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Blake Lively is facing intense scrutiny after reports surfaced of an unscripted moment in which she grabbed her male co-star “by the nuts” while filming A Simple Favor.
Her actions have come under renewed attention amid allegations from co-star Justin Baldoni about inappropriate behavior on set.
The film’s director, Paul Feig, is heard in the recorded commentary over A Simple Favor, praising Blake Lively’s impromptu addition to a scene, saying, “One of my favorite additions that you came up with – grabbing his nuts. You really went for it too.”
Lively laughs in response, saying, “That’s always awkward – ‘Hey, nice to meet you, can I grab your nuts really hard? Not because I want to but because I feel like (my character, Emily) would.'”
A source close to the actor commented, “This video will definitely be used by Justin Baldoni’s legal team in his case against Blake. It’s a significant piece of evidence that no one saw coming. It’s a smoking gun.”
The source continued, “Blake openly admitted to grabbing her co-star’s crotch as part of an improvised moment, and Paul confirmed that it was unscripted. The video clearly shows Blake doing exactly what she is now accusing Justin of, only in this case, it’s even worse.”
“Had Justin grabbed Blake’s crotch or breasts without her consent, she would likely have pursued criminal assault charges. Yet, when she did it in A Simple Favor, she laughed it off.”
Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni of fostering a toxic work environment and orchestrating a smear campaign against her during the press tour for A Simple Favor.
In her lawsuit against the It Ends With Us filmmaker, Lively included screenshots of text message exchanges between Baldoni, PR manager Melissa Nathan, and publicist Jennifer Abel, which seemingly discuss strategies to undermine the actress.
In January, Baldoni filed a 179-page complaint in the Southern District of New York, involving his publicists, accusing Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, of civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy. He requested a jury trial and sought $400 million in damages.
Baldoni’s lawsuit asserts: “At its core, this is not a case of celebrities feuding in the press. This is a case of two of the most influential stars in the world using their immense power to seize control of an entire film from its director and production studio.”
“When Plaintiffs have their day in court, the jury will see that even the most powerful celebrity cannot manipulate the truth to suit her agenda.”
Baldoni asserted that he possesses a “mountain of concrete evidence” that contradicts Lively’s allegations.
One piece of evidence includes a video that appears to refute Lively’s claims regarding the film’s director allegedly dragging his lips down her neck and whispering, “It smells so good,” during intimate scenes.
Lively had previously insisted that no one had heard the comment. However, behind-the-scenes footage captured by the sound equipment revealed the actors’ small talk, showing that Baldoni’s remark about her scent was actually a response to Lively mentioning her recent spray tan.
In response to the video, Lively’s legal team stated: “Justin Baldoni and his lawyer may hope that this latest move will help them get ahead of the damaging evidence against him, but the video itself is incriminating.
“It clearly shows Mr. Baldoni repeatedly leaning in toward Ms. Lively, attempting to kiss her, kissing her forehead, and rubbing his face and mouth against her neck.
“Every frame of the released footage fully supports what Ms. Lively described in her Complaint, down to the last detail.”
