Jenny Slate slams Justin Baldoni's team as 'pigs' in unsealed texts

Jenny Slate made her feelings about Justin Baldoni known to Blake Lively.

In texts with her "It Ends with Us" costar, unsealed in court records on Jan. 20, the actress called Baldoni, 41, and his team at Wayfarer Studios "greedy and brazen" and wrote that she got a negative "general vibe" from the director but "pushed past it."

The texts, exchanged a month before the film's release in August 2024, have been unsealed among hundreds of exhibits in Lively's sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Baldoni and Wayfarer.

In Lively's texts to Slate, 43, the "Gossip Girl" actress claims Wayfarer is attempting to sell a book with her name and likeness, with "It Ends with Us" writer Colleen Hoover as the author, "even though she wouldn't sign the contact be she didn't want to be apart [sic] of it either."

Slate responded with disgust, calling the director's production company "pigs."

"I can't believe how greedy and brazen and dim they are," she continued. "They are so desperate and greedy for the cheapest marks of fame, and they're not worthy adversaries. but they keep worming their way into these horrid battles."

She added: "What did they think would happen? didn't they expect that you most likely have really great lawyers, and that you yourself are incredibly smart, and that they could never get away with that?"

Lively then recalled a conversation with Baldoni, in which he allegedly said, with others present, "Have I always asked fro [sic] consent? … No. Have I always listened when they said no? … No."

The "Another Simple Favor" actress added, "People show you who they are, believe them the first time," to which Slate responded, "That is my central takeaway here. I also saw something in him, was aware of a general vibe that I'm not into, and I pushed past it. Never again! Lesson learned."

USA TODAY has reached out to reps for Slate and Baldoni for comment.

Jenny Slate called Baldoni a 'fraud' and 'clown' in 2023 texts

Slate's issues with Baldoni were expressed months before the aforementioned texts, as she texted her team that she did not want to work with the director during publicity for the film.

"i don't want to do anything with Justin, i don't want to talk about him, like … nothing. And the same goes for Jamey [Heath], who is truly unprofessional," she texted her team in June 2023, according to People.

She continued: "['It Ends with Us'] has been a really gross and disturbing shoot, and I'm one of many who feel [this] way," and added she and Lively, 38, "both complained directly."

The "Zootopia" voice actress further slammed Baldoni as "truly a false ally" and wrote she was "unwilling to do anything that promotes the image that he's crafting as a 'male feminist' … like … honestly i have no words to describe what a fraud he is."

She added: "He's the biggest clown and the most intense narcissist. Lots of lessons learned!"

Lively's December 2024 lawsuit claimed the "It Ends with Us" director engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct on and off set and helped orchestrate a smear campaign against her. Baldoni's team has vehemently denied the allegations. A defamation countersuit filed by Baldoni was officially terminated in October.

Lawyers for both sides returned to New York federal court on Thursday, Jan. 22. The trial is due to begin on May 18.

Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY