Get a nose job to 'Smells good': Major takeaways from Justin Baldoni's behind-the-scene video footage with Blake Lively

Nearly a week after filing a $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, Justin Baldoni released unedited behind-the-scenes footage from their film, It Ends With Us, on January 21, 2025.

The now-viral footage attempts to refute Lively’s claims from her December 20, 2024 complaint to the California Civil Rights Department, where she alleged that Baldoni s*xually harassed her during the movie’s 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 Ms. Lively later objected to this behavior, Mr. Baldoni’s response was, ‘I’m not even attracted to you,’” her complaint alleged.

Upon the unveiling of the never-seen-before footage, Justin Baldoni was revealed directing the scene. During the scene, Blake Lively suggested it would be “more romantic” if they were “dancing and talking” rather than just staring at each other, as it was a dialogue-free sequence. She also kept insisting "not to give" the audience what they wanted, aka, kissing of their characters.

Subsequently, he was seen snuggling into her neck and asking, “Am I getting beard on you today?” Blake laughed in response and said, “I’m probably getting spray tan on you.” When Baldoni mentioned that it “smells good,” Lively replied, “Well, it’s not that. It’s my body makeup.”

The on-screen couple was also heard talking about their real-life spouses. While Justin shared how he and his wife, Emily Foxler, often stared at each other, Blake shared how she and Ryan Reynolds were always talking and often thought, “There’s not enough time in the day to talk.”

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Exploring the statements regarding the BTS video from the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni camps

Justin Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, shared the behind-the-scenes video footage of the slow dance montage, which was obtained by media outlets TMZ, Daily Mail, and Fox News Digital before it was circulated online.

The clip began with a statement that 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 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. These are all three takes filmed of the sequence.”

Meanwhile, Blake Lively’s legal counsel told the press that the video was the “latest stunt” from Justin Baldoni’s side. However, it provided “d*ming” and “damaging evidence” while corroborating her s*xual harassment accusations against her co-star/director.

Lively’s attorneys argued that every “moment” from the scene was “improvised” by Baldoni without any “discussion or consent in advance,” nor was any “intimacy coordinator present.”

"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,” her lawyers noted.

They explained that Justin Baldoni was not only Blake’s male co-lead but also the film’s director, head of studio, and her “boss,” which made the matter far more complicated.

"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,” her legal team shared.

Blake Lively’s attorneys slammed the video release, calling it an “unethical attempt to manipulate the public” and “a continuation of their harassment and retaliatory campaign.” They mentioned that the case was in “active litigation in federal court,” and the footage shouldn’t have reached the hands of the “media” but rather presented as “evidence in court.”

“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,” Lively's attorneys said.

According to People Magazine, Justin Baldoni’s attorneys promised to launch a website that would include “all correspondence as well as relevant videos that quash her claims.”

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For those unaware, Blake Lively first made an official complaint to the California Civil Rights Department on December 20, 2024, accusing Justin Baldoni of s*xual harassment. Her complaint alleges that Baldoni created a “hostile work environment” and displayed “disturbing” and “unprofessional” behavior on the set of It Ends With Us.

She also accused him of running a smear campaign against her with the help of the film’s producer, Jamey Heath, publicist Jennifer Abel, and crisis manager Melissa Nathan. On December 31, 2024, she filed a civil suit against the team, where she mentioned that her experiences led to “grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety.”

Justin Baldoni responded with a $400 million lawsuit, and three fellow plaintiffs filed against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, their publicist Leslie Sloane, and her PR firm, Vision PR, Inc. Although Taylor Swift was mentioned in the court documents, she was not named as a defendant.

Justin Baldoni’s suit against Lively alleges that she and her co-defendants tried to “gain control” of the movie. The suit listed a series of complaints, including civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentional interference with contractual relations, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, and negligent interference with prospective economic advantage.