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Actor and director Justin Baldoni has released out-takes from a romantic scene in his film It Ends With Us, which he says is evidence that his co-star Blake Lively’s allegations of sexual harassment are unfounded.
However, she has responded by saying the footage of the pair filming a slow dance is “damning” and corroborates her claims.
The two stars played a couple in the hit film, which came out last year, but have since become embroiled in an increasingly bitter legal battle.
Lively, 37, sued Baldoni, 40, in December, accusing him of engaging in “inappropriate and unwelcome behaviour” and a smear campaign to “destroy” her reputation. He countersued last week, claiming she had made a “duplicitous attempt to destroy” him.
On Tuesday, Baldoni’s team released almost 10 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage to outlets including the Daily Mail and Variety.
It includes three takes from a scene set in a bar, and starts with a caption saying they “clearly refute” Lively’s allegations of inappropriate behaviour, and show both actors “clearly behaving well within the scope of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism”.
Lively’s lawyers said it showed him “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 “was improvised by Mr Baldoni with no discussion or consent in advance, and no intimacy co-ordinator present”, they said.
“Any woman who has been inappropriately touched in the workplace will recognise Ms Lively’s discomfort. 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.”
Releasing the video was “another example of an unethical attempt to manipulate the public”, they claimed.
Baldoni’s lawyer told the Hollywood Reporter his client was exercising “his right to publicly defend himself by putting forth actual facts and evidence”.
“Ms Lively wants very different standards to apply to her but fortunately, truth and authenticity apply to everyone and can never be wrong,” he said.
The scene shows Lively and Baldoni, who was also the film’s director, slow dancing in a bar and their audio was recorded. After an initial exchange in which she questions whether they are in the correct position, they dance and smile silently. He kisses her forehead then goes to kiss her on the lips before she apparently hesitates and they continue dancing. She then seems to turn her head with their faces close together and he kisses her cheek.
She tells him: “I think we should be talking. I think it’s more romantic if we’re like… dancing and talking.” He agrees and says “the whole montage is us talking”.
She continues: “Cause it’s like the moment they kiss, then you give them the thing that they want.” He replies: “That’s why almost kissing is also good.” She responds: “Yeah. But we’re still talking.”
They continue dancing affectionately, laughing and discussing the scene. He nuzzles her neck. She tells him talking is “more romantic”. He says he “just got lost” and there’s “no issue with talking most of the time” because viewers will “never know what’s being said in slow motion”.
He tells her “I know you and Ryan [Reynolds, her husband] talk all the time”, but he and his wife Emily like to stare at each other, joking that “you would find it terrifying”. She laughs and jokes that “I’d be like, ‘Oh no I found a sociopath'”.
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