A viral unedited footage from "It Ends with Us" appears to contradict Blake Lively's sexual harassment charges against Justin Baldoni.
The clip illuminates a contentious court struggle, including Lively's assertion that Baldoni acted improperly during a passionate dance scene.
In her civil rights complaint, Lively accused Baldoni of dragging his lips down her neck during a staged dance performance and whispering, "It smells so good." For the silent scene, the mics were off, so no one heard the statement.
This new footage shows the two stars having a fun conversation. At seven minutes, Baldoni asks, "Am I getting beard on you?" Lively laughs, "I'm probably getting spray tan on you."
Baldoni stated, "It smells good," making both actors giggle. Maintaining their lighthearted tone, Lively says the perfume derives from her body makeup.
Mia Schachter, an intimacy coordinator who has worked on Apple TV+'s "Lessons in Chemistry," HBO's "Insecure," and FX's "American Crime Story," told The Hollywood Reporter, that fans should look at the larger picture rather than this comment.
She explained that, regarding the comment about the smell, it wasn't necessarily about that specific remark, but more about whether it was the tipping point in a larger pattern.
She suggested that the person likely had a list of instances where they felt uncomfortable and pressured, with various inappropriate things occurring. According to her, that particular comment might not have stood out if someone felt comfortable and safe.
Schachter acknowledged its complexity "because obviously to say that in character makes sense."
She explained that while the remark, if said out of character, wasn't inherently wrong or inappropriate, she could understand how, given the growing discomfort and repeated boundary-crossing, it could be seen as another instance of something out of line.
When comparing the headline that appears in the Daily Mail with the video that poses the question "Who's Lying?"In her admission, Schachter states that she does not believe either of them are lying.
"I think they're both talking from their own experience," she told THR. "They are really strongly disagreeing about things like professionalism, etiquette, what's appropriate, what's not, what it means to be an actor. There are actors still who are like, 'This should all be organic' and 'Oh, I'm sorry I pushed you. I was in the moment.'"
Schachter mentioned that most, if not all, intimacy coordinators and stunt coordinators would agree that you shouldn't kiss someone without discussing it beforehand.
She noted that, in Hollywood, not too long ago, such behavior wasn't uncommon. However, she clarified that this didn't make it acceptable, but rather reflected the different set of standards that were once in place, per The Blast.
At the end of the day, Schachter believes that Baldoni ought to have taken the initiative and made certain that Lively was at ease when shooting the scenes.
Schachter stated, that in a scene like that, without an intimacy coordinator, it was the actor's responsibility to ask Lively about her thoughts on kissing in the scene if that's what he intended.
She pointed out that he neither asked her nor mentioned wanting to include the kiss; instead, he simply went for it. When she pulled away, he kissed her again.
Schachter emphasized that he should have communicated his intention to shoot the kiss, but he didn't, which she felt was concerning both from an acting and directing standpoint.
Business Times has reached out to Justin Baldoni for comments.
