Justin Baldoni claimed to have the women on set to take the lead in coordinating kissing and other potentially uncomfortable scenes during filming.

The behind-the-scenes drama of Justin Baldoni’s adaptation of the bestselling novel, It Ends With Us has taken an unexpected turn, with Blake Lively filing a lawsuit against the actor and director of the movie. Lively’s lawsuit accuses Baldoni of multiple instances of misconduct during the film’s production.

It Ends With Us | Credit: Sony Pictures

The allegations stand in stark contrast to Baldoni’s earlier claims during the film’s promotion, where he stated that he stepped back from directing intimate scenes, allowing the women on set to take charge of those sequences.

Justin Baldoni’s claims regarding filming intimate scenes in It Ends With Us

Justin Baldoni received widespread praise for highlighting critical issues like domestic violence during the promotion of the 2024 romantic drama, It Ends With Us.

During one such interview with Cosmopolitan UK, the filmmaker discussed his approach to intimate and emotionally charged scenes while reflecting on working with the intimacy coordinator while filming.

Justin Baldoni | Credit: Cosmopolitan UK via YouTube

Early on, as I was beginning to start the process of adapting this film, I’m a man… and this is a story that is told through the lens of a woman, especially when it relates to intimacy scenes and to scenes where there is a mix of intimacy and violence. I wanted to make sure that those scenes had a female gaze.

He shared that they had two female intimacy coordinators and a female stunt coordinator. He also claimed that he stepped back during those scenes, allowing women on set, including his co-star Blake Lively, to take charge of such sequences.

He said,

Honestly, there were many instances on set where I just let the women figure it out, and I took a step back and kind of jumped in more as an actor in those scenes than even as a director. I didn’t want this to feel like these scenes were shot by a man and through a male perspective.

A still from It Ends With Us | Credit: Sony Pictures

He also shared that he found it fulfilling to “just jump in as an actor” and that it helped the film to be presented with a female perspective, making it appear more authentic to the source material.

Blake Lively accuses Justin Baldoni of s*xual harassment and retaliation

While Justin Baldoni claimed to have let the women on set take charge of the narrative in several scenes, including the intimate sequences, Blake Lively’s lawsuit contradicts his assertions, leveling serious allegations of s*xual harassment and fostering a hostile work environment.

Blake Lively in It Ends With Us | Credit: Sony Pictures

In her lawsuit, the actress accused Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath of inappropriate behavior, including discussing “their past s*xual relationships” and their “previous p**nography addiction” on the film set, as per Variety.

Additionally, it also noted the director’s handling of intimate scenes, reportedly alleging that Baldoni improvised unwanted kissing during filming.

As a result, Lively allegedly demanded that no additional “s*x scenes, oral s*x, or on-camera climaxing” be included in the movie beyond what was already scripted and pre-approved.

After the film’s distributor, Sony Pictures approved her request, Lively claims that Baldoni retaliated by orchestrating a “social manipulation” campaign to damage her reputation.

Justin Baldoni directed and starred in It Ends With Us | Credit: Sony Pictures

The complaint reportedly includes text messages and emails between Baldoni and his publicity team outlining a detailed plan and social media strategy to counteract any public revelations about the on-set issues.

Lively’s lawsuit also asserts that the inappropriate behavior during filming caused “severe emotional harm” to her and her family. Baldoni’s lawyer, however, have dismissed the allegations as “shameful” and filled with “categorically false accusations,” strongly refuting Lively’s claims in a statement.

It Ends With Us is available to watch on Netflix.