Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in Legal Dispute Over Sexual Harassment Claims

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are embroiled in a legal battle involving accusations of sexual harassment, extortion, and defamation. This conflict has intensified over the past month.

Recently, Baldoni’s legal representatives released unedited footage from the set of their film "It Ends With Us," claiming that it disproves Lively's allegations of harassment.

The footage, shared by Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, allegedly counteracts Lively's accusations related to a slow dance scene where she claimed Baldoni made an inappropriate comment about her scent.

Lively filed her sexual harassment complaint on December 20, stating that Baldoni "leaned forward and slowly dragged his lips from her ear and down her neck" during filming.

Baldoni countered that his remarks referenced Lively’s spray tan, insisting that they were purely jovial interactions. In the footage, he jokingly asks if he’s getting beard hair on her, to which she responds about possibly transferring spray tan to him.

At the start of the released video, Baldoni's team asserted that all the scenes depicted demonstrate mutual respect and professionalism from both actors, emphasizing that the scenario was crafted to show intimacy between the characters.

However, Lively’s legal team described the footage as crucial evidence supporting her claims of harassment. In light of the unedited scene, an intimacy coordinator not involved in the film explained that Lively appeared tense and uncomfortable during filming.

This coordinator suggested that if she noticed these signs of discomfort, she would have intervened during filming. Despite Lively’s concerns, she pointed out that Baldoni may not have recognized her discomfort during the scene.

Film expert Scott Hamm Duenas noted that while Lively clearly appeared uncomfortable, determining whether Baldoni’s actions constituted sexual harassment is complex, as both actors should ideally discuss their boundaries before filming intimate scenes.

Psychotherapist Robi Ludwig commented that discomfort doesn’t automatically equate to harassment, stressing that acting can blur the lines between reality and performance.

Prior to this footage release, Baldoni initiated a $400 million lawsuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, alleging civil extortion and defamation, claiming Lively had refused to collaborate on intimate scenes properly.

Lively's subsequent legal filing included assertions of harassment, retaliation, and negligence against Baldoni and the film's producer. Her legal team contends that the footage contradicts Baldoni’s claims and validates Lively's perceptions of the interactions during filming.

Ultimately, their legal conflict continues to unfold amidst public scrutiny and differing accounts of the events that took place during the production.