In today’s episode of “What in the Hollywood Heck?”, an intimacy coordinator has weighed in on It Ends With Us drama—and spoiler alert—it’s messier than a script rewrite at 2 a.m.
Let’s rewind: Justin Baldoni’s legal team recently dropped some behind-the-scenes footage of him and Blake Lively filming a scene. Why? To clear Justin’s name amid competing lawsuits. Blake’s team, however, clapped back with a “hold my lawsuit” response, claiming the footage was a textbook case of bad behavior. And by bad behavior, they mean Justin improvised a kiss during the scene. Yes, improvised—a word that strikes fear into the hearts of actors and intimacy coordinators everywhere.
Enter Mia Schachter: The Hollywood Referee
Mia Schachter, an intimacy coordinator and unofficial expert in awkward moments, watched the footage and went, “Oh no, sweetie, no.” Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Mia broke down everything that screamed red flag city.
First, she explained that a kiss wasn’t in the script. “Why would an intimacy coordinator be on set for this? No nudity, no sex—just a random, unscripted smooch from someone who thought they were in a rom-com instead of real life.” Basically, this was a situation where boundaries were less clear than a bad Wi-Fi connection.
If Mia had been there, she said, the rules would’ve been crystal clear: No surprise smooches! (Yes, apparently, this is a thing that has to be said.) “You can’t just decide mid-take to play Spin the Bottle,” Mia quipped.
“What Did I Just Watch?”
Mia broke it down: Justin leaned in for a kiss unannounced, Blake clearly wasn’t into it, and then—plot twist—he tried again. “It’s like a bad Tinder date in real-time,” Mia remarked, probably wishing she could jump through the screen and throw a flag on the play.
Sure, Blake is a Hollywood powerhouse who knows how to hold her ground. But Mia reminded us that Justin wasn’t just her costar—he was also her director. Translation: the guy calling the shots. “I mean, who leaks this footage thinking it helps their case?!” Mia wondered aloud, probably needing a moment to recover from secondhand embarrassment.
The Lawsuit Lowlights
While Mia didn’t find their dialogue during the scene particularly egregious, she couldn’t ignore the other gems mentioned in Blake’s lawsuit—like Justin cracking jokes about, uh, certain male measurements. “If I heard that on set, I’d have to step in, but then it gets tricky because, oh wait, he’s the director,” Mia explained. “Who am I supposed to report him to? Himself?”
Also, apparently, confronting a director about their behavior can get you labeled as the villain—or worse—fired. “Hollywood: where even calling out inappropriate jokes feels like defusing a bomb,” Mia sighed.
Organic Acting or Just Plain Awkward?
While some might call Justin’s move “organic acting,” Mia was quick to call it what it really is: outdated and unprofessional. “Most intimacy coordinators would agree—you don’t surprise kiss someone on set! This isn’t 1995. We have rules now!”
And her final verdict? Justin should’ve communicated with Blake beforehand, but instead, he went rogue. “To me, that’s pretty damning, both as an actor and a director,” she concluded.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, Mia doesn’t think either Blake or Justin is lying. “They’re just living in two completely different realities,” she said, adding that Hollywood’s evolving standards probably mean we won’t see any more surprise kisses anytime soon.
Lesson learned: even in the land of Hollywood glamor, boundaries matter. Oh, and if you’re thinking about improvising a kiss on set, maybe don’t. Just… don’t.
