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Blake Lively reacts to Justin Baldoni's leaked video from It Ends With Us sets: 'Continuation of retaliatory campaign'

Jan 22, 2025 08:19 AM IST

The statement by Blake Lively's lawyers also read that the video showed her “leaning away and repeatedly asking for the characters to just talk.”

Actor Blake Lively's legal team has responded after the lawyers of her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni released a nearly 10-minute video of the duo from the sets of the film. The raw footage was released in a bid to show that Justin didn’t harass Blake when they were filming a romantic scene. As per Just Jared, Blake's lawyers said that the video showed Justin “talking with her out of character.” They added that the video showed Blake trying to deflect Justin's “unwanted touching.” (Also Read | Justin Baldoni leaks footage to popular American outlet to prove Blake Lively lied)

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni starred together in It Ends With Us.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni starred together in It Ends With Us.

What Blake reacted to leaked video with Justin

The statement read, "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. 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."

Blake's lawyers said she tried to lean away

It added that "every moment of this was improvised by Mr Baldoni with no discussion or consent in advance, and no intimacy coordinator present". The statement also read that the video showed Blake "leaning away and repeatedly asking for the characters to just talk". It also said that "no woman should have to take defensive measures to avoid being touched by their employer without their consent". The statement added that any woman who has been "inappropriately touched in the workplace will recognise" Blake’s "discomfort".

Blake's team talks about ‘unwanted touching’

A part of the statement also read, "They will recognise her attempts at levity to try to deflect the unwanted touching. 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. It is also a continuation of their harassment and retaliatory campaign. While they are focused on misleading media narratives, we 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.”

What is the video about

The scene in the video features Blake and Justin‘s characters dancing in a bar. There is no dialogue involved. His lawyer shared the raw footage from the film, claiming it “clearly refutes Ms Lively’s characterisation of his behaviour”.

What Justin's lawyers said

As per US Magazine, it read, “Ms Lively’s complaint alleges that during a scene Mr Baldoni and Ms Lively were filming for a slow dance montage, Mr Baldoni was behaving inappropriately. The following videos captured on May 23, 2023, clearly refute Ms Lively’s characterisation of his behaviour. 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. These are all three takes filmed of the sequence.”

About Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni's legal battle

This comes just days after It Ends With Us actor-director Justin sued Blake and her husband-actor Ryan Reynolds for defamation and extortion. Just two weeks before that, Blake had sued Justin and several others tied to the film, alleging they retaliated against her for coming forward about her treatment on the set. They are engulfed in a bitter legal battle surrounding the dark romantic drama. The fallout between the duo has made major waves in Hollywood and led to discussions of the treatment of female actors on sets.

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