So, Justin Baldoni, the guy from Jane the Virgin and now Blake Lively’s director and costar in It Ends With Us, got “legit got the chills” over… a costume fitting. Yeah, you heard that right. Not some incredible acting performance, not a mind-blowing script revision, but a fitting. For a movie. That voice memo that just dropped, courtesy of TMZ on a Monday (of course it was a Monday), has me scratching my head and maybe, just maybe, rolling my eyes a little. Because, come on. Chills?

Baldoni’s “Chills” and Blake’s “Beauty” – A Director’s Cut?

Here’s the scoop. Baldoni, who’s 42 by the way (Lively is 38, just for context), sent this message before filming even started back in 2023. He’s talking about a fitting for Blake, obviously for her character Lily Bloom. And he says, “Hey Blake I hope the fitting was super successful, thank you for sending me those pictures.” Okay, normal enough so far. Professional, even. But then he goes on, “That was really cool. I was in the department head meeting and I was waiting for them to load and I legit got the chills when I saw it. You look beautiful. It’s going to work so well.”

I mean, “legit got the chills”? Over some costume pics? Not gonna lie, that’s a pretty intense reaction. I’ve been doing this for fifteen years, I’ve seen a lot of celebrity gushing, but this feels… different. It’s one thing to say someone looks great, or that the costume design is brilliant. But “chills”? It kinda makes you wonder what exactly he saw. Was it just a great dress, or was there something else in that message? And you know, he’s her director and her costar. That adds a whole other layer to this, doesn’t it?

The “Beautiful” Factor and Power Dynamics

Look, Blake Lively is a beautiful woman. No one’s disputing that. But a director telling his lead actress, who he also shares scenes with, that she looks “beautiful” and gave him “chills” during a costume fitting? It just feels a bit… much. It’s an interesting dynamic, right? He’s in charge, making creative decisions, and also supposed to be a peer on screen. It’s not like he’s just a random crew member. He’s Justin Baldoni. The guy calling the shots.

Is This Just “Hollywood Nice,” or Something Else Entirely?

So, the big question. Is this just Baldoni being overly enthusiastic and kind of a gushy guy, or is it a little bit… unprofessional? You want your director to be excited, sure. You want them to have a vision. But getting “chills” over a costume and then sending a voice memo about it? It feels less like a professional assessment of costume effectiveness and more like… well, something else. Something personal. Maybe I’m old school, but there’s a line, you know? Especially when you’re the director.

“You look beautiful. It’s going to work so well.”

And let’s not forget, this memo was “obtained” by TMZ. Which means it wasn’t just casually released. Someone, somewhere, thought this was newsworthy enough to leak. And Blake’s response? Us Weekly said she called him a “friend” in an unsealed voice memo. That’s a pretty standard, almost deflecting, way to frame things when something like this comes out. “Oh, he’s just a friend!” It’s the classic celebrity move to downplay any potential awkwardness or speculation.

What This Actually Means

Honestly? I think it’s probably just a guy who got a little carried away in the moment, trying to be complimentary, and maybe just a tiny bit too effusive for his role as director. I doubt there’s some grand, nefarious plot here. But it does highlight how easily lines can blur in Hollywood, especially when you’re both colleagues and friends, and someone has more power than the other. The “chills” comment, while probably meant as a huge compliment, just lands a little weirdly coming from a director about his star’s appearance in a fitting. It shifts the focus from the performance, from the character, to just… how she looks. Which, for an actress, has to be a little bit frustrating sometimes, I imagine.

Ultimately, it’s just a voice memo, right? But it sure does give us a little peek behind the curtain into those pre-production days, and it makes you wonder what other “chills” moments are happening that we don’t get to hear about. Maybe next time, just a simple “Looks great, Blake!” would do. Or better yet, tell the costume designer they’re a genius. Just a thought.