Blake Lively It Ends With Us co-star delivers body-blow in legal battle against Justin Baldoni

The ongoing legal stoush between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has delivered a right hook for the It Ends With Us actor after one of her co-stars spoke out against her claims during proceedings in the US.

Lively, who has been the centre of a high-profile sexual harassment case against director Justin Baldoni after she filed a lawsuit in California last year, has now involved fellow actor Adam Mondschein, claiming Baldoni cast his friend in a “violative birthing scene”.

Mondschein has spoken out about Lively’s claims that she feels he was cast because he was Baldoni’s “best friend” and that the role involved scenes that were “invasive and humiliating”.

In amended legal reports filed earlier this year, Ms Lively claims she “felt that the selection of Mr Baldoni’s friend for this intimate role, in which the actor’s face and hands were in close proximity to her nearly nude genitalia for a birth scene, was invasive and humiliating”.

The Daily Mail reported a document obtained by them states Mondschein says he is “not going to speculate as to Ms Lively’s motivations for mentioning me in the complaint”.

“Needless to say, my experience working with her is very different than the one she described in her lawsuit. Indeed, I was surprised to read her description of the scene.

“Her costume included a full hospital gown, black shorts and torso-covering prosthetic to make her appear pregnant in addition to whatever personal garments she chose.”

Mondschein further claimed Lively “never complained or expressed discomfort at any point because nothing unusual or improper occurred. It was entirely professional.”

Lively’s claim in the lawsuit that Mondschein’s role was typically one which was filled by a “local actor” was slammed by the actor as “offensive”, as he cited his own qualifications, including a master’s in fine arts from UCLA.

“Lastly, I was, in fact, a local hire (my wife and I are from New York and spend significant time there). As such, I, like any actor accepting that contract, was required to cover my own travel and living expenses in connection with the job,” the actor added.

Mondschein said he would take to the stand to testify in Lively and Baldoni’s trial, stating: “If I’m called to testify in the case I will answer truthfully, and more freely, whatever is asked of me with all the legal protection that affords.”

The circumstances around Lively’s legal proceedings surround her claim that the set was not closed during the filming of certain scenes and her privacy was not properly protected.

Through her lawyers, Lively claimed that “on the day of shooting the scene in which Ms Lively’s character gives birth, Mr Baldoni and Mr Heath (Jamey Heath - chief executive of Wayfarer Studios) suddenly pressured Ms Lively to simulate full nudity, despite no mention of nudity for this scene in the script, her contract, or in previous creative discussions.”

“Mr Heath and Mr Baldoni also failed to close the set, allowing non-essential crew to pass through while Ms Lively was partially nude from below the chest down with her legs spread wide in stirrups and only a small piece of fabric covering her genitalia.”

Earlier this month, Baldoni accused Lively of staging a PR stunt against him which he claimed was “designed to ruin the reputations and careers of the Wayfarer parties” after she filed to dismiss his lawsuit on March 20; seen in 2024

Baldoni has recently filed a $US400 million ($671 million) lawsuit against the actress as well as filing a $US250 million libel lawsuit against the New York Times which reported on Lively’s allegations.

Baldoni stated he was ‘exercising’ his First Amendment right ‘to petition the court to clear their names from her false and harmful claims.’