You Asked: Your biggest Switch 2 questions, answered
On today's episode of You Asked: What's the best TV for your shiny new Switch 2 and how does the screen compare to the OLED model we loved? We break down the top TV picks, answer your biggest Switch 2 questions, and share early hands-on impressions from launch week.
Best TV for the Switch 2?
Jose asks: What's gonna be the TV to couple with the Switch 2? Samsung S90D?
Jose, thanks for answering part of the question for me. Yes, the Samsung S90D is a great option. Its QD-OLED panel—offered at 55, 65, and 77 inches—combined with all the bright color combinations we get from the likes of Switch games will make for a beautiful gaming experience.
But there are some important things to note about the Switch 2. If you're in the market for a new TV to pair with your shiny new toy, it's easy to get gassed up and potentially overspend.
While the Switch 2 does support 4K gaming and some games will support faster refresh rates, it's not going to need the same hardware that's necessary to get the best out of a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.
4K, 60 frames per second gaming from the Switch 2 should only need HDMI 2.0 to support it. So no stressing if your TV lacks the HDMI 2.1 ports found on the top-tier models. And the higher refresh rates that the Switch 2 hits with some games will only be available at lower resolutions—again, supported by HDMI 2.0.
Long story short: if you've seen us preview, review, or debate a TV on this channel, since we primarily cover the top models, it's going to be great with the Switch 2.
But given how full of rich, crazy colors video games can be, yeah, a QD-OLED TV would be my top pick. Doesn't even need to be a top model. The S90D you mentioned is great and on a good sale right now. The 2025 S85F from Samsung comes with a QD-OLED panel at 55 and 65 inches as well, though it's not as bright as Samsung's OLED models higher up the line.
If it's not QD-OLED and you want to save a little from the top-tier TVs, LG's C-series models are great gaming TVs that deliver when it comes to punchy colors and brightness that's improved each year.
And for those of us that don't need—or have the budget for—OLED, TCL and Hisense have a number of great Mini LED options that come in right around and often under $1,000. We reviewed the TCL QM6K and were pretty blown away by what it offered for the money. Each year they're getting better and better in terms of brightness, if that's what you want out of your gaming TV.
More answers to your Switch 2 questions with Giovanni
We got our Switch test unit on Wednesday morning. We're still testing it and we plan to do a full review, but we don't want to rush it. There's a lot to dig into with this console, so I decided to do this video to get some pressing questions out of the way and give you our initial impressions.
Before we got the console last week, we did a full-day preview event where we got hands-on with it. We went through the system settings, did game chat—all of that. So I've tested a significant amount of it so far, which puts me in a good position to answer some of the questions you've sent in.
Is Joy-Con mouse control a gimmick?
Corey asks: Is the mouse functionality of the Joy-Con usable, or is it more of a gimmick without a keyboard?
That is a fantastic question. I want to start with that because it's kind of the most surprising thing about the console. When they announced the mouse function, I genuinely—I'll be honest—thought it seemed like one of those old Nintendo gimmicks that wouldn't go very far. I think we're all used to that by now, right?
3D on the 3DS was supposed to be huge. Motion controls, the Wii U gamepad—Nintendo developed a couple of games for it, but no other third party bites and that's kind of it. I figured that would be the case here too. Mouse controls in a game like Dragon Drive, and then they fade away.
But I've spent a significant amount of time with the mouse controls, and I'll be honest—they are way better than you're probably expecting. What makes them great?
First, they're pinpoint accurate. You'll be blown away when you move the little foot slide on the bottom of your Joy-Con. It moves like an actual mouse. It even works on your pants—I demoed it on my jeans and it slid smoothly.
Second, they're multifunctional. You can use them to control the home screen and menus just like a computer mouse—and it works incredibly well. And it's easy to forget: you can use two at once. That opens up new kinds of experiences that aren't even possible on PC.
In Bravely Default Remaster, there's a rhythm mini-game where you control a line with both Joy-Cons. In Dragon Drive, you can control two wheels on a wheelchair and use the gyroscope to shoot a basket—all in one smooth motion. That's a uniquely Nintendo thing.
So, is it usable without a keyboard? Yes, because the experiences are built around the two-Joy-Con setup. You won't need a keyboard. Not every game will be compatible—especially ones originally designed for mouse and keyboard—but many are already being mapped for controller use.
I even played Civilization 7 with the Joy-Cons and it worked really well. You just move the mouse and click—no keyboard necessary. So no, not just a gimmick. It's genuinely useful and could shape future Switch experiences.
What might be a gimmick is the two-mouse setup. I don't expect a ton of games like Dragon Drive, but I do see potential for shooters, strategy games, and other creative uses. It's cool tech—and it works.
Will games run better on Switch 2?
@rmo9808 asks: Will games get a performance boost? Aside from the ones explicitly stated. Perhaps not a bump 1080p 60 fps but a 10 fps bump here and there
Great question. The answer is yes, but it's on a case-by-case basis.
Nintendo's Bill Tritton confirmed in April that games will get natural boosts from the new hardware. Expect faster loading times, maybe slightly better resolution and smoother frame rates. But how much improvement you'll see depends entirely on the developer.
If a game has a dedicated Switch 2 version—like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet—you'll see big upgrades. We previewed that and it looks significantly better: denser environments, smoother performance, and sharper visuals. If you didn't like the art style, that won't change—but the technical side is much improved.
Other games will likely see small boosts, but don't expect miracles unless they're optimized specifically for Switch 2.
How does the Switch 2 screen stack up against the beloved OLED version?
Corey and @FairyKid64 both asked a question I've been hearing a lot since April: how does the new screen compare to the Switch OLED display?
It's a great question—because when they first announced this thing, I thought, Man, I love my Switch OLED. I love my Steam Deck OLED too.
That OLED screen really ruined the original Switch for me. Once you see those vibrant colors, the original display looks washed out and dull. I'm happy to report that while the Switch 2 doesn't use OLED, its screen is still very good. It's way better than the original Switch.
Why? The tech has evolved significantly since 2017. LCD tech today is miles ahead of what it was when the first Switch launched. This new display is much more capable. For starters, it supports VRR and has a 120Hz refresh rate—something the Switch OLED can't even come close to.
In my testing so far, I've seen vibrant colors and strong contrast—things that the original Switch sorely lacked. Next to the OLED, that old screen has this sort of white film you can't unsee. That's not the case here. The difference isn't as drastic, but it's a meaningful upgrade.
I'll need more time with side-by-side comparisons and different games, but my early impressions are positive. I think you'll be happy with it.
What about USB-C and third-party accessories?
Kenneth Chung asks: Comparing Switch 2 to the original; with the additional USB slot what third party accessories could we confidently use?
Great question. There's still a lot of testing to do, but here's what we know.
Nintendo has confirmed that certain accessories will work—like the GameCube adapter made for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. You should be able to plug it in and go, no issues. But beyond that, things get more complicated.
The USB port on the Switch 2 does support non-Nintendo devices, including webcams. If you go into the settings, you'll find an option to test connected cameras. So yes, you can plug in a USB camera, run a test, and confirm it works.
That said, compatibility will vary wildly depending on the brand and type of device. Not every webcam is guaranteed to work. Nintendo hasn't confirmed much, and I certainly don't own every webcam to test. But I expect most will work fine.
I also plan to test XR glasses—specifically Lenovo's Legion glasses—as a potential second screen. These already work with phones and Steam Decks, so there's no reason they shouldn't work here. But again, we need to test more.
We've started some initial testing, but there's a lot more to do before the full review. So far, things are looking promising.
Battery life at full performance?
We've also been getting questions about battery life—especially when playing at 1080p and 120fps. That's something I can't answer definitively yet. First, I need a game that can even run at those specs, and we're not seeing many at launch.
Nintendo's estimates suggest battery life could drop to 2 to 2.5 hours when pushing the system hard, especially if you've got game chat running with multiple players. That seems realistic. Once we've done more testing, I'll be able to say for sure.
What accessories are worth buying on day one?
Jake asks: Recommendations for screen protectors and other accessories?
Great question—and yes, there are already tons of options, both first- and third-party.
Let's start with the official Nintendo Pro Controller. I've used it, and I think it's fantastic. If you want a more traditional gamepad, it's the best option out there right now. The added back buttons and built-in audio jack are nice bonuses.
For screen protectors, Nintendo is offering a carrying case bundle that includes one. That's probably your best bang for your buck if you're looking to grab a few essentials all at once.
Now, one third-party product I can already recommend is the dbrand Kill Switch—their first official case for the Switch 2. If you know dbrand's Steam Deck case, you'll recognize the quality.
It comes with a lot of stuff:
A screen protector
A snap-on protective case
A back cover that works with the kickstand
A game card holder for travel
Ergonomic Joy-Con grips (with removable design)
A dock adapter so you can keep the case on while docked
It's a pretty full-featured kit and feels like a solid option out of the gate.
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May 1, 2025'Another Simple Favor,' Lively's first film since 'It Ends With Us' and a sequel to the 2018 film 'A Simple Favor,' premiered on Amazon Prime Video and received mostly positive reviews from critics. April 28, 2025Baldoni's lawyers submitted a letter to the court opposing Marvel's request to quash the subpoena, doubling down on their claim that ''Nicepool' is a defamatory and mocking portrayal of Baldoni' and that such a portrayal could establish malice for his defamation claim, while accusing Marvel's counsel of 'refusing to engage' with Baldoni's Wayfarer Studios to resolve the dispute. April 25, 2025In response to Baldoni's allegation that a character in the 2024 Marvel film 'Deadpool & Wolverine,' Nicepool, was crafted by Ryan Reynolds as a caricature of Baldoni, Marvel Studios sent a letter to Liman asking the court to squash Baldoni's subpoena for relevant documents, stating the claims are irrelevant to Baldoni's claims of defamation and that releasing confidential Marvel documents would harm the studio. April 24, 2025In an amended response to Jones' lawsuit against Baldoni, which she filed in December accusing him of defamation and breach of contract, Baldoni accused Jones of colluding with Lively to file a 'sham legal proceeding' in New York court in September under a company affiliated with Lively, Vanzan Inc., against unnamed defendants as a 'transparent ploy to obtain subpoena power' without Lively's name attached so the parties could obtain text messages—which were central to Lively's claims, and the basis for a New York Times story—sent among Baldoni's team. In a statement to Deadline, Jones's lawyer Kristen Tahler accused Baldoni's team of 'presenting zero new evidence' and of conducting 'a desperate ploy by a team who tonight all but admits they're in trouble.' 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March 20, 2025In her motion to dismiss, Lively slammed Baldoni's 'vengeful and rambling lawsuit' as a 'profound abuse of the legal process,' urging the court to 'dismiss all claims against Ms. Lively with prejudice, deny leave to amend, and award Ms. Lively all relief sought,' including attorney's fees and damages for 'reputational and emotional harm.' March 18, 2025Reynolds filed a motion to dismiss Baldoni's lawsuit, in which he is named as a co-defendant, alleging Baldoni's lawsuit does not prove Reynolds defamed him and is instead 'a list of grievances attempting to shame Mr. Reynolds for being the man Mr. Baldoni has built his brand pretending to be.' March 7, 2025Lively attended the South by Southwest premiere of 'Another Simple Favor,' a sequel to the 2018 film 'A Simple Favor,' where she received a warm reception from the crowd and spoke primarily about her work on the film, though co-star Anna Kendrick dodged a question that appeared to allude to Lively's legal battle, and one protester held up a sign that said 'Justice for Justin Baldoni' outside the theater. March 6, 2025At a hearing Thursday, Lively's attorneys argued certain information should be treated as highly classified 'attorney's eyes only' material, which lawyer Sigrid McCawley said would help minimize the risk of 'irreparable harm if marginal conversations with high profile individuals with no relevance to the case were to fall into wrong hands'—apparently suggesting messages between Lively and celebrity friends may leak. The judge did not rule on the request Thursday. Though it's unclear which 'high profile individuals' McCawley was referring to, Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman has previously suggested he could request Lively's friend Taylor Swift testify, after she appeared to be referred to in Baldoni's lawsuit. March 5, 2025The Los Angeles Times published an investigative report on Baldoni's career, citing multiple unnamed employees at his Wayfarer Studios production company, some of whom said he injected 'toxic positivity' and his Bahai faith into the workplace culture in a way that felt 'professionally inappropriate.' Representatives for Baldoni and Wayfarer told the Los Angeles Times there have 'never been any reported complaints regarding the workplace culture' and Wayfarer's work is rooted in 'various faiths and backgrounds.' March 4, 2025Lewis Liman, a U.S. district judge, said the New York Times' motion to dismiss Justin Baldoni's $400 million case against the newspaper provided 'substantial grounds,' suggesting the lawsuit—in which Baldoni accused the Times of working with Lively's team to smear him—could be dismissed. Feb. 28, 2025Shapiro, who formerly served as the CIA's deputy chief of staff between 2013 and 2015 before starting his own strategic consulting firm, will advise Lively's litigation team on legal communications relating to the lawsuit she filed against Baldoni in New York federal court. Feb. 20, 2025Attorneys submitted a letter on behalf of Lively and Reynolds asking a new, more extensive protective order be imposed that would shield 'personal, sensitive or proprietary information' from the public after claiming they and their allies have been victimized since the legal battle began. The letter goes on to say that it is "inevitable" that the release of more discovery in the case will further violate their privacy, expose them to threats and create "a climate of possible witness intimidation." Feb. 18, 2025Lawyers for Lively filed an amended complaint that included new accusations Baldoni's behavior made at least two additional, unnamed female cast members uncomfortable and that both of those women brought their complaints to Lively, who documented them in writing and reported them to higher-ups on the film (the complaint references Baldoni's 'unwelcome behavior' but does not specify exactly what he is accused of doing). The suit claims Baldoni was made aware of at least one of the additional cast members' concerns and responded to her in writing at the time, promising "adjustments would be made'—but alleges he instead launched a PR campaign to discredit any future claims made against him. Forbes reached out to Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, for comment on the new complaint Wednesday. Feb. 13, 2025Baldoni and Lively's letter to the judge, filed in New York federal court on Thursday, said mediation or reaching a settlement would be 'inappropriate' and 'premature' for this case, suggesting their legal feud could eventually head to trial. Feb. 12, 2025Hoover, who deactivated her Instagram account as the legal battle between Lively and Baldoni continued to play out, has wiped any photos with Lively or Baldoni from her account. Most posts related to the film at all have been deleted, including an post supporting Lively that went up shortly after she filed her initial lawsuit against Baldoni: "@blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt," she wrote. During promotion for the 'It Ends With Us' film, Hoover appeared to take Lively's side when a clear rift emerged among the film's cast and crew. Lively refused to promote the movie alongside Baldoni and the pair were never interviewed or photographed together during its highly publicized press tour, Hoover and most of Lively's co-stars, including Jenny Slate, Brandon Sklenar and Isabela Ferrer, appeared at her side rather than Baldoni's. Hoover still follows Lively on Instagram, but does not follow Baldoni. Feb. 11, 2025A three-year-old video interview of Blake Lively admitting to Forbes she's ruffled feathers in the film industry by attempting to have more 'authorship' over her projects has gone viral. In a resurfaced interview from the 2022 Forbes Power Women's Summit, Lively said just following direction as an actress "wasn't fulfilling for me" and that she's received backlash for stepping in and trying to be part of costume design, writing and other aspects of a project. She said she's had writers, producers and directors "welcome that and invite that," and others who resented her for stepping on toes. She also said she hasn't always upfront with her plans to step in to other parts of a project when she was hired as an actress, and that she 'wouldn't reveal that I actually need to have authorship in order to feel fulfilled... Sometimes that might have felt like a rug pull.' Feb. 8, 2025Filmmaker Judd Apatow joked about "It Ends With Us" at the 77th Annual Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards Saturday night, calling it "such a terrible movie" and referencing the Baldoni-Lively lawsuits. "I loved Wicked. I saw it four times in the first four days," Apatow added. "It was the highest-grossing movie musical of all time. Do you know that? Usually to make that much money, you have to sue Blake Lively." Feb. 7, 2025Comedian Chelsea Handler, who hosted the Critics' Choice Awards, also poked fun at the legal battle, which has played out dramatically in the media over the last six weeks. Handler thanked the pair for providing a "distraction" from heavier headlines: 'I want to personally extend my gratitude to Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively... I'm grateful. I think we're all grateful. And I think we're good. I think everybody in this room, no matter whose side you're on, we can all agree to accept that there's probably not going to be a sequel. It ends with us, guys." Feb. 5, 2025Baldoni's lawyer suggested in an interview with TMZ he could call on Taylor Swift—a close friend of Blake Lively's who may have been alluded to in Baldoni's lawsuit against the actress—to testify once the case goes to trial. After TMZ's Harvey Levin asked about deposing Swift, Freedman didn't rule out the idea, calling it a 'game time decision' and adding he would seek testimony from anyone who may have relevant information (Freedman also said Swift was present alongside Baldoni, Lively and Ryan Reynolds at a meeting about Lively's proposed script edits to 'It Ends With Us' that is referenced in Baldoni's lawsuit, though the suit only refers to the alleged attendee as 'Taylor' with no last name). Feb. 4, 2025Jed Wallace, owner of the crisis PR firm Street Relations, sued Lively in Texas federal court for defamation, alleging she falsely claimed in a civil rights complaint and her lawsuit that Wallace participated in an alleged smear campaign against the actress at the behest of Baldoni's public relations team, which he says caused him 'millions of dollars in reputational harm.' Feb. 4, 2025'A Simple Favor 2,' Lively's latest film, will open at the SXSW Film and TV Festival next month, Director Paul Feig said, after rumors the film had been shelved, partially due to the Lively/Baldoni legal battle. Feb. 3, 2025Liman told lawyers for Lively and Baldoni that he would move up the trial date, set for March 2026, if the case continued to be 'litigated in the press.' Liman ordered both sides to adhere to the New York Rules of Professional Conduct, which stops lawyers from making public comments that have a 'substantial likelihood' of tainting a jury, but stopped short of sanctioning Baldoni's attorney, Freedman, despite claims from Lively's team that he has gotten close to defaming her and has made 'extrajudicial statements' about her and her character. Feb. 1, 2025Baldoni's team published a website dedicated to supporting his lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds that links to to an amended complaint filed on Jan. 31 and contains a timeline of events outlining what he says happened on the set of 'It Ends With Us,' including corresponding text messages, emails and a statement Baldoni has said he was pressured into releasing by Reynolds and Lively that would have seen him take the blame for the "troubled production" of the movie (he refused to put out the statement). In addition to the statement, Baldoni released a text message exchange with Lively that showed she chose not to meet with the on-set intimacy coordinator he hired, leaving him to relay uncomfortable information from the meeting on his own. Jan. 30, 2025Lawyers for Lively and Reynolds said in a letter to Liman that they plan to move to dismiss the lawsuit filed against them at a pre-trial conference scheduled for Monday, Feb. 3. Jan. 29, 2025The Hollywood Reporter cited unnamed sources in reporting Baldoni has "lost three jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars' since Lively first filed suit against him in December and that an in-the-works "Pac-Man" movie project he was set to direct is now in jeopardy. Jan. 27, 2025Liman told Lively and Baldoni's lawyers to prepare for a March 9, 2026 trial date and set a pretrial conference to discuss, among other things, complaints from Lively's team about the conduct of Baldoni's lawyer. Lively's lawyers have claimed Freedman is trying to paint potential jurors by creating a website to release communication between the two actors and documents from set, and accused him of making an "endless stream of defamatory and extrajudicial media statements." Jan. 27, 2025 The Daily Mail first published a nearly seven-minute voice note it says Baldoni sent to Lively at 2 a.m. during the filming of "It Ends With Us," in which he allegedly apologizes for not being open enough to script changes she made, admits he is a 'a very flawed man' and makes a reference to her breastfeeding her then-newborn child. Jan. 21, 2025Baldoni's legal team countered Lively's claims that he acted inappropriately while filming a slow dancing scene for the film by releasing a 10-minute video from set that includes three takes of the same scene, which Baldoni's team says is the entirety of the footage shot for that scene, during which Lively alleged in a lawsuit Baldoni 'leaned forward and slowly dragged his lips from her ear and down her neck as he said, 'it smells so good.'' The footage shows a similar interaction, where Baldoni is seen nuzzling Lively's neck, and she says, "I'm probably getting spray-tan on you," to which he responds, "It smells good." Lively's team says the footage fully corroborates her account, and 'any woman who has been inappropriately touched in the workplace will recognize Ms. Lively's discomfort.' Baldoni's lawyers said the footage proves both actors clearly behaved "well within the scope of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism.' Jan. 16, 2025Baldoni filed a federal lawsuit in New York against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, her publicist Leslie Sloane and Sloane's firm Vision PR alleging his co-star "tormented" him, his family and his partners, falsely accused him of sexual harassment and used him as a "scapegoat" to dodge the negative press surrounding. He also pushed back on claims he sexually harassed her, instead claiming she "calculatingly devised" fake stories to destroy his reputation and livelihood, seized control of the film he was directing and set out to damage his career and Wayfarer Studios "if they did not bend to her incessant demands' (Here's more on Baldoni's lawsuit). Jan. 10, 2025Deadline reported Baldoni's former publicist Stephanie Jones, who sued the actor and a handful of others for defamation and breach of contract in December, has issued subpoenas to WhatsApp, Signal, website hosts Hostinger and Name Cheap, digital publishing platform AnyFlip and chatbot company Gab AI in attempts to discover who may have been behind posts and websites aimed at harming Lively and Baldoni's reputations. Jan. 10, 2025Feig, who directed Lively's upcoming film "A Simple Favor 2," responded to viral rumors the film had been shelved "indefinitely," partially due to the Lively/Baldoni legal battle, calling it "total BS" and confirming the film "is finished and coming out soon." Jan. 8, 2025In an interview with Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, TMZ founder Harvey Levin said about the co-stars' competing accusations about online campaigns to damage one another's reputation: 'Both sides tried to skew this story. We've been on the recipient end of that ... It has happened on both sides in the Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni war. Both sides.' Freedman responded by saying, 'That's good to know.' (In recent days, Freedman has denied Lively's allegations that she faced a smear campaign by Baldoni's PR team, claiming Lively's team was instead working to smear Baldoni.) Jan. 7, 2025Freedman appeared on Megyn Kelly's YouTube show to discuss Baldoni's plans to sue Lively 'into oblivion' and pushed back on several of the actresses' allegations, accusing Lively of not reading the source material for the film, refuting claims she was sexually harassed and accusing her of orchestrating her own smear campaign against Baldoni. The interview also included newly released sound from a voice note from Baldoni explaining that he was "sent to the basement" of the film's premiere because Lively "didn't want me anywhere near her or the rest of the cast' (Here's more on what Freedman said on Kelly's show.) Jan. 3, 2025Freedman told NBC's "Today" he "absolutely" plans to file suit against Lively after she alleged she was subjected to "sexually inappropriate behavior" by Baldoni on the set of their 2024 film, but wouldn't say exactly what the countersuit would allege, though denied Lively's claim that Baldoni and his team launched a smear campaign against the actress. Jan. 2, 2025Glaser, the first solo female to ever host the Golden Globes, warned viwers in advance that she wouldn't be poking fun of Baldoni and Lively while on stage. 'I think the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni thing is such a hot-button thing right now that even a mere mention of it will seem like I could be on the wrong side of things, even though I would never be,' Glaser told Yahoo Entertainment. 'I also don't want to give (Baldoni's) name any — I'm mad I even know his name, to be honest with you, so I don't need to say it anymore.' Dec. 31, 2024Baldoni filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times for the paper's reporting on Lively's allegations, accusing the outlet of having "cowered to the wants and whims of two powerful 'untouchable' Hollywood elites"—Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds (on Jan. 31, Baldoni added defamation allegations against the Times to his sweeping lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds, and his attorney said he would drop the original suit against the paper). Dec. 31, 2024Lively formally filed a lawsuit in New York federal court against Baldoni, his publicist, Wayfarer Studios and other defendants for "retaliating against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety concerns." Dec. 24, 2024Baldoni was sued by his ex-publicist, Stephanie Jones, over an alleged conspiracy to discredit her and steal her clients. Dec. 24, 2024Vital Voices, a nonprofit that focuses on empowering women, rescinded an award it gave to Baldoni, who has made a career expressing his support of women's stories and co-hosted a podcast about masculinity called "Man Enough," which his co-host pulled out of the same day. Dec. 21, 2024Baldoni was reportedly dropped by his talent agency. Dec. 20, 2024Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department claiming Baldoni invaded her privacy by "entering her makeup trailer uninvited while she was undressed," pressured her to lose weight four months after giving birth and coordinated a PR campaign with a crisis firm "designed to 'destroy' Ms. Lively's reputation." Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We're launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day's headlines. Text 'Alerts' to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here. The message, which was obtained by the Daily Mail and has since gone viral on TikTok, appears to be Baldoni apologizing for his reception to changes Lively proposed for a scene in "It Ends With Us." Baldoni says his reaction to the changes "fell short" and thanked her for telling him how she was feeling about his response, according to the newspaper. "I f***ed up, that is a fail on my part," he appears to say. "One thing you should know about me is that I am willing to apologize when I fail... I am a very flawed man, as my wife will attest." Baldoni then appears to talk for almost another five minutes, in which he says there is 'nothing more exciting to me' than working with Lively. The message does not specifically say which scene Baldoni is referring to but his lawsuit against Lively mentions tension over a rooftop scene in the film that Lively rewrote and presented to Baldoni as her own work before telling media outlets that her husband, Reynolds, actually wrote it. Baldoni directed and co-starred with Lively in 'It Ends With Us,' the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling book of the same name, which released last August. Rumors of a rift developing between Lively and Baldoni during post-production began to emerge around the movie's release, and were further fueled during the film's press tour when Lively appeared to avoid mention of Baldoni in interviews. Speculation emerged that there were disputes over creative control and sources told TMZ Baldoni had "fat-shamed" Lively by inquiring about her weight, telling an on-set trainer he wanted to avoid injury while lifting the actress in the movie. Baldoni and Lively were never photographed together while promoting 'It Ends With Us.' As rumors of a feud grew, Baldoni hired Melissa Nathan, a crisis PR manager who represented Johnny Depp in his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard. According to texts published by The New York Times, Nathan suggested plans including 'full social take downs' by creating 'threads of theories' and planting pieces in the media of 'how horrible Blake is to work with.' Lively said the alleged smear campaign had caused 'severe emotional distress' for her and her family, prompting her to back out of hosting the 'Saturday Night Live' season 50 premiere. Lively's initial complaint included excerpts from thousands of pages of text messages and emails, which were the main focus of the Times article at the center of Baldoni's lawsuit. The text messages were largely between Baldoni, his publicist Jennifer Abel and crisis management expert Melissa Nathan, and were obtained through a civil subpoena, Lively's complaint said. A lawsuit filed by Baldoni's ex-publicist Stephanie Jones, the founder of the Jonesworks publicity firm, days later revealed she was the source of the text messages, which were obtained from Abel's work phone. In her own lawsuit against Baldoni, Jones claimed Abel was fired for conspiring to steal clients from her firm and Jones later had Abel's company-issued phone 'forensically preserved and examined in detail.' Lively's team then obtained the texts through a subpoena against Jonesworks. The texts show discussions on how to coordinate a social media campaign against Lively, and how Baldoni wanted to feel like Lively "can be buried' under negative media. The messages show the trio talking about the 'shift on social' against Lively, and reveal that Baldoni was aware of the negative messaging against her. Messages from Baldoni also show him encouraging the P.R. team, flagging social media posts for them to use and, in one case, suggesting 'flipping the narrative' on a positive story about Lively and Reynolds, according to The Times. In other messages, he reiterates that the campaign needs to be untraceable. Around the time of the 'It Ends With Us' premiere, Lively was the subject of intense criticism online targeting how she promoted the film, the opportune release of her haircare line and other behaviors. In one promotional video, Lively encourages the audience to "grab your friends, wear your florals and head out to see (the movie)." Fans instantly criticized Lively's upbeat tone and claimed she was attempting to promote the movie as a lighthearted love story, cheapening the movie's serious take on domestic abuse. Comments on the video attacked Lively—"shame on you and your PR team for turning a blind eye," one said—but praised Baldoni for how he handled promotion. Lively was also criticized for seeming to promote her newly launched hair-care line, Blake Brown, off the back of the film, but it was later revealed that the two were never supposed to launch at the same time. Production delays caused by Hollywood strikes in 2023 pushed the premiere of 'It Ends With Us,' then coinciding with the predetermined launch date of the brand. At the same time, Lively was freshly criticized for her reaction to an interviewer in a resurfaced 2016 clip. Lively's lawsuits claim the public's attacks were part of the smear campaign she says was orchestrated against her. A number of celebrities have come out to support Lively since she filed her initial complaint, including Hoover, Lively's 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' co-stars and actress Amber Heard, who claimed to be a victim of a similar social media takedown. Hoover, who The Times reported also refused to do press with Baldoni, posted to Instagram after Lively first made her allegations to call her "nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient." America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel and Amber Tamblyn, who starred alongside Lively in her 2005 breakout role in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," slammed the 'vindictive effort ensued to discredit her voice' and Heard said she has seen similar social media campaigns "firsthand and up close,' calling it "horrifying and destructive.' Actresses Kate Beckinsale and Abigail Breslin shared their own stories of harassment and retaliation in the wake of Lively's lawsuit, and director Paul Feig posted that Lively "did not deserve any of this smear campaign.' Lively's "It Ends with Us" costar Brandon Sklenar posted a link to the initial New York Times story and Jenny Slate, another co-star in the film, said she stands by her "loyal friend." Amy Schumer posted a story on Instagram that said, 'I believe Blake.' Political influencer Candace Owens posted in support of Baldoni after he was stripped of his Vital Voices award, writing that he should "have his day in court" before such drastic measures are taken.
TechCrunch
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- TechCrunch
Apple Wallet gains new travel-friendly features in iOS 26
Apple Wallet is getting a bit more travel-friendly, Apple announced at WWDC 2025. The app will soon be able to hold a digital version of your passport, and boarding passes will gain new features that promise to make traveling a little bit easier. The new passport feature is 'not a replacement for your physical passport,' Apple said, but it can be used in apps that need to verify age and identity and at supported TSA checkpoints. Digital passports could help procrastinators who have yet to get their Real ID. Boarding passes have long been stored in the Wallet app, allowing for quick access from the lock screen. But with iOS 26, they're getting a host of new features. Boarding passes will now include links to terminal maps so it's easier to find your way to the gate or to baggage claim. Once at the claim, Wallet's new link to Find My should come in handy, allowing users to check the boarding pass to track the progress of their AirTagged luggage.
