Leaked behind-the-scenes footage from the set of "It Ends With Us" is fueling an escalating legal battle between the film's star, Blake Livelyand her director and colleague, Justin Baldoni. The video, which shows a seemingly innocuous slow-dance scene, has become the focus of controversy, with both sides using it to support their opposing claims.

After the video went viral, the intimacy coordinator weighed in on the topic, sharing her thoughts on the clip featuring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.

Leaked footageshot in May 2023, captures three shots of a key scene from "It Ends With Us," an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's 2016 novel. The scene shows Lively and Baldoni's characters, Lily and Ryle, slow dancing in a bar, described in the script as "completely in to his world". Baldoni's team claims the video shows professionalism on set and disputes the validity of Lively's allegations.

To provide insight into the leaked video, The Hollywood Reporter consulted with Mia Schachter, an experienced intimacy coordinator who has worked on projects such as "Chemistry Lessons" on Apple TV+, HBO's "Insecure" and FX's "American Crime Story." Schachter reviewed the footage and offered his take on the dynamics and protocols displayed during the scene.

One of the first things Schachter noticed "is that he's trying to kiss her, and they obviously didn't talk about it beforehand, and she keeps pulling back and obviously doesn't want to do it."

She also made it clear that normally, if two actors were to shoot a scene where the characters kiss, the intimacy coordinator would discuss it beforehand. But there are two main reasons people bring in an intimacy coordinator, she added.

"Or simulated sex or nudity. Anything else that could be considered intimate, we're not always present or needed. In a scene like this, it's really common that you wouldn't bring in an intimacy coordinator because there's no simulated sex or nudity, and there's no kissing in the scene. We're saw from that part of the script, I know that there were two intimacy coordinators in this movie, but it doesn't surprise me at all that they wouldn't have an intimacy coordinator present for this scene: 'We don't kiss Nothing else on the table, we won't bring anything to the stage that we haven't discussed before.

Schachter later discussed the power dynamic between the two actors, reminding viewers that "even though she's Blake Lively and she can say no and she's not going to be fired for speaking her mind in a way that someone else might be afraid to," Lively that still spells must continue to work with him "and keep the peace and play nice."

"I can just see her trying to stay lighthearted and upbeat about it and not bother him or anybody, and not waste anybody's time," she told THR. "But of course she's caught between a rock and a hard place. I can see her reassuring him and trying to keep a smile on her face."

She said Baldoni is in charge "but it can be very murky".

"She's obviously a star, a household name in the project," she said. "I didn't know who he was until this movie, but I've known who she is for many years, so she's not powerless. I'd say she has significant power here. But regardless, he's the director and she should take her cues from him . I was kind of surprised that this was the footage that his team leaked."

Doc Baldoni's team sees the leaked footage as his vindicationSchachter sees "the opposite," explaining that "when someone has (Lively's) level of fame and recognition, they have a certain amount of power, but there's always an actor-director relationship, and the director is in charge."

As for labeling the scene, Schachter admits he wouldn't "based on what that passage says about the scene description. They're just a slow dance. There's no mention of any physical intimacy."

"If I had heard what was on this clip, none of it stood out to me as something in which I would have to intervene," she added. "I even thought it was kind of cute that they were talking about their real-life partners. It was kind of awkward, but it wasn't inappropriate. And it kind of reminded each other that we have lives outside of this."

However, she explained that she would feel compelled to intervene if she heard someone making comments like those described in Lively's lawsuit — such as jokes about sensitive topics.

"But that puts even the intimacy coordinator in a very difficult position because he's also the director," she noted. "Who are you going to? If you're afraid that he has an ego that would lead him to any reaction that might stop the shooting, then you're the villain. I'd be afraid to get fired, honestly."

As the legal battle continues, both sides are sticking to their narratives, but the leaked footage has the potential to significantly influence public opinion and play a key role in determining the outcome of this bitter case.