Podcast Summary: Intentionally Disrupting

Host: Dr. Leslie Dobson
Episode: Behind the Scenes of the Lively-Baldoni Case: Truth About Coercive Control and Harassment
Date: January 21, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Dr. Leslie Dobson, a forensic psychologist with a no-nonsense approach, unpacks the explosive court case between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. With the case documents freshly unsealed, she sifts through mountains of testimony and deposition excerpts, exposing the nuances of coercive control, sexual harassment, manipulation, and the blurred boundaries between power, abuse, and accountability on a Hollywood film set. Dr. Leslie maintains her signature tone — sharp, sarcastic, and darkly comedic — as she calls out the absurdities and horrors behind the headlines.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Unsealing of Case Documents and Media Circus

• Dr. Leslie jumps into the day's major development: unsealing of files in the high-profile Lively-Baldoni lawsuit.
  • “[00:30] …the judge basically said that everything had to be unsealed and the public can see. And so Blake Lively's team dropped everything first today.”
  • She expects “back and forth” drops from both sides, with information being “manipulated” and “out of context.”

2. Defining Coercive Control & The Influence of 'Darvo'

• Leslie nods to the psychologist who coined “DARVO” (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender), calling her an “incredible psychologist” — foreshadowing a future deep dive.
• “Everything we talk about with coercive control is, is from this doctor. So pretty awesome.” [01:15]

3. Patterns of Sexual Harassment and Abuse

• Leslie is unequivocal: “I believe Blake Lively was sexually harassed… there was an ongoing abuse. It was psychological, it was verbal, it was sexual to her for over, over a year.” [03:00]
• Multiple depositions from other actresses (Isabella Ferrer, Jenny Slate, Claire Ayoub) corroborate ongoing harassment and inappropriate behavior by both Justin Baldoni and Jamie Heath.

Notable Moment ([04:25]):

• A driver overheard Justin Baldoni “say he was forced on and he forced himself on women” — an out-of-the-ordinary confession made in front of Lively and others.
  • “He kept talking about his sexual relationships… he would force himself on women if they said, no... It was just disturbing.”

4. COVID Negligence and Consequences

• During filming, Blake and her newborn contracted COVID and RSV due to lack of transparency on set.

  • “Justin Baldoni and Jamie Heath did not tell Blake Lively that people on set were testing positive for Covid… They also pocketed the insurance money… They literally could have killed her baby.” [07:55]

• Blake had to be hospitalized with her infant — a situation highlighted in depositions.

5. Toxic Set Culture & Emotional Manipulation

• Baldoni described as “too sensitive.” Lively couldn’t critique him without “buck[ing] him back up.”
  • “[11:40] So somebody is sexually harassing you, and you've got to keep them motivated so that you can do these scenes with them and get the fucking movie done.”

6. Voyeurism, Boundary Crossings, and Bodily Violations

• Jamie Heath entered Blake’s trailer while she was exposed and breastfeeding, refusing to leave despite protests.
  • “[14:50] …They were screaming. No, no, no… And he didn't care. He doesn't have a known hearing problem…”
  • “They just throw [a washcloth] over her other boob so that nipple's not exposed. She's also in her underwear. She also just gave birth to a fucking newborn.”

7. Repetitive Inappropriate Comments and Lack of Clarity

• Multiple accounts of sexual remarks by Baldoni, including:
  • Complimenting actress Jenny Slate’s appearance on set.
  • “Do you know what inappropriate comments Justin was making?” — depositions cite “thousands of things” newly revealed.

8. Blake Lively Takes a Stand

• Host and witnesses describe Lively as “an elegant boss bitch,” able to command respect and finally call out the directors’ behavior.
  • [17:25] “All parties present agreed that the outlined conduct would cease” after Blake confronted the offenders with a detailed 17-point list.
  • Underscored by Sony’s gratitude: “...blood, sweat, tears, smarts, heart and soul in every single frame. My God, it's incredible. Thank you 50 million times.” [18:25]

9. Abuse of Young Actresses and Bullying

• Isabella Ferrer (aged 20 at filming) was subjected to inappropriate comments:
  • “I know I'm not supposed to say this, but that was hot.” — while filming a teen sex scene. [22:05]
  • Baldoni encouraged the male co-star to “get to know Isabella well” — perceived as pressuring intimacy between young actors.
• Host underscores power dynamics and Ferrer’s confusion as victimization.

10. Manipulation of Narrative and Press

• Cast instructed not to talk about domestic violence in press, while Baldoni alone was told to spotlight it.
  • “He is cosplaying as a feminist when he... He's really just a misogynist and... what she called a con artist.” — referencing Jenny Slate and Isabella Ferrer’s depositions.
  • Jenny Slate: “Justin is astoundingly wrong-headed... Slate says he's predatory, but because of his general fragility and misogyny.” [32:15]

11. Birth Scene Ordeal & Further Violations

• Graphic description of birthing scene debacle:
  • Jamie Heath showed staff a video of his wife’s vaginal birth, pausing at crowning, “for shock value.”
  • Baldoni swapped in his own friend as the OB-GYN actor, exposing Blake further and flicked on set monitors to display her genitalia.
• Lack of sexual harassment training or HR; Blake was the de facto complaint receiver and ended up advocating for others with Sony — which “file[d] these away, but did not actually move forward with realistic intervention.” [41:00]

12. Corporate Responsibility Dodged

• Sony and Wayfair pass the buck, and no real accountability is taken, per Dr. Leslie’s analysis.
• “Yeah, Jamie Heath basically said that we didn't have a policy about sexual harassment, but we just sexually harass every woman.” [44:15]

13. Obsessions and Disturbing Requests

• Baldoni described as “obsessed with sex,” demanding unscripted undressing, and being transparent about his pornography addiction.
  • “If you do any science... severe history of porn addiction, what’s your future look like with it?... Not very [responsive to treatment].” [45:50]

14. Communications Coverup

• Baldoni admits to using encrypted apps (“Signal”) and deleting messages since litigation began.

15. Celebrity Support & Power Dynamics

• Texts from Ryan Reynolds and Liz Plank reveal their concern for Blake, and prior warnings about Baldoni’s behavior.

  • Liz Plank: “Rats. I tried to warn Blake on the red flags, but was hoping he had gotten better... Working on his set was truly one of the worst days of my life, but it's survivable and I'll help.” [54:30]

• Taylor Swift supported Blake, reportedly called Baldoni “a little bitch with a violin,” showing that even amongst high-powered circles, warnings and concerns spread quickly.

16. Dr. Leslie’s Takeaway & Modern Reckoning

• The case is complex, but Leslie’s judgment is clear: “Justin Baldoni and Jamie Heath are really, really creepy and did things that no boss, no one in authority, no director... should be doing.”
• “...Blake Lively continues to fight this fight. We do have a hearing on Thursday — and my guess is that judge is going to say, your evidence is lacking, you guys clearly are predators, and we will go to a jury trial.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Coercive Control:
  • “Everything we talk about with coercive control is, is from this doctor. So pretty awesome.” [01:15]
• On Culture of Harassment:
  • “I believe Blake Lively was sexually harassed... psychological, verbal, sexual... over a year.” [03:00]
  • “He would force himself on women if they said, no... It was just disturbing.” [04:25]
• On Negligence:
  • “They literally could have killed her baby.” [07:55]
• On Gaslighting and Narcissism:
  • “Jenny Slate calling him a raging narcissist, because what happens to narcissists when things don't go their way?” [12:15]
• On Power Shift:
  • “...Blake was an elegant boss bitch, basically. And these guys had to bow down to her...” [17:40]
• On Exploitation of Youth:
  • “He wants him to engage in something intimate and sexual with 20-year-old Isabella who is playing a teenager... all is really fucking weird. And predatory as Jenny Slate called him.” [25:30]
• On Victim-Blaming and Narrative Control:
  • “She was actually told not to talk about domestic violence… you aren't defined by the DV you went through. You are defined by the life that you have survived and that you have earned.” [49:00]
• On Accountability:
  • “...no boss, no one in authority, no director… should be doing. And they were backed by Steve Surowitz, who constantly used his money to make threats, and it's all fucking disgusting.” [58:40]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00–04:30] — Case unsealed, introduction, key psychologist influence
• [04:30–07:45] — Baldoni's disturbing confessions, pattern of abuse
• [07:45–12:00] — Covid negligence, emotional manipulation by Baldoni
• [12:00–15:00] — Jamie Heath’s invasion of privacy in Lively's trailer
• [18:00–25:30] — Isabella Ferrer’s account, child actor power dynamic, press manipulation
• [32:00–34:00] — Jenny Slate’s insights, misogyny, narcissism labels
• [40:00–44:30] — Birthing scene violations, lack of HR
• [45:50–47:00] — Baldoni’s porn addiction, ongoing boundary issues
• [54:30–55:15] — Ryan Reynolds and Liz Plank text exchange about Baldoni
• [58:40–End] — Systems failure, Sony/Wayfair buck-passing, Dr. Leslie’s predictions about trial

Tone & Speaker Style

Dr. Leslie maintains a fierce, sarcastic voice, branding the ordeal as both “fucking disgusting” and darkly comedic in its absurdity and tragedy. She openly mocks defensive tactics, highlights institutional cowardice, and champions the women standing up to power, all while refusing to let listeners minimize the gravity or complexity of Hollywood’s abuse and accountability crisis.

Final Takeaway

This episode delivers an unvarnished, detailed breakdown of ongoing abuses, failures of power, and the courage it takes to stand up to entrenched, manipulative industry predators. Dr. Leslie makes clear that while the headlines may treat these stories as entertainment, the real impact is lived by survivors — and the reckoning, at last, appears to be at hand.