Blake Vigorous had a scathing response to Justin Baldoni releasing uncooked footage from the set of their film “It Ends With Us.”
In a press release offered to The Put up, Vigorous’s authorized workforce mentioned the video that Baldoni, 40, shared on Tuesday “corroborates, to the letter,” her allegations of sexual harassment quite than vindicating him, as his workforce have claimed.
“Justin Baldoni and his lawyer could hope that this newest stunt will get forward of the damaging proof towards him, however the video itself is damning,” the assertion started. “Each body of the launched footage corroborates, to the letter, what Ms. Vigorous described in Paragraph 48 of her Criticism.”
Vigorous’s lawsuit alleges that in a “sluggish dance scene,” Baldoni “leaned ahead and slowly dragged his lips from her ear and down her neck as he mentioned, ‘it smells so good.’” Within the footage that Baldoni’s lawyer shared on Tuesday, which seems to point out the “sluggish dance scene” in query, Vigorous might be heard joking that she’s “most likely getting spray tan on” Baldoni, who laughs and replies, “It smells good.”
Vigorous then replies, “Properly, it’s not that. It’s my physique make-up.”
“The video exhibits Mr. Baldoni repeatedly leaning in towards Ms. Vigorous, making an attempt to kiss her, kissing her brow, rubbing his face and mouth towards her neck, flicking her lip together with his thumb, caressing her, telling her how good she smells, and speaking along with her out of character,” Vigorous’s legal professionals continued.
“Each second of this was improvised by Mr. Baldoni with no dialogue or consent prematurely, and no intimacy coordinator current. Mr. Baldoni was not solely Ms. Vigorous’s co-star, however the director, the top of studio and Ms. Vigorous’s boss.”
The “Gossip Woman” alum’s authorized workforce went on to state that the footage is proof that Vigorous was the sufferer of “undesirable touching” by the hands of Baldoni.
“The video exhibits Ms. Vigorous leaning away and repeatedly asking for the characters to only discuss. Any lady who has been inappropriately touched within the office will acknowledge Ms. Vigorous’s discomfort,” the assertion mentioned. “They are going to acknowledge her makes an attempt at levity to attempt to deflect the undesirable touching.”
Vigorous’s legal professionals added, “No lady ought to must take defensive measures to keep away from being touched by their employer with out their consent.”
The actress’ representatives additionally blasted Baldoni for releasing the footage within the first place, calling it “an unethical try to control the general public.”
“This matter is in lively litigation in federal court docket. Releasing this video to the media, quite than presenting it as proof in court docket, is one other instance of an unethical try to control the general public,” the assertion mentioned. “Additionally it is a continuation of their harassment and retaliatory marketing campaign. Whereas they’re centered on deceptive media narratives, we’re centered on the authorized course of.”
The assertion concluded, “We’re persevering with our efforts to require Mr. Baldoni and his associates to reply in court docket, underneath oath, quite than by way of manufactured media stunts.”
Baldoni’s workforce, in the meantime, has promised to create an internet site the place they are going to launch extra movies together with “correspondence” they imagine corroborates their shopper’s claims towards Vigorous.
Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman informed The Put up: “Justin Baldoni and workforce don’t have anything to cover. And this video, as soon as extra proves this. Justin and workforce have the precise to defend themselves with the reality and that is what we will likely be persevering with to point out with the upcoming web site containing all correspondence in addition to related movies that immediately quash her claims.”
Representatives for the “Jane the Virgin” vet additionally shared a press release included on a title card on the high of the “It Ends With Us” footage.
“The scene in query was designed to point out the 2 characters falling in love and longing to be shut to 1 one other,” the title card learn. “Each actors are clearly behaving properly inside the scope of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism.”
“These are all three takes filmed in sequence.”
Tuesday’s back-and-forth comes on the heels of Baldoni submitting a $400 million countersuit towards Vigorous, and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, after the actress sued him for $250 million, alleging he brought on her to undergo “extreme emotional misery and ache, humiliation, embarrassment, belittlement, frustration and psychological anguish” along with misplaced wages.
Vigorous beforehand filed a grievance with the California Civil Rights Fee, by which she claimed Baldoni sexually harassed her whereas making “It Ends With Us.” She additionally spoke about these claims in an interview with the New York Occasions.
Along with suing Vigorous, Baldoni has sued the New York Occasions for $250 million, for libel and false mild invasion of privateness over the Dec. 21 article on Vigorous’s sexual harassment allegations.