Audio from an unearthed recording has thrown Scarlett Johansson into Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively’s ongoing “It Ends With Us” legal battle.
The recording, which comes from filmmaker Claire Ayoub, shows Wayfarer co-founder Steve Sarowitz gushing over his experience working with Ryan Reynolds’ ex-wife as he compared it to his experience with Lively.
“I love this women’s empowerment. We have another first-time director we supported,” Sarowitz, 61, told filmmaker Ayoub, reports Us Weekly.
Sarowitz worked with Johansson on her directorial debut, “Eleanor the Great,” which was released last September.
“A woman named Scarlett Johansson? I’m so excited for her!” Ayoub lightheartedly joked with Sarowitz. To which, the billionaire quipped, “We’re trying to give her her first big break. Maybe people will hear of her after this.”
“She was so cool, calm, collected and confident … and nice,” he added of Johansson.
“It’s so interesting because you work with so many people. Almost everybody is nice, and then there’s Blake — she is totally different than everyone else. Not to say anything bad about her, but she’s different.”
“I think for the most part most people see what we are doing, see we’re nice, and they’re nice back. Even if they weren’t perfectly nice. I just think some people forgot to learn how to be nice,” Sarowitz continued.
Ayoub previously worked with Baldoni and Wayfarer on their 2024 film, “Empire Waist.” In September 2025, Ayoub submitted a declaration claiming she faced “repeated, negative interactions” and “verbal abuse” from Baldoni and Wayfarer.
The recording was reportedly submitted by Lively’s legal team.
Reps for Lively, Baldoni and Johansson did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
Reynolds, 49, was married to Johansson from 2008 until 2011. After their divorce, he tied the knot with Lively in 2012.
Johansson, 41, has been remarried twice. In 2014, she married Romain Dauriac and eventually called it quits with him in 2017. The “Avengers” actress went on to wed her current husband, “Saturday Night Live” star Colin Jost, in 2020.
Lively filed a formal lawsuit against the “It Ends With Us” director in December 2024 for alleged sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and lost wages.
Baldoni, 42, responded with a $400 million countersuit against Lively and Reynolds. However, that suit has since been tossed.
A May 18, 2026, trial date has been set for their case.
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