An “It Ends With Us” crew member claims Blake Lively did try to “take power” over Justin Baldoni’s film, contradicting the actress’ version of what went down on the movie set.
Lively and Baldoni have taken their filming feud to the next level by filing lawsuits against each other. Lively accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her while filming. Meanwhile, Baldoni insisted in his lawsuit that Lively “falsely” accused him in an attempt to repair her reputation following the fallout around the movie’s press tour after she took control of the film. Now, a crew member has seemingly backed up some of Baldoni’s claims.
“I feel, like, maybe Blake [Lively] smelled his kindness — mistook it for weakness — and tried to take advantage and take power,” Talia Spencer, a storyboard artist for “It Ends With Us,” said during an interview with “60 minutes Australia.”
Spencer claimed Lively “tried to” gain control of the film, telling the interviewer, “I think there was a massive compromise in terms of Justin’s original vision for the film.” She added: “To see it be overtaken by this was definitely a little bit sad.”
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A crew member from “It Ends With Us” claims Blake Lively took “advantage” of Justin Baldoni. (Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Lively and Baldoni regarding the interview.
While the crew member didn’t share any specific details from filming, Baldoni claimed Lively took control of “It Ends With Us” in his defamation lawsuit against the actress and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. According to Baldoni’s lawsuit, Lively “began inserting herself into the production process in intrusive ways well beyond the scope of her contractual entitlements” almost immediately.
Baldoni painted a picture of Lively’s campaign to take over control of the film, starting with the claim that the “Gossip Girl” star insisted on creative control of her wardrobe. The actor went on to share other aspects of “It Ends With Us” filming that Lively moved to control, including rewriting the lines of her character and other cast members on the spot. According to Baldoni, Lively made multiple threats throughout filming to ensure she could maintain control.
“It is well documented on film footage how frequently she requested changes, and how, at every turn, Baldoni took her thoughts and, out of fear of repercussions from Lively and her allies, he consistently tried to accommodate them,” the lawsuit read.
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Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively have both sued each other after working on “It Ends With Us.” (Getty Images)
Later, Lively allegedly requested to be involved in the editing process — something that is not a normal request from the star nor was included in her contract. She allegedly threatened not to participate in the promotion of the film, if her demand was not met.
“Wayfarer and Sony found themselves in the unprecedented and uncomfortable predicament of having two competing versions of the Film: one made by the Film’s actual director, and one made by a person with no contractual or creative right to even approach the editing bay, let alone make her own cut,” Baldoni’s lawsuit read.
Blake Lively is seen on the set of “It Ends With Us” on May 18, 2023. The actress claimed she was sexually harassed by Justin Baldoni during filming. Baldoni denies the claims. (Nancy Rivera/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
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The crew member’s version of events comes after a cast member contradicted Lively’s claim about her character being “nearly nude” during an “invasive” birthing scene. Adam Mondschein, who played the role of Dr. Dunbar in the film, shared a different perspective from his time filming with Lively.
“I’m not going to speculate as to Ms. Lively’s motivations for mentioning me in the complaint,” Mondschein said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “Needless to say, my experience working with her is very different than the one she described in her lawsuit. Indeed, I was surprised to read her description of the scene.
Blake Lively’s “It Ends With Us” co-star, Adam Mondschein, disputed claims the actress made in her lawsuit. (Getty Images)
“If I’m called to testify in the case I will answer truthfully, and more freely, whatever is asked of me with all the legal protection that affords. In particular, by noting that Ms. Lively was not ‘nearly nude’ in the scene we shot together. Her costume included a full hospital gown, black shorts, and torso-covering prosthetic to make her appear pregnant in addition to whatever personal garments she chose.”
He added, “She never complained or expressed discomfort at any point because nothing unusual or improper occurred. It was entirely professional. “
Lively alleged in her complaint that the birthing scene was “chaotic, crowded and utterly lacking in standard industry protections for filming nude scenes.”
She also claimed that Baldoni failed to close the set and allowed people in who were non-essential to the scene while she was “mostly nude with her legs spread wide in stirrups and only a small piece of fabric covering her genitalia.”
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Justin Baldoni not only starred in the film adaptation of the novel “It Ends With Us” alongside Blake Lively, but also directed the movie. (Getty Images)
Lively sued Baldoni first for sexual harassment after the two starred together in the Colleen Hoover-adapted film “It Ends With Us.” Since the premiere of the movie in August, Lively has also accused Baldoni of participating in a deliberate smear campaign to ruin her reputation.
Baldoni accused Lively of tormenting him, his family and colleagues in a lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York in January. Baldoni’s legal team claimed Lively has no evidence of a deliberate smear campaign and instead worked to repair her reputation by accusing the actor and others of sexual harassment.
Lively and Baldoni’s back-and-forth legal battle seemingly has no end in sight. After both filed their respective lawsuits against the other, the two have shown no signs of settling outside of court.
A trial date is set for March 2026.
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Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
