It Ends With Us Crew Member Says Blake Lively Tried to ‘Take Power’ from Justin Baldoni – ryan

• 60 Minutes Australia interviewed It Ends With Us storyboard artist Talia Spencer, who told the program that she believes Blake Lively “tried to take advantage and take power” away from Justin Baldoni on the set of the 2024 film
• “I think there was a massive compromise in terms of Justin’s original vision for the film,” Spencer said
• Lively sued Baldoni over allegations of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign in December 2024; Baldoni countersued in January, and the case is set to go to trial in March 2026

A storyboard artist who worked on It Ends With Us is speaking out about her experience with Justin Baldoni as the director’s legal battle with Blake Lively continues.

On Sunday, April 13, 60 Minutes Australia aired a segment that dove into Lively and Baldoni’s ongoing legal battle over alleged sexual harassment and misbehavior on the set of It Ends With Us. The Australian news program interviewed crew member Talia Spencerwho described Baldoni, 41, as “one of the few directors I’ve worked for that was kind and respectful.”

Spencer recalled how Baldoni recruited her to work on the movie, and said that she joined the drama in part because she felt Baldoni cared “a lot about the vision of what we’re trying to do here and (he was) not in it for fame.”

Spencer is credited with work in the art departments of 10 television series and movies dating back to 2019. “I feel like maybe Blake smelled his kindness, mistook it for weakness and tried to take advantage and take power,” she told 60 Minutes Australia of how she thinks the situation between Lively, 37, and Baldoni developed on set. When asked whether she thought Lively “wrestled control of the film” away from Baldoni, she said, “I think she tried to, yes.”

“Probably, yeah,” she added, when asked if she felt like Lively succeeded in that task. “I think there was a massive compromise in terms of Justin’s original vision for the film.”

A representative for Lively did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Lively launched the legal battle between her and Baldoni when she filed a lawsuit against him alleging sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign in December 2024. Baldoni has denied Lively’s allegations and countersued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, as well as their publicist Leslie Sloane and Sloane’s PR firm Vision PR, Inc., in January, alleging civil extortion, defamation and more, which Lively’s attorneys have called “meritless.”

In Baldoni’s complaint, he claims two different edits of It Ends With Us emerged during production, one overseen by Baldoni, and one commissioned by Lively, who would later gain a producer credit as her version ultimately became the final film.

During the promotion of the film, Lively and others expressed how she had a hand in many aspects of the movie’s final product. Many pieces of the costumes came from her own wardrobe, she pulled connections to build the soundtrack, and she said husband Ryan Reynolds contributed dialogue to one pivotal scene.

When PEOPLE offered the first look at It Ends With Us in April 2024, Baldoni said in an interview, “There wasn’t a part of this production that (Lively) didn’t touch and have influence on. And everything she put her hands on and her mind to, she made better.”

However in Lively’s complaint, it’s alleged that Baldoni added and improvised scenes that weren’t in the previously approved script. In one example, she claims Baldoni “personally added graphic content, including a scene in which Ms. Lively was to orgasm on-camera. When Ms. Lively objected to these additions, Mr. Baldoni insisted he had added them because he was making the film ‘through the female gaze.’ ” Baldoni later agreed to remove the scenes, according to her complaint.

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In January, lawyers for Lively said Baldoni and his associates “are trying to shift the narrative to Ms. Lively by falsely claiming that she seized creative control and alienated the cast from Mr. Baldoni.” “The evidence will show that the cast and others had their own negative experiences with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer,” the statement continued. “The evidence will also show that Sony asked Ms. Lively to oversee Sony’s cut of the film, which they then selected for distribution and was a resounding success.”

Lively and Baldoni’s case is currently set to go to trial in March 2026. Spencer, who told 60 Minutes Australia that it’s “definitely a little bit sad” to see It Ends With Us‘ success be marred by the legal battle that followed, said she ultimately hopes to see all parties involved “put their swords down and acknowledge their part in it and get along, but we don’t really live in that world, right?”

“It’s a little too late for that,” she added in the segment. “I hope that the truth comes out, I hope that the innocent parties are proven innocent and we move on.”