An actor who appeared in a key scene with Blake Lively in It Ends With Us is disputing her account of the “nearly nude” birth scene.
Adam Mondschein, who played Doctor Dunbar in the 2024 drama, is speaking out after the 37-year-old actress named him in her sexual harassment lawsuit against the film’s director, Justin Baldoni.
“I’m not going to speculate as to Ms. Lively’s motivations for mentioning me in the complaint," Mondschein told Page Six in an exclusive statement. "Needless to say, my experience working with her is very different than the one she described in her lawsuit,” adding: “Indeed, I was surprised to read her description of the scene.”
The Gossip Girl alum claimed in the original and amended versions of her suit that she was “disturbed” by new scenes Baldoni added to the film, specifically a “violative birthing scene for which he cast a friend as her OBGYN".
According to the complaint, the 41-year-old director “introduced his ‘best friend’ to play the role of the OBGYN, when ordinarily, a small role of this nature would be filled by a local actor”.
“Ms. Lively felt that the selection of Mr. Baldoni’s friend for this intimate role, in which the actor’s face and hands were in close proximity to her nearly nude genitalia for a birth scene, was invasive and humiliating,” the filing states.
Mondschein, however, insists the production was handled appropriately and maintains Lively was not exposed.
“Her costume included a full hospital gown, black shorts, and torso-covering prosthetic to make her appear pregnant in addition to whatever personal garments she chose,” he said.
Mondschein further claims that Lively “never complained or expressed discomfort at any point because nothing unusual or improper occurred. It was entirely professional".
The actor, whose credentials include a master’s degree from UCLA, more than 10 IMDb credits, and a tour with the Tony-winning Acting Company, also took issue with Lively’s alleged doubts about his qualifications.
“Ms. Lively’s insinuations regarding my qualifications are offensive, as my bonafides are easily searchable online,” he said.
He added that he was not a special out-of-town hire: “Lastly, I was, in fact, a local hire (my wife and I are from New York and spend significant time there). As such, I, like any actor accepting that contract, was required to cover my own travel and living expenses in connection with the job."
The mom-of-three's rep responded by pointing back to her legal filings, which allege the set during the birth scene was “chaotic, crowded, and utterly lacking in standard industry protections for filming nude scenes".
The complaint also states: "Mr. [Jamey] Heath and Mr. Baldoni also failed to close the set, allowing non-essential crew to pass through while Ms. Lively was partially nude from below the chest down with her legs spread wide in stirrups and only a small piece of fabric covering her genitalia.
“Contrary to the Wayfarer Parties’ contention, the production did not maintain a closed set... Ms. Lively was not provided with anything with which to cover herself between takes until after she had made multiple requests," the suit added.
A source close to the matter added that the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants star was "extremely uncomfortable, and understandably so, when she learned the actor who was placing his face between her legs was the boss’s best friend".
"But apparently Baldoni and company think it was perfectly fine to have his best friend play that role, out of all the actors that could have been chosen," they concluded.
Mondschein said he would be willing to testify in court if called during the forthcoming March 2026 trial.
“If I’m called to testify in the case I will answer truthfully, and more freely, whatever is asked of me with all the legal protection that affords,” he said. “In particular, by noting that Ms. Lively was not ‘nearly nude’ in the scene we shot together.”
Lively and the Jane The Virgin actor have been embroiled in legal disputes since December 2024, just months after the release of It Ends With Us.
Mondschein’s statement marks the latest pushback against Lively’s accusations. Baldoni previously released raw behind-the-scenes footage of a slow-dance scene in an effort to disprove her harassment accusations - though Lively argued it supported her claims and called the footage “damning".
The lengthy statement, sent to Entertainment Weekly, slammed the filmmaker for "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," all of which they say was improvised by him "with no discussion or consent in advance, and no intimacy coordinator present".
Baldoni also published a website containing messages between him and the actress, including one where she allegedly invited him to her trailer while she was “pumping." This, he claims, contradicts her lawsuit’s allegation that he walked in on her while she was breastfeeding.
Lively has stood firm in her claims, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and of launching a smear campaign in response. In her lawsuit, she said she once described him to a friend as acting like a “creep,” and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, has since called Baldoni a “deranged predator.”
In retaliation, the director filed a $400 million defamation and extortion suit against Lively, Reynolds, and their publicist, Leslie Sloane, denying all allegations and claiming their accusations were false and damaging.
Lively has requested that the court dismiss Baldoni’s lawsuit, calling it a “vengeful and rambling” attempt to silence her, per PEOPLE. The judge has yet to rule on the matter.