Chicks in the Office

Taylor Swift & Blake Lively’s Texts Shading Justin Baldoni, Oscar Noms + Alix Earle Reality Show

January 23, 2026

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  • The hosts, recording in Los Angeles, spent significant time discussing the recent announcement of Harry Styles' 2026 tour, particularly focusing on his 30-night residency at Madison Square Garden and the excitement surrounding his London dates with Shania Twain. 
  • The conversation included a recap of the Oscar nominations, highlighting the surprise and approval over *Sinners* receiving 16 nominations and noting potential snubs like Jesse Plemons and Chase Infinity. 
  • The hosts acknowledged the news that Alix Earle and her family are getting an unscripted reality series on Netflix, expressing both intrigue and cautious hope for the family dynamics being exposed to a wider audience. 
  • The unsealed text messages between Blake Lively and Taylor Swift regarding Justin Baldoni and the movie production reveal a significant strain on their friendship during that period. 
  • The hosts express strong discomfort with the invasion of privacy resulting from the public release of personal text messages, regardless of the context provided by Blake Lively's team. 
  • The segment concludes with the 'Beat Ria & Fran' game, which was won by guests Megan and Sarah in overtime after a very close match. 

Segments

Podcast Opening and Ads
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode begins with standard podcast housekeeping, including platform availability and responsible gambling disclaimers.
  • Summary: The opening segment directs listeners to find Chicks in the Office on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube, noting that Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. Standard gambling problem disclaimers and contact information for various states are provided. The hosts then greet listeners from Los Angeles, setting the stage for the episode’s topics.
LA Trip and Snow Talk
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(00:02:15)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts are recording in Los Angeles, contrasting the mild LA weather with the severe snow storm impacting New York.
  • Summary: The hosts confirm they are recording in LA for a quick trip, enjoying the warmer weather compared to New York. They express concern over the unpredictable severity of the approaching New York snow storm. The segment briefly touches on being duped by AI-generated snow videos circulating online.
Teasing Big Upcoming Guests
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(00:07:14)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts are teasing two major, unannounced guests for the following week’s Wednesday and Friday episodes, one of whom caused significant excitement in the New York office.
  • Summary: Despite teasing a major guest reveal, the hosts refuse to name the individuals scheduled for the next week’s episodes. One guest’s visit to the New York office generated unprecedented excitement, reportedly causing even high-profile staff like Dylan Efron and Boston Rob to gather in the control room to watch the interview.
Harry Styles 2026 Tour Details
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(00:09:32)
  • Key Takeaway: Harry Styles announced a 2026 tour focusing on extended residencies in select global cities, including 30 nights at Madison Square Garden.
  • Summary: Harry Styles is embarking on a tour that features multiple consecutive nights in key locations like Amsterdam, London (Wembley Stadium), Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Melbourne, Sydney, and 30 nights at MSG. The hosts joke about Harry Styles challenging Billy Joel’s long-standing residency record at Madison Square Garden. The structure of the tour, focusing on fewer cities for longer periods, is noted as a unique approach.
Oscar Nominations Roundup
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(00:26:55)
  • Key Takeaway: Sinners received 16 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, while F1 also secured a Best Picture nod, surprising many observers.
  • Summary: The hosts express happiness for Sinners receiving 16 nominations, viewing it as well-deserved recognition after being overlooked by other awards shows. They note the surprising inclusion of F1 in the Best Picture category alongside films like Marty Supreme and Sentimental Value. The Best Actor category is considered stacked, with the hosts favoring Shalamay or Michael B. Jordan for the win.
Alix Earle Netflix Reality Show
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(00:49:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Alix Earle announced an unscripted Netflix series featuring her entire family, focusing on their ‘fun, loving, sometimes chaotic modern family’ dynamic.
  • Summary: Alix Earle confirmed her family will star in a reality TV show on Netflix, acknowledging that fans already feel they know them from social media. The show aims to showcase their family dynamics, which the hosts compare to parallels seen in the Kardashian family structure. The hosts express hope for the younger family members as they transition from TikTok fame to a full reality series.
Alix Earle Family Reality Show
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(00:50:27)
  • Key Takeaway: The Alix Earle family reality show on Netflix is anticipated due to their existing entertaining TikTok presence and perceived Kardashian-like family dynamics.
  • Summary: The hosts find the Earl family dynamics fascinating, drawing parallels to the Kardashians regarding parental and half-sibling relationships. They note that since the family already shares much content on TikTok, a paid TV show seems like a logical next step. The segment concludes by comparing the Earls on Netflix to the Naders on Hulu in the race to become the next famous reality family.
Blake Lively Text Invasion of Privacy
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(00:52:17)
  • Key Takeaway: The public release of private text messages between Blake Lively and Taylor Swift, including shade directed at Justin Baldoni, is viewed as a severe invasion of privacy.
  • Summary: The hosts feel that reading private texts, especially those concerning personal friendships, is inherently invasive, as context is often lost when viewed by the public. They observe texts indicating strain in Blake and Taylor’s friendship, with Taylor missing how Blake used to communicate before the movie drama. Blake Lively’s team likely included these texts to demonstrate the personal toll the situation with Justin Baldoni took on her relationships.
Ryan Reynolds’ Texts Revealed
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(00:58:26)
  • Key Takeaway: Ryan Reynolds’ text to Colleen Hoover, describing the movie situation as ‘Legendary Hollywood Insanity,’ confirms his strong negative feelings toward Justin Baldoni.
  • Summary: Ryan Reynolds’ communication style, even in private texts, remains consistently humorous, as evidenced by his note to Colleen Hoover about playing pickleball to escape the drama. The texts reveal the immense worry over public perception, suggesting they tried to get ahead of the movie being perceived as an ‘all-time stinker’ despite initial positive audience reception. Reynolds’ message heavily criticized Justin Baldoni, using harsh language regarding performative feminism and personal growth catchphrases.
Jenny Slate’s Criticism of Baldoni
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(01:04:48)
  • Key Takeaway: Jenny Slate’s unsealed texts labeled Justin Baldoni a ‘false ally, fraud, and the most intense narcissist,’ prompting questions about his behavior on set.
  • Summary: The hosts highlight that Jenny Slate, who worked closely with Baldoni, shared extremely negative opinions, suggesting there is substance to Blake Lively’s claims of discomfort. They reference an anecdote where Baldoni allegedly made an inappropriate comment to a young actress after filming a sensitive scene. Despite this, social media reaction remains heavily divided, with many listeners still publicly supporting ‘Team Baldoni.’
Legal Proceedings Update
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(01:07:31)
  • Key Takeaway: A federal judge will consider dismissing Blake Lively’s sexual assault lawsuit against Justin Baldoni on Thursday, with a potential trial date set for May 18th.
  • Summary: The hosts question the judge’s decision to unseal the text messages, believing it might complicate the case rather than help it, regardless of the media attention it generates. They note that the ongoing release of details suggests the legal battle is far from over. The segment concludes by noting that the back-and-forth revelations will likely continue as the case progresses.
Beat Ria & Fran Game 204
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(01:09:45)
  • Key Takeaway: Sisters Megan and Sarah defeated Ria and Fran in ‘Beat Ria & Fran’ Game 204 after a close match that required overtime to break a tie.
  • Summary: The game rules involved 15 questions with steal opportunities, and the starting team was determined by guessing the Rotten Tomatoes score for the movie The Bounty Hunter. The game was tied 6-6 after the initial 15 questions, forcing an overtime round where Megan and Sarah secured the win with a correct answer about the first non-English language film to win Best Picture at the Oscars (Parasite).