The ongoing Blake Lively birthing video lawsuit has intensified as producer Jamey Heath directly addressed the actress’s accusations about an incident involving personal footage on the set of the film adaptation of “It Ends With Us.” The dispute erupted after Lively alleged she was unexpectedly shown an intimate birthing video during production, leading to allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation, all of which Heath and his co-defendants deny.
Details Emerge from Legal Filings and Deposition Testimony
Lively, 38, filed new court documents on December 4, highlighting sections from Heath’s October 8 deposition. According to his sworn statement, Heath has maintained a two-decade business partnership with director and co-star Justin Baldoni, both defendants in the case. The lawsuit, stemming from events on the 2024 film set based on Colleen Hoover’s popular novel, centers on Lively’s discomfort with a video shown to her by Heath while preparing for a crucial birthing scene.
Heath admitted to displaying a home video of his wife giving birth, which Lively claimed was done without prior notice as she was working on the film’s childbirth sequence. The actress described being startled and unsettled by the contents.
Allegations Around the Video and Set Conditions
Blake Lively described the set as disorderly and lacking proper precautions for filming sensitive content, stating:
“When the birth scene was filmed, the set was chaotic, crowded and utterly lacking in standard industry protections for filming nude scenes,”
– Blake Lively, Actress
Lively further alleged that Heath approached her and an assistant with the video on his phone, which, in her words, displayed
“a fully nude woman with her legs spread apart.”
She recounted being so disturbed by the footage that her initial reaction was to suspect it was pornography.
She continued to question whether Heath’s wife had given permission for the video to be shared, citing her alarm at the incident. According to Lively, when she confronted Heath about this, his response was:
“asked [Heath] if his wife knew he was sharing the video.”
– Blake Lively, Actress
“replied, ‘She isn’t weird about this stuff,’ as if [Lively] was weird for not welcoming it.”
– Blake Lively, Actress
Left “stunned,” Lively excused herself from the situation, citing the emotional toll of the experience.
Heath Offers His Account and Context for the Video
During his deposition, Heath explained that the birthing video was a personal family moment and included several family members and their newborn, describing its content as follows:
“our midwife, my sister, my kids, my wife, myself, our newborn baby.”
– Jamey Heath, Producer
He stated the footage featured scenes of singing, praying, and a newborn’s first moments:
“I believe we were singing and praying. The baby was crying and then at some point we were whispering a prayer in the baby’s ear.”
– Jamey Heath, Producer
Heath confirmed his wife was in a bathtub during the filming, with a towel placed over their baby rather than his wife. In answering questions about what exactly Lively witnessed, he detailed:
“The towel was more over the baby, I think, because, you know, when the baby came out of the way and you bring it up, then it’s wet. So, you put a dry towel to cover it.”
– Jamey Heath, Producer
He emphasized that he remained clothed and added that director Justin Baldoni had asked him to share what he called a “beautiful video” with Lively to support her in capturing an authentic portrayal of labor in her role.
Differing Accounts of the Video’s Content
The narrative surrounding exactly what portion of the video Lively viewed became a focal point in the dispute. Asked about this, Heath maintained:
“Well, the first portion of the video — which, again, she had only seen maybe a half a second of it — is only my wife sitting here, the baby on top. And that’s what she would have seen.”
– Jamey Heath, Producer
Heath’s perception was that there was no cause for concern, asserting that the part of the video Lively saw was not graphic or offensive, and he contended he did not hesitate before showing it to her.
Responses in Counterclaims and Legal Arguments
The incident was further referenced in a now-dismissed countersuit from Baldoni and Heath against Lively. Their legal argument challenged Lively’s characterization of the footage, stating:
“Lively continued with an outrageous and knowingly false suggestion that she was shown pornography or naked images of Heath’s wife on set.”
– Legal counsel for Baldoni and Heath
Court records stated that the video was intended for educational purposes related to the film and had received family consent. The countersuit continued:
“This video, which ultimately was not shown to Lively (even though she stated she’d like to see it later, as she was eating) is by all accounts beautiful. Since Lively wanted to see it later, what she saw was the first image at the start of the video, which shows Heath’s wife, himself and their baby after his wife gave birth at home,”
– Legal counsel for Baldoni and Heath
“To characterize this image that captures such a beautiful moment with their newborn baby, shared with the consent of his wife for purposes of the Film, as a naked photo, or worse, ‘porn’ is deplorable.”
– Legal counsel for Baldoni and Heath
The parties acknowledge that the matter will proceed to trial in March. Both sides maintain sharply different interpretations of what took place, underpinning an emotionally charged legal battle.
Potential Impact and What Comes Next
This case, situated at the intersection of workplace safety, consent, and privacy, has drawn significant attention within the industry and among the public. As the trial date draws closer, further testimony from Blake Lively, Jamey Heath, and Justin Baldoni is expected to clarify the events surrounding the Blake Lively birthing video lawsuit. The outcome may set new expectations for standards of conduct on film sets, particularly around sensitive material and the obligations producers have in ensuring the physical and emotional security of cast and crew during production.
