HighlightsHollywood intimacy coordinator Mia Schachter shared her take on Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s dance scene.Schachter said the footage shows the actor and director trying to kiss his co-star.Lively’s team previously said the footage was evidence of “unwanted touching.”
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An intimacy coordinator weighed in on Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s dance scene
Image credits:Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
“The first thing is that he is trying to kiss her, and they clearly haven’t discussed that ahead of time, and she keeps pulling away and clearly doesn’t want to do that,” she toldThe Hollywood Reporter.
Thescene in questionis described in the script as “Lily and Ryle slow dance in the bar. Patrons around them drinking and watching sports. Completely in their own world.” As Schachter explained, there is no mention of kissing.
However, Baldoni “just went for it. She pulled away, and then he did it again.”
His failure to communicate is “pretty damning, both as an actor and director,” Schachter stressed.
Image credits:Netflix
The intimacy coordinator doesn’t believe either of theactorsare lying. Instead, she attributes the conflict to professional disagreements about what the scene should have looked like.
“I think they’re both talking from their own experience. They are really strongly disagreeing about things like professionalism, etiquette, what’s appropriate, what’s not, what it means to be an actor.”
The expert said an intimacy coordinator typically wouldn’t be present on set during that scene because there is no physical intimacy in the script. If one was present, they would ensure the rules were clearly communicated.
“This is the kind of touch that is on the table. Nothing else is; we’re not going to bring anything into the scene that we haven’t discussed prior.”
The behind-the-scenes footage shows Baldoni trying to kiss Lively, who pulls away, according to Mia Schachter
Image credits:Gotham/GC Images
When asked about the power imbalance, the intimacy coordinator explained that whileLivelyis a much bigger name in Hollywood than Baldoni, this didn’t change the fact that she had to take directions from him.
“Even though she’s Blake Lively and can say no and isn’t going to be fired for speaking her mind the way that somebody else might fear, she still has to keep working with him and keep the peace and play nice.”
Baldoni’s legal team leaked the footage, claiming it serves as evidence of an amicable relationship between the stars on set
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“I can just see her trying to stay lighthearted and in good spirits about it and not upset him or anybody and not waste anybody’s time.
“I would say she has a significant amount of power here. But regardless, he is the director, and she’s supposed to take direction from him.”
After the behind-the-scenes footage was leaked, Lively’s team stated that it shows Lively “trying to deflect the unwanted touching.”
They claimBaldonican be seen “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.”
However, to Schachter, it shows that Baldoni is forcing more intimacy than what was outlined in the script
The legal battle between Lively and Baldoni— whodirectedthe film and plays her romantic interest—began in December 2024 when she filed a lawsuit against him ten days after lodging her initial complaint with the California Civil Rights Department.
Lively accuses Baldoni of sexual harassment, including “uninvited” visits to her trailer while she was undressed and pressure to simulate full nudity that she says wasn’t previously discussed.
Watch the behind-the-scenes footage below
Additionally, the 40-year-oldJane the Virginstar alleges Lively hijacked the film andescorted him to the basementduring the film’s premiere in August 2024.
Baldoni’s behavior during the dancing scene continued to spark conversation online
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