Justin Baldoni has found himself back in the headlines after newly surfaced text messages revealed an allegedly awkward and inappropriate comment he made about pop icon Britney Spears during the filming of It Ends With Us.
According to the leaked texts, shared between Blake Lively and her co-star Jenny Slate, the actresses were engaged in a private conversation praising Britney Spears for her strength, resilience, and talent at her age. Lively reportedly wrote that while they were expressing admiration for the singer, Baldoni abruptly inserted himself into the discussion and said “same,” followed by laughter and an eye roll.
The unexpected remark reportedly left both actresses stunned. The messages describe how Lively and Slate fell completely silent, visibly uncomfortable by the sudden shift in tone. Slate later texted that moments like these caused her to emotionally shut down, explaining that she did not want to invite further comments from Baldoni.
Lively appeared to agree, responding that she understood the situation clearly and found the behavior “very alarming.” While the released texts reportedly reference several other incidents that raised concerns on set, the Britney Spears-related comment has sparked the most online backlash so far.
Social media users and readers have widely criticized the remark, calling it awkward, unnecessary, and inappropriate, especially since the original conversation was not sexual in nature. The incident has reignited debate around on-set professionalism and boundaries in Hollywood.