Blake Lively breaks silence as Justin Baldoni releases ‘damning’ It Ends With Us video amid legal saga
Blake Lively has condemned the release of unedited footage from It Ends With Us by co-star Justin Baldoni, with her legal team calling the video “damning” evidence that supports her sexual harassment allegations.
The footage was released on Tuesday by Baldoni’s legal team – fronted by lawyer Bryan Freedman – in an attempt to prove his innocence. It shows three takes of a dance scene between the actors.
“Justin Baldoni and his lawyer may hope that this latest stunt will get ahead of the damaging evidence against him, but the video itself is damning,” Lively’s lawyer told MailOnline.
The video has intensified the ongoing legal battle between the two stars, who worked together on the film where Baldoni served as both director and co-star.
According to Lively’s legal team, the footage shows “Mr. Baldoni repeatedly leaning in toward Ms. Lively, attempting to kiss her, kissing her forehead, rubbing his face and mouth against her neck”.
The video also allegedly captures Baldoni “flicking her lip with his thumb, caressing her, telling her how good she smells, and talking with her out of character”.
In one instance highlighted in the footage, Baldoni commented that Lively “smells good” after she expressed concern about getting spray tan on him during the dance scene.
Lively’s representatives claim the video shows her “leaning away” from Baldoni, which they say demonstrates her discomfort during filming.
Lively’s legal team emphasised that none of the intimate interactions shown in the video were choreographed or agreed upon beforehand.
“Every moment of this was improvised by Mr. Baldoni with no discussion or consent in advance and no intimacy coordinator present,” her lawyers stated.
They highlighted Baldoni’s multiple positions of authority, noting: “Mr. Baldoni was not only Ms. Lively’s co-star, but the director, the head of studio and Ms. Lively’s boss.”
“Any woman who has been inappropriately touched in the workplace will recognize Ms. Lively’s discomfort. They will recognise her attempts at levity to try to deflect the unwanted touching,” her lawyer added.
The legal dispute began in December 2024 when Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of creating a “hostile work environment” with “disturbing and unprofessional” behaviour.
A key allegation in Lively’s complaint focused on the dance scene, where she claimed Baldoni “leaned forward and slowly dragged his lips from her ear and down her neck as he said, ‘It smells so good.'”
The lawsuit included specific requirements from Lively, including “no more inquiries about Blake’s weight” and “no more showing nude videos or images of women to Blake.”
Baldoni has denied all allegations and subsequently sued the New York Times for libel over its reporting of Lively’s claims.
Baldoni has responded aggressively to Lively’s allegations, filing a £400m lawsuit against both her and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
The lawsuit accuses the couple of attempting to “destroy” his career and reputation.
Baldoni’s legal claims include civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, and multiple charges related to interference with contractual and economic relations.
The dispute escalated after a meeting between Lively, Reynolds, Baldoni, and their respective lawyers to address her initial claims.
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In a counter-allegation, Baldoni has accused Lively of suggesting he should get cosmetic surgery to fix his nose during filming of a “romance montage.”
Lively’s legal team has characterised the release of the video as “another example of an unethical attempt to manipulate the public” and “a continuation of their harassment and retaliatory campaign.”
“We are continuing our efforts to require Mr. Baldoni and his associates to answer in court, under oath, rather than through manufactured media stunts,” her lawyer stated.
Lively’s team maintains that every frame of the released footage corroborates her original complaint against Baldoni.