Hollywood drama rarely reaches such awkward heights, but recent court documents from the ongoing legal battle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively reveal uncomfortable conversations that allegedly took place before and during filming of It Ends With Us.
The newly unsealed depositions paint a picture of professional boundaries dissolving in real time.
Among the most startling revelations: Baldoni, who produced, directed, and starred in the film, disclosed his circumcision status to Lively before cameras even started rolling.
And somehow, things only got more uncomfortable from there.
When Pre-Production Gets Too Personal
According to testimony, Baldoni met with a pregnant Lively to convince her to take the role. During this meeting—attended by Lively’s husband Ryan Reynolds and other staff members—conversation turned to whether she planned to circumcise her fourth child.
At some point during this discussion, Baldoni volunteered information about his own circumcision status.
When asked by Lively’s attorney Michael J. Gottlieb if Lively directly asked about his circumcision, Baldoni responded with a telling answer.
Directly, no.
This response suggests there may have been indirect prompting, though details remain murky. What’s clear is that personal boundaries appeared blurred from the very beginning of their professional relationship.
The “Female Gaze” Takes Center Stage
Much of Baldoni’s deposition centers on his attempts to frame It Ends With Us around what he called the “female gaze.” His definition? Something inherent to anyone who identifies as female.
But his interpretation of this concept led to repeated conflicts with both Lively and co-star Jenny Slate.
In his first script draft, Baldoni included a sex scene where Lily’s character climaxes while Ryle’s character does not. He believed this would appeal to female viewers.
Lively pushed back hard against this creative choice, saying she would be mortified if such a situation happened to her in real life. According to testimony, Baldoni then cited an example from his own intimate life to defend the scene.
A Pattern of Uncomfortable Interactions
The wardrobe incident with Jenny Slate reveals another layer of workplace tension. Baldoni told Slate she looked “sexy” in pants selected by the costume department for a party scene.
Slate reportedly asked him to reconsider his language, though Baldoni characterized the exchange as mostly lighthearted.
It’s like we are staying away from using those words to describe, you know, women’s bodies.
Gottlieb then pressed Baldoni on whether Slate’s objection represented her “female gaze” versus his “male perspective.” Baldoni’s response showed visible confusion about the terminology he’d been using to promote the film.
I don’t know if it’s possible that I can have a different gaze as a male. So I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re asking.
From Hugging Culture to High-Five Territory
Earlier portions of the deposition addressed what Gottlieb termed a “culture of hugging” on set. When Baldoni learned people felt uncomfortable with physical contact, he reportedly instituted changes.
The new approach? High fives and verbal compliments instead.
Even this sanitized version of set dynamics sounds awkward at best, suggesting deeper issues with professional boundaries throughout production.
Male Ally or Overfamiliar Director?
What emerges from these depositions is a portrait of someone whose self-identification as a male feminist ally may have backfired spectacularly. Baldoni had built part of his public reputation on supporting women’s voices and perspectives in Hollywood.
Yet his behavior on set—sharing intimate personal details, defending questionable creative choices by referencing his sex life, and using language that made female colleagues uncomfortable—suggests a disconnect between image and reality.
The legal proceedings won’t reach trial for another four months, and Lively’s deposition remains sealed. Without her testimony, only one side of these interactions is currently public.
What This Means for Hollywood Workplace Culture
These revelations add to ongoing conversations about appropriate professional behavior in entertainment. Several patterns stand out:
- Oversharing personal information creates uncomfortable power dynamics, especially between directors and actors
- Claiming feminist credentials doesn’t automatically make someone immune to crossing boundaries
- Physical contact norms need explicit consent rather than assumed comfort levels
- Language matters, particularly when describing women’s bodies or appearances in professional settings
The It Ends With Us case demonstrates how quickly workplace culture can deteriorate when boundaries aren’t clearly established and maintained. What began as a film project centered on domestic violence ended up generating its own uncomfortable working conditions.
As more documents become unsealed in coming months, additional details will likely emerge about what happened behind the scenes. For now, these depositions offer a cautionary tale about the gap between publicly professed values and actual behavior.
Sometimes the worst work environment isn’t created through obvious malice, but through someone convinced their good intentions excuse boundary violations.