Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni: Intimacy Expert Says His Actions Left Lively 'Clearly Uncomfortable'

A newly surfaced video of Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni on the set of It Ends With Us has sent shockwaves through Hollywood, intensifying the actress's ongoing sexual harassment lawsuit against her co-star.

The footage, recently released by Baldoni's legal team, shows the pair engaging in a seemingly friendly exchange during a dance scene. At first glance, the actors appear to be laughing and enjoying the moment, which initially seems like a natural portrayal of two characters in love.

However, the context of their interaction has come under intense scrutiny. Lively's legal team has strongly disputed the claims that the footage exonerates Baldoni, arguing instead that it clearly shows the actress feeling uncomfortable throughout the scene. An intimacy expert has weighed in, suggesting that Baldoni's actions left Lively visibly unsettled.

Lively's Accusation of Unwanted Advances

While speaking to the media, Lively's legal team said they are glad Baldoni, the film's director, decided to release the behind-the-scenes footage.

'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. Every frame of the released footage corroborates, to the letter, what Ms. Lively described in Paragraph 48 of her Complaint,' Lively's legal team said.

According to Lively, the video highlights an incident where Baldoni attempted to kiss her without prior discussion or consent. She argues that he did not ask for her approval before leaning in for a kiss, which led to her pulling away.

Reports suggest that Lively alleges that Baldoni repeated the action, making her uncomfortable.

While speaking on the matter, Mia Schachter, an intimacy coordinator with experience in productions like 'Lessons in Chemistry and Insecure', said that Baldoni's actions, particularly his failure to communicate, were troubling.

Breaking down the release video, Schachter observed that things were undiscussed in the scenes. 'The first thing is that he is trying to kiss her, and they clearly haven't discussed that ahead of time, and she keeps pulling away and clearly doesn't want to do that,' she said.

Schachter also reflected on the power dynamics at play. Despite Lively's star power, the actress was still in a position where she had to 'keep the peace' and 'play nice' with Baldoni. 'I would say she has a significant amount of power here. Regardless, he is the director, and she's supposed to take direction from him. I was sort of surprised that this is the clip that his team leaked,' she added.

According to Schachter, if a set follows proper etiquette, the actors and the director will clearly discuss what is comfortable. She argued that there would be a significant lapse in professionalism without an intimacy coordinator present.

'I don't think either one of them is lying,' Schachter said. 'But they are clearly disagreeing about the situation based on their own experiences. This is about professionalism, etiquette, and the boundaries of what is and isn't acceptable on set.'

The Importance of an Intimacy Coordinator on Film Sets

The scene in question has become central to the ongoing legal dispute.

According to reports, Lively has consistently argued that the footage proves she was subjected to unwanted advances, citing the instance where Baldoni repeatedly leaned in toward her, kissed her forehead, and made other intimate gestures without warning.

Lively's legal team claims the scene did not involve scripting intimacy or discussing choreography beforehand.

'The video shows Mr Baldoni repeatedly leaning in toward Ms Lively, attempting to kiss her, kissing her forehead, rubbing his face and mouth against her neck, flicking her lip with his thumb, caressing her, telling her how good she smells, and talking with her out of character. Every moment of this was improvised by Mr Baldoni with no discussion or consent in advance and no intimacy coordinator present,' Lively's legal teams told the media.

While speaking on this, Schachter said, 'Most, if not all intimacy coordinators and stunt coordinators would say, 'You just don't do that. You don't kiss someone if you haven't talked about it ahead of time.' In Hollywood, in the not too recent past, that was not out of the ordinary. That doesn't mean that it was okay, but we were operating with a different set of standards.'

Schachter also highlighted the fact that Baldoni not discussing anything with Lively before filming is 'pretty damning.'

'He didn't ask her or even mention that it was something he wanted to shoot — he just went for it. She pulled away, and then he did it again. He definitely should have communicated that that was what he wanted to shoot, but he didn't,' she said. 'To me, that's pretty d-mning, both as an actor and a director.'

Similar issues with Anora

Last year, the film Anora became a central point in the debate about the importance of intimacy coordinators on film sets.

In a recent interview with Variety, the film's lead actress, Mickey Madison, said she voluntarily declined an intimacy coordinator.

'It was a choice that I made,' Madison said, adding that director Sean Baker and his wife, producer Samantha Quan, offered her the chance to work with an intimacy coordinator. Still, she and her co-star Mark Eidelstein decided it would be best to keep it small.

In response to Madison's statement, intimacy coordinator Marci Liroff, who has worked on sets of 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story' and 'Dexter: Original Sin,' said, 'She's empowered, she has autonomy within herself, and I totally get that. But an intimacy coordinator is not just there for the lead actors.'

Similar to Schachter, Liroff also highlighted the role of power dynamics when it comes to decision-making.

'I admire Sean Baker as a filmmaker a lot, but what became really obvious to me is that he neglects to understand the power dynamics that are inherent on set,' Liroff said. 'It is next to impossible for a performer to say no to someone who has hiring and firing power.'

According to experts, an intimacy coordinator ensures that the crew members feel comfortable and secure when a scene involving nudity is filmed.

During her press tour for It Ends With Us, Lively said in an interview that having an intimacy coordinator is critical. 'You coordinate stunts, you coordinate dancing, it is choreography,' she explained. 'So it's to be able to say, 'This is what happens here, here and here in a stunt,' and 'This is what happens here and here in a dance,' but like, 'Now you guys put your bodies together, and your mouths and whatever' and just action and cut.'

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' Legal Strategy

Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, have filed a legal request to stop Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, from making further public statements about the case.

The couple have accused Freedman of attempting to manipulate the media and damage Lively's reputation.

'This video is another unethical attempt to manipulate the public,' Lively's team said, adding that Baldoni's attempt to defend himself through media stunts undermined the ongoing legal proceedings.

Blake Lively officially sued Justin Baldoni on 31 December 2024, alleging sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and lost wages. Lively's lawsuit extends to publicists Melissa Nathan, Jennifer Abel, and Wayfarer Studios. Additionally, Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing Baldoni of misconduct on the set of It Ends With Us.

'I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted,' Lively said.

In a countermove, Baldoni filed a £200 million ($250 million) defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, accusing the publication of libel and misleading readers by selectively reporting on Lively's accusations.

Meanwhile, in response to Baldon's recent move, Lively's legal team said that while they [Baldoni's legal team] are focused on misleading media narratives, they are focused on the legal process. 'We are continuing our efforts to require Mr Baldoni and his associates to answer in court, under oath, rather than through manufactured media stunts,' the team said.