Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast: The Brett Cooper Show
Episode: New Blake Lively BOMBSHELL Texts Drop
Date: August 23, 2025
Host: Brett Cooper
Theme: Navigating public perception, reputation, and fallout in a high-profile Hollywood legal and PR battle—with a focus on newly revealed communications in the ongoing Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni production lawsuit.

Episode Overview

Brett Cooper provides an in-depth update on the legal saga between actress Blake Lively and director/producer Justin Baldoni, centering on recently released texts and emails. The episode explores how these new communications cast doubt on Lively's motives, shed light on PR strategies during the film's troubled production, and expose how generational and cultural trends are shaping high-profile disputes. The host also touches on the broader cultural climate around harassment claims and the downstream effects on everyone caught in the conflict, including young actress Isabella Ferrer.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Context: Ongoing Lawsuit and New Developments

• The legal battle centers on Lively's accusations of a hostile work environment and her subsequent lawsuit, with both parties subpoenaing colleagues, journalists, and even small influencers.
• Since the last update, more texts and emails have been released, offering insight into the behind-the-scenes tension.

2. Bombshell Justin Baldoni Team Texts

• Brett reads a pivotal message from Justin to his team after Blake sent a "safety letter" accusing Wayfarer Studios (Baldoni’s company) of harassment and unsafe conditions.
• Notable Quote [02:50]:

  "She used the claim slash letter to gain power over the whole production. Trying to find my balance of captaining a ship and leading it while it is being held hostage, how to give her most of what she wants while maintaining some of my own vision. Starting Friday, acting and working with this person who can and will use everything she can against me." —Justin Baldoni, read by Brett

• Brett argues this confirms fan theories that Lively and Ryan Reynolds allegedly tried to seize creative control and spin the film into a personal branding platform.
  • "[05:10]...they wanted this film to be that vehicle for themselves. And it backfired..." —Brett
• The text underscores Baldoni’s anxiety and perceived need for emotional support throughout filming.

3. PR Response: No Evidence of Retaliation

• Lively’s lawsuit centers more on alleged retaliation—PR smears—than on direct claims of harassment.
• Brett dissects newly unveiled texts showing Baldoni told his team not to engage in online attacks against Lively.
  • [18:20]: Justin: "This is an example of somebody trolling Blake on all my posts...I wanted to be reassured that we are not playing a role in this smearing..."
  • PR responses confirm no one on his side was trolling Lively.
  • Brett: "That was just your own doing. That was not Justin, as we are seeing in these text messages now." [19:00]
• A quote from Baldoni’s PR about "boosting" a third-party post was allegedly misrepresented in Lively’s legal filings; in fact, the post was about protecting Colleen Hoover (the book’s author), not targeting Lively.
  • [21:45]: "She is saying, we need to protect Colleen. We don't want this to be interpreted as a dig at anyone. We are not trying to smear Blake." —Brett
• Brett frames these as normal PR maneuvers, not a coordinated campaign against Lively.

4. Narrative Flipping — Standard PR, Not Sinister Retaliation

• Justin's messages show efforts to counter leaks claiming Ryan Reynolds needed to "save" the film.
  • "[24:10]: Flipping a narrative to protect yourself after somebody else leaked information about you to make you look bad is not some kind of sinister retaliation. That is just normal PR." —Brett
  • She emphasizes that defending your reputation is standard, not evidence of guilt.
• Brett: "Justin was being the bigger person by trying to protect people who were turning against him. Like, that says a lot about his character."

5. Update: Isabella Ferrer’s Accusation over Subpoenas

• Isabella Ferrer, who played a younger version of Lively’s character, accuses Baldoni of "harassing" her by subpoenaing her for communications.
• Brett contextualizes: Everyone (journalists, YouTubers, podcasters) is being subpoenaed—the legal fishing is not targeted or vindictive.
  • "[31:45]: This is not about you. It is not harassment. And in looking at the bigger picture, this all goes back to just how insane the MeToo movement has made people."
• Isabella did not accuse Lively of harassment for her own subpoena, nor request legal fees—double standard?
  • "[36:10]: If you want to blame somebody...blame the woman and her husband who forced him to have to fight back in the first place."

6. Harassment Claims and the Broader Cultural Code

• Brett critiques the cultural climate where unwanted legal involvement is quickly labeled "harassment."
  • "[34:00]: Like, running around screaming harassment at everything takes away from the people who have actually been harassed..."
• Brett expresses empathy for Isabella as an inexperienced actor inadvertently pulled into a high-profile conflict, but asserts that truth-finding is paramount.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

"This was not actually about sexual harassment. This was about her and Ryan wanting to take control over the production and make the movie into their own thing."
[05:00], Brett

"He was saying that his production was held hostage, that they were trying to take control. This confirms all of the Internet's theories. You guys, the sleuths, they are always on it."
[06:15], Brett

"What we have seen from Justin is that he was very concerned about how the movie was going to be perceived, and he wanted it to be respectful ... the movie actually is about domestic violence. And throughout all of this, what we have seen from Justin is that he was very concerned about how the movie was going to be perceived, and he wanted it to be respectful."
[21:10], Brett

"Flipping a narrative to protect yourself after somebody else leaked information about you to make you look bad is not some kind of sinister retaliation. That is just normal PR."
[24:10], Brett

"If you want to blame somebody, blame the woman and her husband who forced him to have to fight back in the first place. Because in my opinion, that is where all of this started."
[36:10], Brett

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00–02:30] – Case recap and introduction to new communications
• [02:30–07:00] – Justin’s key text after the safety letter; analysis and implications
• [18:00–22:30] – Unveiling and dissecting PR texts, false claims of coordinated attacks
• [22:30–27:00] – Discussion on narrative flipping and PR norms in Hollywood disputes
• [27:00–31:00] – Update on Isabella Ferrer and the "harassing" subpoena; comparison to others subpoenaed
• [31:00–37:00] – Host reflections on cultural overreach in harassment claims, empathy for young actors, and defense of open legal discovery

Tone & Style

Brett Cooper’s delivery is assertive, slightly sardonic, and takes a strong stance in support of Justin Baldoni while openly critical of Blake Lively’s tactics. The tone is conversational, direct, and unapologetic—mirroring internet commentary culture—and is driven by both logical analysis and a sense of fairness.

Takeaways

• Newly revealed texts strongly support fan theories of Lively’s attempt to commandeer film production for personal branding/lifestyle promotion.
• No substantial evidence emerged of Baldoni or his team running a coordinated PR attack on Lively; most strategies were defensive and aimed at narrative control or reputation repair.
• The wave of subpoenas is standard litigation practice, not harassment per se; allegations to the contrary reflect a more performative, cultural trend in labelling unwanted involvement as aggressive.
• The episode closes with a pledge to update listeners on any future developments (especially if Taylor Swift messages become available).