Justin Baldoni recently found himself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, as a resurfaced interview from the promotion of It Ends With Us reveals him awkwardly dodging questions about his co-star Blake Lively. The uncomfortable moment has gained attention in light of Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit against him, which was filed over the weekend.
While rumours of tensions on set had already begun circulating during the film’s promotional run this summer, the legal filings have now shed light on the serious friction between the two actors.
Baldoni trips over questions about Lively
Earlier this month, the It Ends With US director was interviewed by E! News where he was asked about his experience while working with Lively. He took a noticeable pause before he said, “As I've said before, Blake is so creative and she works so hard. This movie would not have been the same without her.”
He was then asked about the possibility of the sequel after which took a breath, looked away and then shut down the topic. The actor said, “You know I've been hearing the sequel conversations. You know people ask me all the time about sequels. We are in this place where we are…” when he trailed off and then responded again with, 'Just trying to be in the moment, as reported by DailyMail. He continued, “I'm just overwhelmed with gratitude for the lives that this has impacted and the lives that this has changed. So we're not even thinking about a sequel right now.”
{{/usCountry}}He was then asked about the possibility of the sequel after which took a breath, looked away and then shut down the topic. The actor said, “You know I've been hearing the sequel conversations. You know people ask me all the time about sequels. We are in this place where we are…” when he trailed off and then responded again with, 'Just trying to be in the moment, as reported by DailyMail. He continued, “I'm just overwhelmed with gratitude for the lives that this has impacted and the lives that this has changed. So we're not even thinking about a sequel right now.”
{{/usCountry}}In her lawsuit, Lively alleged that Baldoni made inappropriate comments regarding her weight, made insensitive remarks about her late father, and directed sexual comments at the cast and crew. The situation reportedly became so untenable that Lively, along with her husband Ryan Reynolds, demanded crisis talks during filming to address and put an end to Baldoni’s behaviour, as outlined in the legal filings. Watch the interview here.
Also Read: Blake Lively's Sisterhood of Traveling Pants co-stars support actress amid Justin Baldoni drama
Netizens take notes of Baldoni’s behaviour
A user wrote, “I disagree. He sounds too rehearsed, overly charming, and basically the type of guy who behind the camera is just another pretentious entitled narcissist," in the comment section of the interview video. A second user wrote, “In other words, Hell No! I’m still recovering from the 1st movie.” A third user wrote, “He’s basically saying NO in a very classy way.”
Another user wrote, “This sounds like a teacher response during a parent-teacher conference. she is such a leader, aka bossy! She is very creative, aka u never know what lies/stories she is going to come up with. She is such a hard worker, aka she is trying to run this place.”