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Blake Lively is facing criticism after resurfaced behind-the-scenes commentary revealed she improvised a scene in A Simple Favor where she grabbed co-star Henry Golding's crotch. Fans online are calling her a hypocrite due to her ongoing legal battle with It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni, whom she has accused of inappropriate behavior on set.
In A Simple Favor, Lively's character shares an intimate moment with Golding's character, during which she unexpectedly grabs his groin. While the scene appeared scripted, Lively admitted in the Blu-Ray commentary that it was an improvisation. Director Paul Feig praised her decision, saying, "This is one of my favorite additions that you came up with." Feig further revealed that he asked Lively to be more aggressive in her approach, with Lively joking, "That's always awkward when you're, like, 'Hey, hi, nice to meet you. Can I grab your nuts really hard?'"
Fans have pointed out the irony of this revelation, given Lively's lawsuit against Baldoni, in which she alleges he added intimate scenes without her consent. Social media users have accused her of hypocrisy, with one person commenting, "She preaches autonomy but only for her," while another added, "Rules for thee but not for me."
Lively's legal team, however, has defended her actions, emphasizing a key distinction between the two situations. A representative for the actress stated, "Blake collaborated and reached agreement with the director and her co-star before filming the scene. That is the entire point here and that is what Mr. Baldoni did not do."
The lawsuit against Baldoni accuses him of inappropriate conduct, including improvising extended physical contact without prior consent. Lively's team has claimed that Baldoni, who was both her director and producer, took liberties during filming, particularly in a slow-dancing scene where he allegedly "bit and sucked on Blake's lower lip" and engaged in additional unscripted physical interactions. In response, Baldoni has denied wrongdoing and released raw footage of the scene, which he claims disproves Lively's accusations.
As the legal battle continues, the resurfaced clip has only fueled debate. While Lively maintains that her scene with Golding was a mutual creative decision, critics argue that her stance on consent is inconsistent.
