johansson during a conversation with filmmaker Claire Ayoub. The audio recording, submitted as evidence in Lively's case, reveals Sarowitz's contrasting opinions about working with the two Hollywood stars. Wayfarer had previously collaborated with Johansson on her 2025 directorial debut Eleanor The Great, while also producing Ayoub's 2024 comedic drama Empire Waist.
According to the audio obtained by the Daily Mail, Sarowitz described Johansson as "cool, calm, collected and confident. And nice." However, his tone shifted dramatically when discussing Lively, stating: "It's so interesting because you work with so many people. Almost everybody is nice, and then there's Blake - she is totally different than everyone else." He elaborated further, suggesting that while most people reciprocate professional courtesy, "some people forgot to learn how to be nice."
Background of the Legal Conflict
The legal war between Lively and Baldoni began in December 2024 when Lively filed a lawsuit accusing the director of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign against her. Baldoni vehemently denied these allegations and responded with a staggering $400 million countersuit against the actress. Additionally, the director filed a $250 million libel claim against the New York Times for reporting on Lively's accusations, though both cases were dismissed by a judge in June last year.
In a September 2025 declaration obtained by the Daily Mail, Claire Ayoub indicated she discussed the conversation with Sarowitz after claiming she suffered "verbal abuse" from Baldoni and experienced "negative interactions" with him during the production of her film. Sarowitz came to Baldoni's defense in the audio, alleging that "everything was made up" and purposefully created "to take Justin down."
Hollywood's Growing Frustration
The public nature of this legal battle has reportedly caused significant frustration throughout Hollywood, with numerous A-list celebrities finding themselves unexpectedly dragged into the controversy. Court documents have revealed that stars including Taylor Swift, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon have been named in various filings and unsealed text messages.
Explosive court records show that Taylor Swift called Baldoni a "b****" in text message exchanges with Lively, while British actress Jameela Jamil labeled the Gossip Girl star a "villain" and a "suicide bomber." Damon and Affleck's names emerged when court exhibits revealed that Lively had reached out to both stars, asking if they would view her personal cut of It Ends With Us, the film adaptation that sparked much of the controversy.
Celebrity Reactions and Professional Fallout
A source close to both Damon and Affleck expressed the growing Hollywood sentiment to Us Weekly: "The feeling is frustration. There's a sense of, 'Why am I being dragged into this?' It's created unnecessary stress and irritation, and people feel like it's become a black hole. Even those who have nothing to do with it are worried about getting mentioned or dragged into public speculation."
While Damon responded positively to Ryan Reynolds' request to watch Lively's cut, stating in a court exhibit that both he and his wife would assist "in any way we can," an insider revealed the couple "aren't close" with Reynolds and Lively and are not thrilled "that their texts are public." Affleck, however, did not respond to Lively's similar request due to his busy schedule at the time.
In her email to Affleck, submitted as a court exhibit, Lively labeled Baldoni as a "chaotic clown" and suggested it would have been "easier" if she had directed the movie herself. She wrote: "But having to troubleshoot through his taste, ego and preexisting decisions made it so difficult and that's not even touching on any of the wild HR issues and beyond."
Professional Relationships Turn Sour
The legal battle represents a dramatic deterioration of what began as a promising professional relationship. Recently leaked voice notes reveal that Baldoni initially lavished praise on Lively during pre-production of It Ends With Us. In audio shared by TMZ, Baldoni told Lively he "legit got the chills" upon seeing photos from her costume fittings and described her as looking "beautiful."
However, their relationship soured dramatically over creative differences, particularly regarding Lively's character's wardrobe. Baldoni claimed the film's budget ballooned by $430,000 after Lively allegedly demanded her wardrobe be "re-shopped" to match her vision for the character Lily Bloom. Documents from Baldoni's countersuit claimed that he and the studio "ceded full control to Lively over her wardrobe" in an "effort to maintain harmony," a decision they later found "regrettable."
Reputational Impact and Industry Response
PR expert Mark Borkowski told Us Weekly that celebrities dragged into the case face "minimal" reputational risk but noted that "their irritation levels will be off the charts." Meanwhile, a separate source close to Lively claimed that "people in Hollywood have been distancing themselves from Blake and Ryan. Even close friends of theirs have been keeping their heads down and staying neutral."
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Johansson, Lively, Baldoni, Sarowitz, and Ayoub for comment but has not received immediate responses. The publication has also contacted Ryan Reynolds' representatives regarding the unfolding situation.
As the May trial date approaches, the entertainment industry watches closely, with the case continuing to reveal unexpected connections and previously private conversations between Hollywood's elite. The inclusion of Scarlett Johansson's name in the latest evidence adds another layer of complexity to what has become one of Hollywood's most public and contentious legal battles in recent memory.
