Justin Baldoni Claims Unedited ‘It Ends With Us’ Footage Rebuts Blake Lively’s Sexual Harassment Allegations
Justin Baldoni’s team has released unedited footage from the set of “It Ends With Us” that they claim refutes Blake Lively’s sexual harassment allegations.
After submitting a A $400 million lawsuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, Baldoni’s video — shared by his attorney, Bryan Freedman, and obtained by Fox News Digital — reportedly addresses the actress’ claims about the slow dance scene.
Lively claimed Baldoni “leaned forward and slowly moved his lips from her ear and down her neck while saying ‘she smells so good'” while filming a slow dance montage scene, according to her Dec. 20 sexual harassment complaint filed with Fox News Digital. “When Ms. Lively later objected to this behavior, Mr. Baldoni’s response was, ‘I’m not even attracted to you.'”
However, Baldoni insisted the comment was made in relation to Lively’s own admission about her tanning.
Justin Baldoni released unedited footage from the set of “It Ends With Us”. (Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
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In the entire video, nearly 10 minutes of raw footage, Baldoni directs the scene as Lively engages him in conversation as he declares it’s “more romantic” than just staring at each other.
As Baldoni nuzzled into Lively’s neck, the actor jokingly asked, “Will I get your beard today?” She laughed and said, “I’m probably blacking you out.”
Baldoni then stated, “It smells good,” to which Lively replied, “Well, it’s not that. It’s my body makeup.”
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“The following videos recorded on May 23, 2023 clearly refute Ms. Lively’s characterization of his behavior,” reads the statement shared at the start of the video. “The touching scene is designed to show two characters falling in love and longing to be close to each other. Both actors clearly behave well within the confines of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism.”
“These are all three frames of the shot sequence.”
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively seen on the set of “It Ends with Us” on January 12, 2024. (Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
“The touching scene is designed to show two characters falling in love and longing to be close to each other. Both actors clearly behave well within the confines of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism.”
Livelyn’s legal team claimed the unedited video was “damning evidence” and “corroborates” her allegations of sexual harassment.
“Justin Baldoni and his attorney may be hoping this latest stunt will outweigh the damaging evidence against him, but the video itself is damning. Every frame of the released footage fully corroborates what Ms. Lively described in paragraph 48 of her complaint,” he said. Lively’s legal team said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The video shows Mr. Baldoni repeatedly leaning toward Ms. Lively, trying to kiss her, kissing her forehead, rubbing his face and mouth against her neck, puckering her lip with his thumb, caressing her, telling her how good she smells, and talking to her is out of character.
“Every moment of this was improvised by Mr. Baldoni without prior discussion or consent, and without an intimacy coordinator present. Mr. Baldoni was not only Ms. Lively’s actress, but also director, studio manager, and Ms. Lively’s boss.”
They added: “The video shows Ms Lively leaning over and repeatedly asking the characters to just talk. Any woman who has been touched inappropriately in the workplace will recognize Ms Lively’s discomfort. She will recognize her flippant attempts to deflect unwanted touching. No woman would should take defensive measures to avoid being touched by the employer without their consent.
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively recorded “It Ends With Us” in 2023 and 2024. (Getty Images)
“This matter is in active litigation in federal court. The release of this video to the media, instead of presenting it as evidence in court, is another example of an unethical attempt to manipulate the public. It is also a continuation of their campaign of harassment and retaliation while they focus on misleading media narratives , we are focused on the legal process in court, under oath, not through manufactured media gimmicks.”
“Any woman who has been touched inappropriately in the workplace will recognize Ms Lively’s discomfort. They will recognize her attempts at levity to try to deflect unwanted touching.”
Vividly detailed allegations of sexual harassmentretaliation, intentional infliction of emotional pain, negligence and more by Baldoni and film producer Jamey Heath in a complaint filed first with the California Department of Civil Rights and later in federal court.
Some of the issues allegedly discussed at the “all hands” meeting before filming began included no more showing Lively nude videos or pictures of women, no more mention of Baldoni’s past “pornography addiction,” no more discussion of personal experiences with sex, no more descriptions of her own genitalia, no more adding sex scenes beyond what was in the original script, no more discussions about Lively’s weight or her deceased father, and more.
However, Baldoni insisted that Lively had “falsely” accused him in an attempt to repair her reputation following the fallout over the film’s press tour after she took control of the film.
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Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
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Baldoni’s legal team she argued that Lively had no evidence of a deliberate smear campaign and instead worked to repair her reputation by accusing the actor and others of sexual harassment.
Lively “could not for a moment tolerate her publicly tarnished image, and furthermore could not accept that it was entirely of her own making,” the lawsuit states. “She needed a scapegoat. And instead of admitting and taking responsibility for her own misfortunes, she chose to blame the accusers, in a malicious and unforgivably public way.”
“When she and Reynolds couldn’t get Baldoni and Wayfarer to read a statement she and her representatives had prepared, forcing them to ‘take responsibility’ in defense of Lively’s actions, she waited for months, preparing to publicly attack Baldoni by falsely claiming he had sexually assaulted her. harassed.”
Justin Baldoni sued Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds for civil extortion, defamation and more. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
In a statement, Lively’s team slammed Baldoni’s lawsuit.
“This latest lawsuit by Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and his associates is another chapter in the abuser’s book,” Lively’s legal team said in a statement. “This is an age-old story: a woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the abuser tries to turn the victim. It’s what the experts call DARVO. Denial. Assault. Reverse-victim-perpetrator.”
The statement continued in part: “Their response to allegations of sexual harassment: she wanted it, it’s her fault. Their justification for why it happened to her: look at what she was wearing. In short, while the victim focuses on the abuse, the abuser focuses on the victim . The strategy of attacking the woman is desperate, does not refute the evidence in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and will not succeed.”
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