Producer Claims Blake Lively Saw Mere Half Second of Birthing Video in Sexual Harassment Complaint
It Ends With Us producer Jamey Heath has addressed the birthing video that Blake Lively referenced in her sexual harassment complaint, asserting that the actress viewed a mere “half a second” of the footage, an exclusive revelation by Us Weekly.
Legal documents submitted by Lively, aged 38, on Thursday, December 4, contained excerpts from Heath’s deposition transcript, recorded on October 8.
Heath’s testimony confirmed a two-decade acquaintance with It Ends With Us director and costar, Justin Baldoni, and their shared business venture. (Lively initiated legal action against Baldoni, Heath, and other parties, citing claims of sexual harassment and retaliatory actions. Every defendant has categorically refuted these accusations.)
Heath faced inquiries regarding Lively’s assertions concerning events on the set of the 2024 film, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel.
Within his deposition, Heath confessed to presenting Lively with a video depicting his wife in childbirth. The former Gossip Girl star’s lawsuit highlighted her objection to the unprompted viewing of this footage during the filming of a childbirth sequence.
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“The filming of the birth scene occurred in a chaotic, congested environment, completely devoid of standard industry safeguards for shooting nude sequences,” Lively asserted. She further alleged that Heath approached her and her assistant, commencing the playback of “a video featuring a completely nude woman with her legs parted.”
Lively stated she intervened, believing the content to be pornographic. She expressed being “disturbed” and “inquired of [Heath] whether his wife was aware of him sharing this footage.”
Within her legal complaint, the actress recounted Heath’s “response, saying, ‘She isn’t peculiar about these matters,’ implying [Lively] was unusual for not being receptive.” Lively recounted excusing herself due to her “shock” upon witnessing Heath’s video.
In his deposition, Heath detailed the video’s participants as “our midwife, my sister, my children, my wife, myself, and our infant child.”
He remarked, “My recollection is that we were singing and engaging in prayer. The baby was crying, and later, we were softly murmuring a prayer into the baby’s ear.”
Heath indicated the video depicted his wife immersed in a bathtub.
Counsel for Lively posed the question, “You stated she was unclothed, yet a towel was draped over her?”
Heath responded, “The towel, I believe, covered the baby more, as, naturally, when the newborn emerges and is brought up, it’s damp. Thus, a dry towel is used for coverage.”
Heath confirmed his presence in the video, adding that he was dressed. He additionally asserted that Baldoni had requested he present the “beautiful video” to Lively.
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As per Heath’s account, he exhibited no hesitation in displaying the clip to the actress and proceeded to approach Lively.
Upon questioning regarding the specific segment of footage presented to Lively, Heath clarified, “The initial part of the video — which, I reiterate, she observed for perhaps a mere half-second — solely shows my wife seated here, with the baby resting upon her. That is what she would have perceived.”
In the countersuit, subsequently dismissed, lodged by Baldoni and Heath against Lively, their legal counsel addressed Lively’s allegations, stating, “Lively persisted with an egregious and intentionally misleading implication that she was presented with pornography or nude images of Heath’s wife on location.”
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“This footage, which ultimately was not fully displayed to Lively (despite her expressed interest in viewing it later, while she was dining) is universally described as beautiful. Given Lively’s desire for a later viewing, her perception was limited to the opening visual of the video, capturing Heath’s wife, himself, and their infant following his wife’s home birth,” the lawsuit elaborated. “To label this image, which immortalizes such a tender instance with their newborn, shared with his wife’s consent for the Film’s context, as a nude photograph, or even more offensively, ‘pornography,’ is utterly reprehensible.”
The involved parties are slated to proceed to trial in March.
