Jenny Slate made her first public appearance on Friday following the release earlier this week of unsealed text messages in which she blasted her former It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni.
Slate, 43, was pictured on Friday at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, as she promoted her upcoming romantic drama Carousel with her costar Chris Pine.
The two were joined by Carousel writer and director Rachel Lambert at what will be the final edition of Sundance to be held in its longtime home before it relocates to Boulder, Colorado, ahead of the 2027 festival.
Slate put on a somber display on the red carpet in the wake of her text messages about Baldoni going public as part of her costar Blake Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit against him.
In the blistering messages, which were obtained by the Daily Mail, Slate made it clear that she didn’t have a positive experience filming It Ends With Us, dubbing it ‘a really gross and disturbing shoot’ in a series of text messages she sent to a confidante.
Baldoni, who also directed the film, has denied all of Lively’s allegations, and he previously filed a defamation lawsuit against her, which has been dismissed.
Jenny Slate, 43, made her first public appearance on Friday following the release of text messages in which she blasted her It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni. She walked the red carpet on Friday at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah (pictured)
In the blistering messages unsealed in Blake Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni, which were obtained by the Daily Mail, Slate called the filming of It Ends with Us ‘a really gross and disturbing shoot’ in text messages she sent to a confidante; Baldoni and Lively pictured on set in New Jersey in January 2024
Jenny wore a relaxed outfit that was appropriate for Park City’s chilly winter weather, featuring a gray V-neck sweater that she layered over a thinner white shirt.
The former Saturday Night Live star also had on a pair of dark blue relaxed-fit jeans and black shoes.
She wore her dark hair in a short blunt-cut bob that was just slightly turned up at the bottom.
Slate brightened up a bit when her costar Chris Pine and director Rachel Lambert joined her on the red carpet.
Pine looked effortlessly chic as always in a rugged double-denim look.
He had a denim shirt tucked into his jeans, which looked as if they had grass stains on the thighs, and he rocked a stylish slim brown Western-style belt featuring decorative embossing.
He completed the western ensemble with tan suede cowboy boots and a long brown overcoat.
Lambert mirrored Slate’s style with a purple cable knit sweater, jeans and black square-toed boots.
Jenny wore a relaxed outfit that was appropriate for Park City’s chilly winter weather, featuring a gray V-neck sweater that she layered over a thinner white shirt
The former Saturday Night Live star also had on a pair of dark blue relaxed-fit jeans and black shoes. She wore her dark hair in a short blunt-cut bob that was just slightly turned up at the bottom
Slate brightened up a bit when her Carousel costar Chris Pine and director Rachel Lambert joined her on the red carpet
The trio were pictured sitting down for a conversation about their new film at the Variety Studio.
Pine stars in Carousel as Noah, divorced doctor who daughter Maya decides to join her school debate team.
Slate, who plays Maya’s debate coach, Rebecca, is also revealed to be a previous love of Pine’s character, and her new proximity to Noah leads the two to agonize over whether they should try to pick up where they left off years earlier.
Slate’s festival appearance comes after she was asked about texts she sent about making It Ends With Us for a deposition on September 26, 2025, in New York City, according to newly unsealed legal documents reviewed on Tuesday by Daily Mail.
During the deposition in the ongoing case between Lively, 38, and Baldoni, 41, lawyers reviewed text messages Slate — who played the role of Allysa in the film — sent to her former agent about her experience on the production.
Slate — who’s also been seen in movies such as Everything Everywhere All At Once, Obvious Child and I Want You Back — was critical of both Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath, questioning their professionalism in multiple communications.
‘It’s like fascinating and also so s*****. Justin and Jamey [Heath] are truly unfit,’ she said.
Daily Mail has reached out to reps for Slate, Baldoni and Lively for further comment on the story.
Pine rocked a stylish double-denim western look with tan suede cowboy boots as he joined Slate and Lambert at the Variety Studio to talk about their film
Pine stars in Carousel as Noah, divorced doctor who daughter Maya decides to join her school debate team. Slate, who plays Maya’s debate coach, Rebecca, is also revealed to be a previous love of Pine’s character; still from Carousel
Their new proximity leads the two to agonize over whether they should try to pick up where they left off years earlier
Slate’s festival appearance comes after she was asked about texts she sent about making It Ends With Us for a deposition on September 26, 2025, in New York City, according to newly unsealed legal documents reviewed on Tuesday by Daily Mail. They were unsealed this week as part of Blake Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit against her director and costar, Justin Baldoni
The Milton, Massachusetts-born actress made reference to Lively in a number of the text messages expressing her concern for her friend and colleague, as she made the romantic drama under Baldoni’s direction.
‘I’m not scared or anything, just repulsed and deeply irritated, and I know Blake is experiencing that on a much more serious level,’ Slate said.
Slate said she was astounded that Baldoni got to deliver a TED talk (in December of 2017) after her experience working with him.
‘I really don’t get how he did a TED Talk,’ Slate said. ‘He is worse than most of the bros I’ve encountered, not because he’s predatory but because of his general fragility and misogyny, like not seeming to be aware of any of the obvious no-no’s.’
She said she felt Baldoni had crafted a false persona as a feminist based on what she had experienced working with him.
‘Justin is truly a false ally and I’m unwilling to do anything that promotes the image that he’s crafting as a “male feminist,”‘ Slate said. ‘Honestly I have no words to describe what a fraud he is.
‘I honestly have never ever encountered anything like this dude. He’s the biggest clown and the most intense narcissist. Lots of lessons learned!’
Slate said that she was not comfortable even doing promotions with either Baldoni or Heath prior to the release of the film.
Slate played the role of Allysa in the film, which was a hit at the box office in 2024
Slate made reference to Lively (pictured in June 2025 in NYC) in text messages expressing her concern for her as she made the romantic drama under Baldoni’s direction
‘I don’t want to do anything with Justin, I don’t want to talk about him, like … nothing. And the same goes for Jamey [Heath], who is truly unprofessional.’
Slate in the text messages predicted further problems during the production of the film.
‘I feel like it’s about to get really bad and I’m not sure what Blake’s limit is but she’s really taken a lot of crap from them, like crazy s****, and I’m not kidding when I tell you that Justin and Jamey me freak me out,’ Slate said.
She added: ‘Like they tell really weird lies and Justin is astoundingly wrongheaded.’
Lively’s legal team Sigrid McCawley said in a Tuesday statement to Daily Mail of the recently unsealed evidence: ‘In his TedTalk to promote his brand as an advocate for women, Justin Baldoni said we must “listen to the women” …even if what they are saying is against you.
‘See how he actually reacts in the bombshell new evidence released for the first time, which includes sworn testimony and contemporaneous messages from numerous women who actually worked with him.’
Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman told Daily Mail in a statement Wednesday, ‘As stated all along, and reflected in our client’s motions, as well as in messages from Sony discussing Ms. Lively’s behaviors, the evidence does not support the claims as a matter of law.
‘A simple read of the newly released message exchanges make the truth abundantly clear. We remain confident in the legal process and clearing the names of all of the Justin Baldoni parties.’
It Ends with Us earned $148 million in domestic box office and $350 million globally – but whatever goodwill the film garnered has since been overshadowed by the allegations made by its stars
The case is slated to return to court for a January 22 hearing, with a May 18 trial date looming.
The latest news in the case comes as the contentious legal battle between Lively and Baldoni has gone on more than a year.
In December of 2024, Lively named Baldoni in a lawsuit accusing him of sexual harassment, retaliatory conduct, and intentional infliction of emotional stress.
In her lawsuit, the actress accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her in multiple ways – including body shaming her – and orchestrating a smear campaign against her to damage her reputation.
In her lawsuit, Lively named a number of Baldoni’s collaborators, including his company Wayfarer Studios, the studio’s CEO and financial backer, and PR personnel.
Baldoni had initially asked for $250 million in damages from The New York Times, mentioning a report it published on the topic that he claimed was defamatory, then added it to the $400 million lawsuit he filed this past January.
In the suit, Baldoni named Lively, her spouse Ryan Reynolds and her publicist Leslie Sloane, citing the aforementioned report in legal documents. It was thrown out of court this past June. All parties have denied all of the allegations against them.
It Ends with Us earned $148 million in domestic box office and $350 million globally – but whatever goodwill the film garnered has since been overshadowed by the allegations made by its stars.
Lively and Ryan Reynolds shared a loving moment at the film’s premiere in NYC in 2024
The motion picture, which also starred Hasan Minhaj, Brandon Sklenar and Kevin McKidd, was based on the 2016 novel by Colleen Hoover.
The storyline of the film centered around a toxic relationship between Lily Bloom (played by Lively) and Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni).
According to a logline for the film, Lily ‘overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life,’ as ‘a chance meeting with a neurosurgeon sparks a connection but Lily begins to see sides of him that remind her of her parents’ relationship.’
Lively broke out with the 2005 movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants opposite Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel and America Ferrera.
That led to her high-profile role on the TV show Gossip Girl, which she starred on from 2007-2012, playing lead character Serena van der Woodsen.
She has also appeared in movies such as 2010’s The Town, 2016’s The Shallows, 2018’s A Simple Favor and 2020’s The Rhythm Section.
Prior to It Ends with Us, Baldoni was best known for playing the role of Rafael Solano on the TV show Jane the Virgin from 2014–2019.
He also has directed films including 2019’s Five Feet Apart and 2020’s Clouds, and penned the 2021 book Man Enough, which tackled misconceptions of contemporary masculinity.
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