Justin Baldoni‘s legal team sent shockwaves throughout cyberspace when they dropped an unedited clip from the sets of ‘It Ends With Us‘, featuring a slow-dance scene with Blake Lively. The clip has since sparked debate among both Blake and Justin supporters, with each left conflicted and divided over the content in the footage and the mentioned scene in the lawsuit.
Now, Intimacy Coordinator, Mia Schachter shared her professional analysis, highlighting troubling red flags peppered in the footage. While the clip was intended to support Baldoni’s defence amidst counter lawsuits, Blake’s legal team claimed it highlighted unprofessional behaviour, pointing out that Justin attempted to kiss Blake while improvising during a scene.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Mia noted that the scene likely didn’t have an intimacy coordinator present, as the script did not specify a kiss or intimate interaction. She explained that a coordinator is usually not present on set unless “simulated sex or nudity” is being filmed.
After reviewing the footage, Mia observed that Justin appeared to attempt a kiss, despite Blake pulling away. “They clearly haven’t discussed that ahead of time, and she keeps pulling away and clearly doesn’t want to do that,” she noted.
While Blake’s celebrity status gave her more authority to oppose the impromptu kiss, Mia pointed out the complex power dynamics at play, with Justin serving as both her director and co-star. “Regardless of her star power, she’s supposed to take direction from him. I was surprised that this was the clip his team chose to release—it seems to undermine their argument,” she told the portal.
Mia also made it clear that while she may have spotted some red flags, she believed that both actors were speaking honestly about their conflicting experiences on set. “I think they’re both talking from their own perspectives and experiences. They strongly disagree about what’s appropriate and what isn’t,” she said and went on to slam Justin for failing to communicate his intentions, “That’s pretty damning, both as an actor and a director.”
She also noted that such improvised, “organic” acting methods were more common in the past but would no longer be acceptable under today’s industry standards. “You just don’t do that anymore. It’s clear the industry is operating under a new set of guidelines, and for good reason,” Mia said.
