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Justin Baldoni has shared unreleased on-set footage from “It Ends With Us” as part of an effort to dispel sexual harassment claims Blake Lively made against him.
Baldoni, 40, filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, 37, and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, after the actress sued him for $250 million, alleging he caused her to suffer “severe emotional distress and pain, humiliation, embarrassment, belittlement, frustration and mental anguish” in addition to lost wages.
Lively previously filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Commission, in which she claimed Baldoni sexually harassed her while making “It Ends With Us.” She also spoke about those claims in an interview with the New York Times.
The new video, which was sent to The Post by Baldoni’s legal counsel Bryan Freedman, shows Lively and Baldoni slow-dancing as their characters Lily and Ryle in May 2023. Baldoni’s legal counsel claims the footage refutes Lively’s characterization of his behavior.
“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,” a statement at the top of the video reads.
“These are all three takes filmed in sequence.”
The footage was intended to be used as part of a montage so the actors did not have any dialogue. Nevertheless, the pair wear microphones and their conversation can be heard.
Lively’s lawsuit alleges that during a “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.’ ” In the raw footage of what appears to be the “slow dance scene” in question, Lively can be heard joking that she’s “probably getting spray tan on” Baldoni, who laughs and replies, “It smells good.”
“Well, it’s not that. It’s my body makeup,” Lively replied.
The video also references a charge Baldoni has leveled against Lively, namely that she implied he should get plastic surgery on his nose.
Both stars joke about Baldoni’s nose in the new clip and Lively makes a joke that references plastic surgery.
In a statement given to The Post Tuesday, Baldoni’s team revealed they plan to create a website where they will release additional videos and “correspondence” to support their claims.
Baldoni’s attorney Freedman told The Post: “Justin Baldoni and team have nothing to hide. And this video, once more proves this. Justin and team have the right to defend themselves with the truth and this is what we will be continuing to show with the upcoming website containing all correspondence as well as relevant videos that directly quash her claims.”
The Post has reached out to representatives for Lively.
The actress’ legal team previously commented on Baldoni’s lawsuit against her and her associates, telling The Post, “This latest lawsuit from Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its associates is another chapter in the abuser playbook.
“This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim. This is what experts call DARVO. Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim Offender.”
The statement continued, “Wayfarer has opted to use the resources of its billionaire co-founder to issue media statements, launch meritless lawsuits, and threaten litigation to overwhelm the public’s ability to understand that what they are doing is retaliation against sexual harassment allegations.”
“They are trying to shift the narrative to Ms. Lively by falsely claiming that she seized creative control and alienated the cast from Mr. Baldoni. The evidence will show that the cast and others had their own negative experiences with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer,” Lively’s lawyers added. “The evidence will also show that Sony asked Ms. Lively to oversee Sony’s cut of the film, which they then selected for distribution and was a resounding success.”
“Their response to sexual harassment allegations: she wanted it, it’s her fault. Their justification for why this happened to her: look what she was wearing,” the statement continued. “In short, while the victim focuses on the abuse, the abuser focuses on the victim. The strategy of attacking the woman is desperate, it does not refute the evidence in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and it will fail.”
In addition to suing Lively, Baldoni has sued the New York Times for $250 million, for libel and false light invasion of privacy over the Dec. 21 article on Lively’s sexual harassment allegations.