Why Would Justin Baldoni Tell Blake Lively He’s Circumcised?

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The concept of the ‘female gaze’ and who defines it is a complex question, but it recently became a point of discussion for Justin Baldoni, the producer, director, and star of the film It Ends With Us. He was questioned about it during a legal deposition last October. As the trial for the ongoing dispute between his production company, Wayfarer Studios, and co-star Blake Lively approaches, newly released court documents have revealed a surprising detail: Baldoni informed Lively about his circumcision before they began working together on the film.

The conversation took an unusual turn when Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni discussed circumcision during a meeting about the film. Baldoni was trying to persuade Lively, who was heavily pregnant at the time, to join the project. He apparently shared with Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and others present that he himself had been circumcised. Lively’s lawyer questioned Baldoni about whether Lively had directly asked him about it, to which he replied that she hadn’t. This exchange suggests a potentially awkward dynamic and hints that the film shoot might have been facing challenges from the start.

Currently, our understanding comes primarily from the deposition of director Baldoni and his public relations team, as Lively’s deposition remains confidential. The questioning largely centered on how Baldoni and Lively attempted to build a reputation for Baldoni as a supporter of women within the industry. While Baldoni repeatedly claimed the film was designed around the “female gaze” – which he described as a natural perspective for women – both Lively and co-star Jenny Slate challenged his language used in the script and on set. An early version of the script included a sex scene where Lily reached orgasm and Ryle did not, which Baldoni thought would appeal to the “female gaze.” However, Lively reportedly opposed this, stating she’d be deeply embarrassed if that happened to her personally. Baldoni then responded by sharing a personal example from his own experiences.

Baldoni later admitted to making another inappropriate comment, telling Slate she looked “sexy” in a costume provided for a party scene. Slate reportedly asked him if he would reconsider his word choice, describing the conversation as mostly playful. Baldoni couldn’t recall the exact exchange but explained they were trying to avoid using those terms to describe women’s bodies. Another person involved, Gottlieb, then questioned whether Slate’s issue with the description stemmed from a female perspective, and if Baldoni’s reaction was different due to his being male. Baldoni admitted he wasn’t sure if he could even have a different perspective as a man, and said he didn’t understand the question. He joked that what started as a simple discussion unexpectedly turned into a lesson on gender studies.

Watching Baldoni’s deposition, it became really obvious that his attempts to present himself as someone who supported women actually caused him problems repeatedly, especially when details about his behavior on set came out. Gottlieb asked him about all the hugging that happened during filming of It Ends With Us, and it turned out that people were uncomfortable with it. Baldoni claimed he stopped the hugging and switched to high-fives and compliments, but honestly, everything he described still sounded like a really awkward and uncomfortable work event. It just didn’t seem like a positive environment at all.

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2025-12-06 00:58