The couple claims the release of the explosive footage violates court rules and is a part of a retaliatory campaign by Baldoni’s team.

Blake Lively has since broken her silence about the footage, with her lawyers stating that it shows her being violated and touched unwantedly by Justin Baldoni.

Lively and her husband Reynolds have taken legal action following the release of a controversial video by Justin Baldoni’s legal team.

The video, shared by Daily Mail, features multiple takes of a dance scene between Lively, 37, and Baldoni, 40, on the set of “It Ends With Us.”

While the footage appears to show the actors playing out a scene, Lively argues it highlights her discomfort during the shoot.

In response to the video’s release, Lively and Reynolds, 49, have filed a request for a protective order, alleging that Baldoni’s legal team, led by Bryan Freedman, is engaging in “improper conduct” and “retaliatory media campaign.”

According to TMZ, the couple claims Freedman’s actions, including the public sharing of footage, violate court rules “that stop a lawyer from making statements to the press that are irrelevant to a case and might prejudice the jury.”

In their court filing on Tuesday, they accused Freedman of orchestrating a media campaign designed to harass and discredit them, emphasizing the release of unedited footage as a key example.

However, sources close to Baldoni have expressed frustration over Lively’s request for a gag order, telling Daily Mail that it is “grossly unfair” given the fallout he has faced.

According to the sources, Baldoni has lost three job opportunities and hundreds of millions of dollars following what they describe as defamatory allegations published by The New York Times.

“All Justin wants to do is release videos and text messages to prove the allegations are false,” the sources said.

They added, “It is unbelievable that Blake Lively would go on a takedown campaign against Justin and then immediately turn around and say she wants a gag order so that Justin can’t defend himself.”

Lively, meanwhile, has responded to the unedited footage. Her legal team issued a statement to the publication calling the release of the video a “stunt” intended to overshadow incriminating evidence against Baldoni.

They assert that “the video itself is damning,” as it shows Baldoni “repeatedly leaning in toward Ms. Lively, attempting to kiss her, kissing her forehead, rubbing his face and mouth against her neck, flicking her lip with his thumb, caressing her, telling her how good she smells, and talking with her out of character.”

Lively’s team added that “every frame of the released footage corroborates, to the letter, what Ms. Lively described in Paragraph 48 of her Complaint.”

Lively’s attorney emphasized that none of the intimate moments captured in the released footage, which was filmed under Baldoni’s direction, were choreographed or pre-approved.

“Every moment of this was improvised by Mr. Baldoni with no discussion or consent in advance, and no intimacy coordinator present,” the attorney explained. “Mr. Baldoni was not only Ms. Lively’s co-star but the director, the head of the studio, and Ms. Lively’s boss.”

Her legal team further argued that Lively’s visible discomfort in the scene was not acting, pointing to moments where she leaned away from Baldoni and “repeatedly asked for the characters to just talk.”

“Any woman who has been inappropriately touched in the workplace will recognize Ms. Lively’s discomfort,” the statement read. “They will recognize her attempts at levity to try to deflect the unwanted touching. No woman should have to take defensive measures to avoid being touched by their employer without their consent.”

The team accused Baldoni of using the video’s release as “another example of an unethical attempt to manipulate the public” labeling it “a continuation of their harassment and retaliatory campaign.”

“We are continuing our efforts to require Mr. Baldoni and his associates to answer in court, under oath, rather than through manufactured media stunts,” Lively’s lawyer concluded.

In her civil rights complaint filed last month, Lively claimed no one overheard the alleged comment that discomforted her because the romantic montage scene was silent, with microphones turned off.

However, the as reported by The Blast, news outlets obtained video footage revealing that Baldoni’s sound equipment was active during the takes. The clips, capturing all three takes, paint a different picture of the on-set dynamic.

The video shows Lively and Baldoni appearing friendly and lighthearted in the scene while slow dancing.

They are seen joking about what to do in the moment while discussing how they spend time with their spouses.

The unedited footage includes the full context of the comment at around the seven-minute mark. As they film the dance scene, Lively brings up her spray tan, and Baldoni responds playfully.

He jokes about possibly getting his beard on her, to which Lively replies that she’s probably leaving spray tan on him.

Baldoni then remarks, “It smells good,” prompting laughter from both before Lively explains that the scent is actually from her body makeup.

While the scene does show Baldoni nuzzling Lively’s neck as part of their roles as romantic partners, their interaction behind the scenes comes off as professional. Most of their conversation focuses on lighting setups and their personal lives.

The raw footage, complete with audio, was shared by Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer, and his attorney Bryan Freedman. Freedman reiterated that Baldoni has “nothing to hide.”