When Blake Lively hit send on that email to Ben Affleck in May 2024, it wasn’t just a professional gesture—it was a calculated moment of vulnerability. She asked him to leave a voice memo and watch her version of It Ends With Us. A soft ask, framed with care. That message, however, is now proof.
The language she used was remarkably effective—polite yet purposeful. In an almost theatrical line, she wrote to Affleck, “Don’t hang up.” She didn’t want to be judged. She wanted someone she could trust to give her artistic feedback. And perhaps, someone she hoped would understand the emotional pressure of reshaping a film that was spiraling into conflict.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Email Sender | Blake Lively |
| Email Recipient | Ben Affleck |
| Date Sent | May 2024 |
| Film In Question | It Ends With Us |
| Main Purpose | Request for creative feedback on Lively’s cut of the film |
| Other Names Mentioned | Jennifer Lopez (invited to view), Ryan Reynolds, Matt Damon |
| Legal Relevance | Introduced in Lively’s lawsuit against co-star and director Justin Baldoni |
| Reported Response | No reply confirmed from Affleck in public court filings |
| Broader Context | Post-production conflict and legal tensions regarding creative control |
At the time, she described the situation as a “bake-off”—not between bakers, but between edits. Hers versus Baldoni’s. Two cuts of the same film competing silently behind studio doors. For anyone who’s worked in post-production, the tension is strikingly similar to sitting across from someone in a dimly lit editing room, both arguing over where the heartbeat of the story lives.
She didn’t just send the film to Affleck. She invited Jennifer Lopez to weigh in, too. That inclusion felt particularly intimate—like she wasn’t just asking for notes, but for solidarity.
By referencing her husband, Ryan Reynolds, who’d reached out to Matt Damon around the same time, she subtly widened the net. It became clear she was looking for grounded perspectives, not just loyalty. Fan screenings were not what these were. These were requests for clarification from experts she thought could clear the haze.
What was left unsaid afterward is what makes this moment particularly poignant. There’s no reply included in the court documents. No memo. No “Looks good, Blake.” With each subsequent legal filing and tabloid headline, that silence grew louder.
The decision to remain silent can have unanticipated consequences in a field where relationships are key to opportunities. It’s possible that Affleck had good reasons to stay impartial in 2024 given his own personal struggles with Lopez. Or maybe he watched it and said nothing. Or maybe he didn’t watch it at all.
Yet that absence—deliberate or not—has been notably interpreted by those following the case.
Lively’s lawsuit, filed months later, added gravity to the original email. She claimed that Baldoni had harassed her and undermined her efforts. Baldoni denied the claims and countersued for defamation, though his case was dismissed. The courtroom drama turned creative tension into legal warfare.
And that email? It now lives in the public record.
I keep returning to the tone she used: warm, deferential, peppered with phrases like “no pressure.” But for anyone who’s ever fought for a seat at the editing table, there’s always pressure. particularly if you’re a producer and lead actor. Especially when your voice is on the line.
When shared, the creative space can feel cutting and collaborative. Seeking feedback from someone like Affleck—who’s directed Oscar-winning films and faced his own public scrutiny—was a strategic move. She wasn’t merely seeking assistance. She was requesting perspective from someone who understands both the studio grind and the delicate politics behind a final cut.
Nevertheless, the documents that were made public contained no response. That disparity says a lot about the atmosphere in which this movie was made, not necessarily about Affleck’s personality.
Once a private note, it now reverberates throughout a court case. It’s easy to forget how frequently silent interventions or timely requests from reliable peers influence great films. But when silence replaces response, it leaves space for speculation.
For artists like Lively, who rewrite scripts late at night and battle burnout behind polished press tours, that silence can sting more than criticism. Because it’s rarely about ego when you ask someone to see you—not the performance, but the work. It has to do with being heard.
This is a sharp irony. A film about voice, love, and trauma becomes the center of a dispute where voices are constantly filtered, redacted, or omitted entirely.
Through strategic language, Lively not only made her case artistically but also laid groundwork for how she would eventually present her side legally. She underlined her desire to work together. She gave others praise. She never demanded. However, even for someone with her profile, the need to inquire demonstrates how uneven creative ground can become.
Affleck may have chosen discretion. That in itself is understandable. Saying nothing is frequently the safest course of action in a town where every opinion can ricochet through contracts, careers, and headlines.
However, he is not the subject of this tale.
It’s about the woman who, when she was losing control of her project, dared to ask for help. It’s about the battle behind the scenes that so rarely makes it into the press junket soundbites. And it’s about how an actress’s late-night email, likely typed in exhaustion and hope, became an artifact of something far bigger than a bake-off.
Ego isn’t always to blame when a film breaks in post. Sometimes it’s about trust. Sometimes, it comes down to whether or not the people you most admire are prepared to support you.
As the lawsuit progresses over the next few months, more messages might appear. There might be more voices. Blake’s message to Ben, however, tells us a lot already.
It indicates that she battled for her version. It tells us she knew exactly who might understand the pressure. Additionally, it serves as a reminder that even the strongest people still occasionally whisper, “Please just tell me what you think.”
