Blake Lively's lawyers have slammed Justin Baldoni's legal team for releasing behind-the-scenes footage from It Ends with Us.
The former Gossip Girl actress recently filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, alleging he sexually harassed her on set and subjected her to a smear campaign with the intention of damaging her reputation following the release of their movie last August.
Baldoni, who acted in and directed the feature, denied the allegations and later filed a lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and publicist Leslie Sloane seeking damages in the amount of $400 million (£326 million).
Amid the fallout, Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman released a video on Tuesday which shows the Jane the Virgin actor and Lively filming a non-dialogue scene for the adaptation of the popular Colleen Hoover novel.
In the footage, obtained by TMZ, Baldoni and Lively are seen shooting a slow-dance sequence where their characters Ryle Kincaid and Lily Bloom are meant to be falling in love.
In her lawsuit, Lively alleged Baldoni "leaned forward and slowly dragged his lips from her ear and down her neck as he said, 'It smells so good.'"
However, the 40-year-old's lawyers claimed the three takes included in the unedited montage was the entirety of footage shot for the scene.
"Both actors are clearly behaving well within the scope of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism," a title card reads.
Yet, Lively's team rejected the allegations and insisted the footage corroborates her account "to the letter".
They claimed it shows her leaning away from Baldoni as he nuzzles her neck and asks, "Am I getting beard on you today?"
She is seen laughing and replying, "I'm probably getting spray tan on you."
"It smells good," he responds.
In addition, the 37-year-old's team asserted that the video was "damning" and claimed Baldoni improvised the scene without consent or an intimacy coordinator present.
They also called it a "stunt" and "an unethical attempt to manipulate the public".
"Any woman who has been inappropriately touched in the workplace will recognise Ms. Lively's discomfort," the lawyers stated. "No woman should have to take defensive measures to avoid being touched by their employer without their consent."
Meanwhile, Baldoni's lawyers have promised to launch a website that will contain messages and "relevant videos that quash her claims".
