Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, stars of It Ends with Us, are caught up in a legal dispute involving various allegations from both sides. The main issue revolves around the intimate scenes in the movie, which have become a major point of disagreement.
Blake filed a lawsuit against Justin in December, accusing him of sexual harassment during the filming of It Ends with Us. She claimed that there was no intimacy coordinator on set and later insisted that one be present at all times if she were to return to filming. In response, Baldoni rejected the idea that he had worked on the sex scenes without an intimacy coordinator.
In his lawsuit, Baldoni stated that an intimacy coordinator was hired, but Lively had refused to meet with her. He provided screenshots of text messages with a female producer to support his claim. During this period, Baldoni had to work alone with the coordinator to plan the sex scenes and later share the details with Lively.
The lawsuit states that these meetings often took place at Lively’s request, in the couple’s home, with her husband sometimes present. It also claims that Lively’s approach to work was unconventional and uncomfortable for Baldoni. Baldoni’s legal team argues that suggesting he was responsible for creating this situation is false.
The lawsuit claims that Lively later used the situation, which she allegedly created, to accuse Baldoni of pushing her into “uncomfortable” or “gratuitous” scenes. However, these scenes were actually suggested by the intimacy coordinator and were standard for actors performing simulated sex scenes. Baldoni reportedly documented these details in handwritten notes, which he later shared with Lively.
Baldoni’s team argues that Lively struggled to separate her professional role from personal interactions with her co-star and director, which they say is reflected in her sexual harassment claims. In her complaint, Lively accused Baldoni of introducing explicit content, including a scene where she was allegedly supposed to orgasm on camera.
Baldoni denied the “false” claim, stating that during a creative meeting Lively requested at her home, he shared notes from the intimacy coordinator, including a suggestion for her character to orgasm, as per the book. Lively dismissed it, saying, “I’m too old for that,” and Baldoni proposed an alternative suggestion before moving on.
Both Baldoni and Lively have presented what they consider solid evidence in their lawsuits, including text messages, emails, and videos. According to Hollywood lawyer Angela Reddock-Wright, these pieces of evidence, alongside the ‘he said/she said’ allegations, will be crucial in helping jurors determine who is more truthful between the two.
The lawyer highlighted that a key issue in sexual harassment cases is whether the conduct was welcomed or not by the alleged victim. Baldoni’s legal team is using his detailed response to argue that his actions weren’t unwelcome. They claim that Lively herself engaged in friendly banter and flirtatious behavior while working with him.
