Blake Lively's legal team is pushing back against Justin Baldoni's attorneys after they released footage that seems to show the actors' behind-the-scenes conflict on the set of It Ends with Us. The footage is part of a larger effort by Baldoni's team to defend him against Lively's lawsuit accusing him of sexual harassment and misconduct.?
On January 21, attorney Bryan Freedman, representing Justin Baldoni, released an uncut video obtained by The Raw Beast?from the sets of their 2024 film, which appears to show the co-stars exchanging a lighthearted moment. The footage captures the two actors filming a scene, and at one point, they break character to jokingly discuss Baldoni's nose and Lively's spray tan.?
Referring to the raw footage, his lawyers claimed that it ¡°clearly refutes Ms. Lively¡¯s characterization of his behavior.¡± "Both actors are clearly behaving well within the scope of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism,¡± Freedman noted.
Freedman added this video is just one piece of proof that they have nothing to hide, and they're planning to launch a website that will share all the relevant videos that disprove Lively's claims.
Blake Lively's legal team has now responded to the released video, stating that it actually supports her allegations rather than refutes them. In a statement to PEOPLE, her team said that the footage is "damning" and corroborates the details outlined in her complaint. They said that Lively took defensive measures to avoid the alleged harassment.?
Lively¡¯s lawyers added, ¡°Mr. Baldoni was not only Ms. Lively¡¯s co-star but also the director, the head of the studio, and Ms. Lively¡¯s boss. 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. They will recognize 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.¡±
They added that Baldoni's decision to release footage from the set of It Ends with Us was an "unethical attempt to manipulate the public" and a continuation of his harassment and retaliatory campaign.?
Blake Lively's lawsuit, filed in December, claims that Justin Baldoni's behavior on the set of the Colleen Hoover adaptation created a "hostile work environment" and caused her significant emotional distress, including "grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety," due to his alleged inappropriate actions.
Presenting an example of the inappropriate behavior, Lively said that during a particular ¡°slow dance scene,¡± Baldoni ¡°leaned forward and slowly dragged his lips from her ear and down her neck as he said, ¡®It smells so good.¡¯¡±
¡°When [she] later objected to this behavior, Mr. Baldoni¡¯s response was, ¡®I¡¯m not even attracted to you,¡± Lively added in her lawsuit.?
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