Justin Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, shared raw footage with Newsweek from the filming of It Ends With Us on Tuesday in an attempt to disprove Blake Lively's allegations about his on-set behavior as described in a lawsuit.
The nearly 10-minute video shared with Newsweek includes three takes of a slow-dancing scene for a montage where Lively alleged Baldoni was behaving inappropriately.
However, Lively's legal team told Newsweek in a lengthy statement that the footage corroborates what the actress alleged in her complaint.
"This matter is in active litigation in federal court. Releasing this video to the media, rather than presenting it as evidence in court, is another example of an unethical attempt to manipulate the public," her lawyers said.
Why It Matters
Baldoni, 40, and Lively, 37, are in the midst of a tense legal battle, accusing each other of less-than-glamorous behavior during filming and of trying to ruin each other's reputations amid the film's release.
Baldoni is also suing the New York Times for $250 million for sharing Lively's story, claiming it relied on her "self-serving narrative."
Baldoni Says Lively and Reynolds Are 'Cute'
Baldoni's lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and others accuses the married couple of defamation, claiming Reynolds approached Baldoni's WME agent at the premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine, expressed his dislike for Baldoni and told the agent that they were working with a "sexual predator."
Later, Reynolds told the agent to "drop" Baldoni, the lawsuit alleges.
In the video footage provided by Freedman, Lively tells Baldoni that she thinks their characters should be talking to each other while they slow dance in a bar.
"I know you and Ryan talk all the time," Baldoni told a talkative Lively.
"Oh my gosh, we don't shut up," Lively replied.
"And Emily [Baldoni] and I have, like, we have these moments where we're staring, literally. We've done it for, like, five minutes. I think you would find it terrifying," Baldoni told his laughing co-star about his wife of over a decade.
"I'd be like, 'Oh no, I found a sociopath,'" Lively said while chuckling.
About her relationship with Reynolds, Lively told Baldoni, "It's like, 'Oh my God, I forgot to tell you something else.'"
"I think that's cute. You guys are really cute," Baldoni said.
"Yeah," Lively said, smiling, as they ended that conversation and continued dancing.
Lively Suggests Baldoni Get a Nose Job
Baldoni's lawsuit says Lively told him on camera that he should get a rhinoplasty, commonly referred to as a nose job, despite his public insecurities with his nose.
"Lively took them out of character again and began to joke about Baldoni's nose, which he laughed off and joked in turn, even as Lively joked that he should get plastic surgery. Lively incorrectly alleges that this scene was filmed without sound. Baldoni was wearing a microphone, and the entire exchange is captured on camera," his lawsuit says.
In the footage provided by Freedman, Baldoni and Livley lean in close to each other for a scene where they slow dance in a bar. Lively begins to laugh about dancing so closely to Baldoni, saying, "It's like, just noses."
"I know and my nose is so big," Baldoni replied, while also laughing.
"Yes, I was hoping that we could address this," Lively said. "It's not too late. Just gotta shut down. Gotta call an insurance month and just deal with that. Just kidding," she joked, seemingly insinuating that they stop production for a month for Baldoni to get a rhinoplasty.
In another take shown in the video, Baldoni leaned his head on Lively's shoulder with his lips toward her neck.
"Am I getting beard on you today?" Baldoni asked a laughing Lively.
"I'm probably getting spray tan on you," Lively replied.
"It smells good, Baldoni said.
"Well, it's not that. It's my body makeup," Lively said, ending the exchange.
In Lively's lawsuit, she said Baldoni broke character during this conversation and "slowly dragged his lips from her ear and down her neck as he said, 'it smells so good.'"
"When Ms. Lively later objected to this behavior, Ms. Baldoni's response was, 'I'm
not even attracted to you,'" the lawsuit states.
Lively's lawyers continued in their statement to Newsweek: "The video shows Ms. Lively leaning away and repeatedly asking for the characters to just talk. Any woman who has been inappropriately touched in the workplace will recognize Ms. Lively's discomfort."
What People Are Saying
Freedman said in a slide before the raw footage: "The following videos captured on May 23, 2023, clearly refute Ms. Lively's characterization of his behavior. The scene in question was designed to show the two characters falling in love and longing to be close to one another. Both actors are clearly behaving well within the scope of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism."
Lively's lawyers said in their statement to Newsweek: "Every moment of this was improvised by Mr. Baldoni with no discussion or consent in advance, and no intimacy coordinator present. Mr. Baldoni was not only Ms. Lively's co-star, but the director, the head of studio and Ms. Lively's boss."
"... No woman should have to take defensive measures to avoid being touched by their employer without their consent. This matter is in active litigation in federal court. Releasing this video to the media, rather than presenting it as evidence in court, is another example of an unethical attempt to manipulate the public."
What Happens Next
Lively and Baldoni's warring lawsuits likely won't resolve any time soon as both actors continue lobbing public accusations at one another.
Lively's lawyers said the video was a "continuation of their harassment and retaliatory campaign. While they are focused on misleading media narratives, we are focused on the legal process."
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