JUDGE ORDERS 'IT ENDS WITH US' PRODUCER TO HAND OVER FULL BIRTH VIDEO IN BLAKE LIVELY LAWSUIT
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A federal judge has ordered It Ends With Us producer Jamey Heath to turn over every piece of footage from his wife Natasha's home birth, marking a significant development in Blake Lively's ongoing lawsuit against Heath and director Justin Baldoni. The decision follows weeks of dispute over what was actually shown to Lively on set and whether Heath withheld material that had been requested during discovery.
In documents filed on November 17, United States District Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled that the video "should have been produced" under an earlier order and clarified that any footage depicting the delivery "would tend to support Lively's claim." The judge said the previous discovery directive covered more than the short clip Heath admitted showing and concluded that the additional footage must be turned over. Although the recordings are considered extremely sensitive, they will remain sealed under a protective order.
Lively, 38, had pushed for sanctions after asserting that Heath only released a roughly three-minute excerpt and repeatedly insisted that nothing else existed. Her legal team stated that she has "consistently disputed" that the brief clip resembles what she and her assistant were shown on set. During a recent deposition, Heath acknowledged that more footage does exist, prompting the latest court order. Judge Liman declined to impose penalties, writing, "sanctions are not warranted here," but required Heath to produce everything by the set deadline.
The birth video sits at the center of Lively's claims about inappropriate behavior while filming the adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel. Her lawsuit alleges that Heath approached her and her assistant and unexpectedly played a video showing a "fully nude" woman during childbirth. She said she initially believed she was being shown explicit content and questioned whether Natasha had consented. According to her complaint, Heath responded, "She isn't weird about this stuff."
Heath and the Wayfarer Parties have rejected her account, arguing that Lively saw only an opening frame of what they consider a "beautiful" home-birth video. Baldoni's attorneys previously described Lively's interpretation of the footage as "deplorable."
The decision arrives as Lively pursues more than $160 million in damages. Baldoni's $400 million countersuit was dismissed earlier this year, though he and his co-defendants have requested a ruling in their favor before trial. The case is scheduled to go before a jury in March 2026, and the newly compelled footage may play a crucial role in how the dispute unfolds.
