Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson has unexpectedly been drawn into the ongoing legal battle involving Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, after audio from an old recording resurfaced and was submitted in court filings.
The recording, obtained from filmmaker Claire Ayoub, features Wayfarer Studios co-founder Steve Sarowitz speaking about his experience working with Johansson and comparing it to his time working with Lively. The audio has been reported by Us Weekly and was allegedly submitted by Lively’s legal team.
In the recording, Sarowitz praises Johansson, describing her as professional and pleasant to work with. He worked with the actress on her directorial debut, Eleanor the Great, which was released in September last year.
“She was so cool, calm, collected and confident — and nice,” Sarowitz is heard saying about Johansson.
During the conversation, Sarowitz contrasts that experience with working alongside Lively, suggesting she stood out from others he had worked with. While he stopped short of directly criticising her, he implied there were differences in approach and attitude.
Ayoub, who previously collaborated with Baldoni and Wayfarer on the 2024 film Empire Waist, later filed a declaration in September 2025 alleging she experienced repeated negative interactions and verbal abuse from Baldoni and the company.
The resurfaced audio has added another layer to an already high-profile dispute. Lively sued Baldoni in December 2024, accusing him of sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, emotional distress, invasion of privacy and loss of income. Baldoni denied the claims and responded with a $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, though the countersuit has since been dismissed.
A trial date for the case has been set for May 18, 2026.
Neither representatives for Lively, Baldoni nor Johansson immediately responded to media requests for comment.
Johansson, 41, was previously married to Reynolds between 2008 and 2011. Reynolds later married Lively in 2012. Johansson has since remarried twice and is currently married to comedian and Saturday Night Live star Colin Jost.
About The Author
