Entertainment
Justin Baldoni Reflects on ‘Intense’ Year in Podcast Taped Before Blake Lively Court Filing
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-010725-2-549648a2b29044469f1e59766b2d51bd.jpg)
- Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively are in an ongoing legal battle after the actress sued the actor/director, accusing him of sexual harassment and a retaliatory public smear campaign to “destroy” her reputation
- The accusations came months after the release of their film It Ends with Us, and Baldoni responded by countersuing the actress
- Although he did not discuss Lively in his newly-released podcast appearance, he chronicled his “intense” year
Before being sued by Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni was already having an “intense” year.
Baldoni made the revelation in an episode of the Gent’s Talk Podcast released on Monday, Feb. 10. The installment was filmed in November 2024 — a month before Lively, 37, filed a lawsuit against her It Ends with Us costar and director, 41, accusing him of sexual harassment, followed by a retaliatory public smear campaign to “destroy” her reputation.
“This morning, I sent a text message to my best friend Jamey and the president of my company, Tera, and I told them that I wasn’t in the best place,” Baldoni said on the podcast. “I told them that I was exhausted, that I haven’t given myself time to recover or time to heal.”
Jamey Heath is the CEO of Wayfarer Studios and Tera Hanks is president of the production company.
Baldoni, who also directed It Ends with Us, said his emotions were the result of “an intense year.”
Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty
“A lot of material success and a lot of emotional stress was very hard on me and my family. I wear a lot of hats, and I carry a lot because I love what I do,” he said, noting that he has “love” for his company.
“I love the people that work for us. I love the movies that we make. I love the impact that we have and yet sometimes it’s easy to, as you said earlier, fall back into our programming and be swept away in the current of self and be kind of overtaken by the wave of success and opportunity,” Baldoni said.
He explained that after waking up at 4:30 in the morning with his “heart racing,” he realized that he was dealing with “some anxiety” and “not in the best place.”
After checking in with himself, Baldoni said he was reminded that he needed to prioritize his time and “just haven’t given myself the time to heal from this year that I needed.”
He said that “in the spirit of vulnerability,” he shared the same message with his assistant and a similar text message with his publicist, Jennifer Abel.
The actor shared that he is a “work in progress,” who is “always trying to be radically sincere and authentic to myself” to “have the most impact.”
“And sometimes I can get lost in the same way that everybody gets lost, but healing isn’t linear, and growth isn’t linear, and if you don’t have setbacks and if you don’t have plateaus, then you don’t have the opportunity to group and to push forward,” said Baldoni.
SplashNews.com
The podcast’s release comes amid Baldoni’s ongoing legal battle with Lively.
On December 21, Lively named Wayfarer, Baldoni, Heath, Abel and others in her lawsuit.
On December 31, Baldoni sued The New York Times for $250 million, alleging libel, false light invasion of privacy, promissory fraud and breach of implied-in-fact contract, after the outlet published a story titled “We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine” about the allegations against him.
A month later, Baldoni filed another lawsuit suing Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, their publicist Leslie Sloane and Sloane’s PR firm Vision PR, Inc. for $400 million, on claims of civil extortion and defamation, among other claims.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Baldoni and Lively are scheduled for trial on March 9, 2026.
Entertainment
Daveigh Chase’s mom breaks silence on actress’ death

Daveigh Chase’s mother, Cathy Chase, revealed her stunned reaction to her daughter’s death in an emotional new interview.
“I was devastated. It felt like something inside of me squeezing all of the air out of me, and at the same time, It felt like I was exploding outwardly,” she told the Daily Mail in comments published on Friday.
She told the outlet that after hearing about her daughter’s death on Tuesday at age 35, she was in disbelief.
“I let out this guttural scream and I just was running,” she recalled. “And these weird sounds were coming out of me, these kind of, like, primeval sounds.”
“And I went out into the backyard, and I was screaming, “No, no, no, no!” I am in so much pain but I hope her soul heard me,” she said.
Cathy told the outlet that on Tuesday evening — the day before news of the “Lilo & Stitch” star’s death emerged — she’d been searching online forums for clues of where her “sunshine” daughter might be, something she’s done on a nightly basis.
“The Ring” actress and her mother had not seen each other since 2019. Cathy, who lives in Los Angeles, told the outlet that she’d frequently check the LA County Medical Examiner’s system for her daughter’s name, as well.
“I would look at their list of unidentified bodies,” Cathy divulged. “It was very difficult, but you do everything you can as a mother.”
When TMZ broke the news that the “Spirited Away” voice actress — who had reportedly been living near Los Angeles’ infamous Skid Row — had died after battling meningitis and a blood infection leading to sepsis, Cathy confessed she thought it was “fake news.”
“But then all of a sudden, it’s all of these different legitimate sites had her name and I realized that it wasn’t fake,” she shared.
The grieving mother identified her daughter’s body on Thursday at a Los Angeles hospital, and prayed with a chaplain while “touching the glass” because it was “as close as we could get.”
“It was a beautiful experience, and, and I feel very blessed, too, have been able to share that with my daughter.”
Cathy told the outlet that her daughter’s problems began in 2016, when she was injured in a motorcycle accident and began taking painkillers.
After that, Cathy said the “Big Love” actress was “seeking drugs and was partying with the wrong people,” and said despite rumors, she “never kicked [her] daughter out.”
“She wanted freedom and these people got her hooked on some drugs,” Cathy claimed. “That was the beginning.”
Cathy said she’d last seen her daughter during a jail visit after she faced two counts of alleged burglary in 2019, describing Daveigh as “completely gone, like out of her mind.”
“I honestly thought there was something wrong with her,” she recalled. “My daughter was never diagnosed with mental health other than PTSD. But the drugs took hold of her.”
Cathy claimed she had an agreement to pick up Daveigh when she was released from jail, but her daughter “never waited. She went back to the streets and I couldn’t find her,” she said.
The bereaved mom said it “upsets”. her that “people are saying I must’ve been a bad mother,” but insisted she “never gave up” on the “Donnie Darko” actress.
“As a mother, you don’t give up on your child. I was hoping she would still come home,” she said.
Just prior to her death — which was first reported by TMZ — Roy Hernandez, a man claiming to be Daveigh’s boyfriend, set up a fundraiser for the actress.
But the actress’s former manager, John Ryan, cast doubt on the fundraiser’s legitimacy, telling The Post on Wednesday that “apparently, a man claiming to be her ‘boyfriend’ that none of us friends or her family has heard of has set up a GoFundMe on ‘her and her families behalf’ that he set her up as the organizer.”
He added, “I can confirm Daveigh has a trust account set up at SAG to cover all costs.” Hernandez, meanwhile, insisted to TMZ that anything gained from his fundraiser would go toward a “proper memorial” for Daveigh.
Ryan — who also said he’d attempted to locate the troubled actress prior to her hospitalization for malnutrition and subsequent death — also claimed the actress left behind millions in residuals.
Ryan told the outlet that Daveigh was “too far gone” on illicit drugs to claim the funds, despite his attempts to get in touch.
Almost ten years prior to her death, Daveigh shared her final Instagram post — a grainy photo of her standing next to a unicorn balloon in Los Angeles in 2017.
In 2009, she shared with Interview magazine that she hoped to “do things that will change someone’s life, not something they’ll forget about tomorrow.”
Entertainment
Hit 90s movie franchise returns after 24 years, star confirms

A hit film from the 90s and noughties is about to get revived after 24 years.
Austin Powers, the comedy spy franchise that has given us three flicks, plenty of big belly laughs, and memorable characters, is finally getting a fourth installment.
The news was confirmed by star and creator Mike Myers (who plays the lead Austin Powers), who offered up the confirmation of another sequel, but with no further details.
While attending Trevor Noah’s World Cup Watch Party this week, the actor was asked the big question by a bold fan.
“Are we ever going to see an Austin Powers 4?” they quizzed.
Myers didn’t need any time at all to respond, swiftly replying: “yes” to the fan.
But that’s all the details fans are getting for now, with the actor avoiding elaborating any more – including what the new flick will be about and which A-listers might be signing up as a cameo.
“Austin Powers” is a much-loved spoof of classic spy movies centring on a highly-sexed, cryogenically frozen 1960s secret agent who wakes up in modern times.
We were first introduced to the franchise in 1997 with the release of “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.” Two years later, in 1999, Myers returned with “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me,” and in 2002, we were given “Austin Powers in Goldmember.”
In the trilogy, comedy mastermind Myers famously plays multiple roles, including the velvet-suited hero and his bald, pinky-biting nemesis, Dr. Evil. He also transforms into characters Goldmember and Fat Bastard.
The hilarious franchise boasts wild A-list cameos, including appearances by Tom Cruise, Gwyneth Paltrow, Britney Spears, and Beyoncé.
Over at the box office, the three films have raked in an impressive $US 676 million combined and have snagged over 20 awards, including an Oscar nomination for best make-up as well as a Grammy win for Madonna’s title track for Beautiful Stranger – a song penned for the second film in the franchise.
The news of a fourth film comes 24 years after the third flick hit cinemas.
Since its release, Myers has been hinting that the secret agent may return.
Most recently, speaking to Entertainment Tonight at the 2024 AFI Life Achievement Award Gala, Myers dropped his biggest hint.
“I can neither confirm nor deny the existence or non-existence of such a project… It’s likely to be from Dr. Evil’s point of view,” he teased.
Entertainment
Bunnie Xo reveals the fight that led to Jelly Roll divorce filing in bombshell tell-all video

Bunnie Xo finally addressed her bombshell divorce from Jelly Roll after 10 years of marriage.
“J and I have never really been good at having disagreements. So, we were the type of couple who never argued. So, he would be holding things in. I would be holding things in, and that’s a recipe for disaster,” Bunnie said on Thursday’s episode of her “Dumb Blonde” podcast.
“We always preach you gotta be comfortable having the uncomfortable conversations, and we did that for eight years in. Then the past year and a half, we kind of got away from that because, we’re in a different life right now.”
Bunnie continued, recalling their final argument that went down on Mother’s Day where she told him to “file the f–king divorce papers.”
“On Mother’s Day, we had a little bit of an argument, which I don’t think the details are necessary. And, in that argument, I was so fed up and so tired that I just looked at him and said, ‘Well, then file the f–king divorce papers,’” she said.
“In our relationship, that is the one cardinal thing that you don’t say, even though my husband has said it numerous times,” she noted. “But, when I say it, it really holds weight because I’m not the type of person who says what I don’t mean.”
The conversation ended with Bunnie packing a bag and leaving the Grammy winner, she said.
The “Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic” host added that their IVF journey had also taken a toll on their marriage.
“In the last two years when we decided to have a baby, I had to do IVF. My hat goes off to any woman, family, couple who is going through IVF because let me tell you something dude that is one of the loneliest, darkest journeys you will be on,” she said, noting that process “completely wrecked” her.
“Yes, everybody gets to see the reward at the end, but it is not all bells and whistles. It is not a beautiful journey,” Bunnie continued. “It wrecked me emotionally, spiritually, physically. It was so hard on me that for the past year and a half, I became a shell of the person I was because I’m doing this IVF journey. I’m fighting hard just to you know be able to produce enough eggs to make a baby with my husband, especially at my age.”
The process became more difficult as she revealed that Jelly Roll “had low sperm count” so “he had to get on a bunch of hormones and a whole bunch of medication which turned him into a freaking nightmare to be around.”
Bunnie continued, revealing that the couple has “lost four embryos” throughout their experience.
“We’ve had three transfers but we lost the the two twins that we were going to try to have and then we lost the other two. And anybody that’s going through that and has to deal with these miscarriages, it’s gut-wrenching. It is so heartbreaking,” she confessed.
On Monday, news broke that Jelly Roll, 41, quietly pulled the plug on his and Bunnie Xo’s marriage on May 18, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split, Page Six confirmed.
The country singer filed for divorce in Williamson County, Tennessee, where he and the “Dumb Blonde” podcast host, 46, lived together.
The exes agreed to divide their assets and debts.
Movers were photographed outside of the estranged couple’s Tennessee home on Monday, though it’s unclear whose items were being packed up.
The “Wild Ones” crooner, born Jason Bradley DeFord, hinted at trouble in paradise when he opted out of wearing his wedding ring while performing at the 2026 CMA Fest in Nashville earlier this month.
Eagle-eyed fans on social media also noticed that he has ditched his ring since around February or March.
As for Bunnie, born Alisa DeFord, she compared exes to trash cans in a cheeky video of herself wearing a revenge outfit, captioning it, “Intuition when that s–t don’t add up.”
Additionally, the internet personality shared a photo of herself posing in lingerie shortly before news of their split broke.
Jelly Roll and Bunnie tied the knot in Las Vegas in 2016, but they briefly split in 2018.
They later reconciled and renewed their vows in 2023.
The “Somebody Save Me” singer has previously admitted to having cheated on his estranged wife ahead of getting sober from hard drugs.
-
News3 weeks ago
Iran War Live Updates: Israel Strikes Southern Lebanon After Pulling Back From Threat to Beirut
-
News2 weeks agoNew Cloud-Detecting Method Will Help Astronomers Characterize Exoplanets
-
Trending2 weeks agoSF Giants’ familiar script sees Casey Schmitt homer, loss to Arizona
-
Trending3 weeks agoStripping U.S. citizenship for some is harder than Trump vowed : NPR
-
News2 weeks agoBlue Origin Issues Official Statement on New Glenn Explosion
-
Entertainment3 weeks agoBlack Crowes singer Chris Robinson booed after mocking Florida fans’ ‘USA’ chant
-
Trending1 week agoWill there be an MSG Knicks watch party for Game 5? What we know – NBC New York
-
Trending2 weeks agoBoston Pride 2026 promises joy, freedom, protest
