'It Ends With Us' crew member comes to Justin Baldoni's defense: 'Blake smelled his kindness'

Just when it seemed like the It Ends With Us drama had simmered down, a new voice entered the chat. A former crew member just spoke out—and she seems to be siding with Justin Baldoni.

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Storyboard artist Talia Spencer, who worked on the film, told 60 Minutes Australia on an episode that aired Sunday that she felt “maybe Blake [Lively] smelled his kindness—mistook it for weakness—and tried to take advantage and take power.”

She didn’t get into specifics, but her take seems to back Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit against Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, Leslie Sloane. In the suit, Baldoni accuses Lively of overstepping—especially when it came to wardrobe and script changes.

“I think there was a massive compromise in terms of Justin’s original vision for the film,” Spencer said, adding she saw it “be taken over,” which she called “a little bit sad.”

Of course, these things can all be true—and so can Lively’s claims against Baldoni.

More updates on the case

Her interview comes after actor Adam Mondschein, who played Doctor Dunbar in the film, disputed her description of the scene, particularly her claim about being “nearly nude” during filming, which she included in her lawsuit.

© Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin

Meanwhile, Jennifer Abel, the publicist at the center of The New York Times exposé that ignited the whole thing, is now reportedly trying to get her former employer, Jonesworks, to pay for her legal fees. The PR firm sued her for allegedly stealing confidential documents and orchestrating a smear campaign.

As Page Six noted, Abel countersued, claiming Jonesworks boss Stephanie Jones leaked her private texts out of revenge. Last month, Abel filed court papers arguing the company should cover her defense because it was “part of the scope” of her job.

Jonesworks’ lawyer, Kristin Tahler, didn’t hold back, calling the request “absurd” and telling Page Six, “Almost comically, Abel wants the same boss she sought to take down to literally pay to defend her devastating choices.”

As lawsuits and countersuits swirl between Baldoni, Lively, and the ever-expanding cast of side characters, we’ve still got some time before anything hits a courtroom. The case is currently set for March 9, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, with Judge Lewis Liman presiding.