5 Shocking Revelations About The Intimacy Coordinator On The 'It Ends With Us' Set

The presence of an intimacy coordinator (IC) on the set of the highly anticipated film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's novel, It Ends With Us, is not just confirmed, but has become a central point of public and legal discussion as of December 2025. This crucial role, designed to ensure the safety and comfort of actors during the filming of intimate scenes, has been thrust into the spotlight due to recent high-profile disputes involving lead actor and director, Justin Baldoni, and co-star, Blake Lively. The production's commitment to modern safety standards, particularly for a story dealing with sensitive themes of domestic abuse and complex relationships, was initially praised, but the behind-the-scenes details have proven far more complex.

The question of "Was there an intimacy coordinator on It Ends With Us?" is definitively answered with a 'Yes,' but the story doesn't end there. Recent revelations, including the public sharing of detailed, handwritten notes allegedly from the IC meetings, have provided an unprecedented look into the pre-production process for the film's most sensitive sequences. This deep dive explores the official confirmation, the actors' candid statements, and the controversy that has made the It Ends With Us set a case study for the evolving role of an intimacy coordinator in modern Hollywood.

The Official Role and Justin Baldoni's Intimacy Coordinator Notes

The production of It Ends With Us, starring Blake Lively as Lily Bloom and Justin Baldoni as Ryle Kincaid, was under intense scrutiny from the moment it was announced, largely due to the book's massive fanbase and its heavy subject matter. Given the emotional and physical intimacy required for the roles, the inclusion of an intimacy coordinator was a necessary step, aligning with current industry best practices.

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• Confirmed Involvement: The presence of an IC was confirmed by both the production and the actors, particularly in interviews leading up to the film's release.
• Baldoni's Public Defense: In late 2024, Justin Baldoni, who also directed the film, escalated the conversation by publicly sharing two pages of handwritten notes.
• The Content of the Notes: These notes, which Baldoni claims he took during a meeting with the IC in April 2023, detailed specific discussions about how to shoot the intimate and sex scenes for the film.
• Pre-Production Planning: The notes suggest a thorough, professional process of choreographing the scenes, a core function of the IC's job. This includes discussing angles, consent, boundaries, and the emotional context of the scenes between the characters Lily and Ryle.
• Establishing a Timeline: Baldoni presented these notes as part of a larger timeline, aiming to demonstrate that he was proactive and professional in his approach to the sensitive material, directly involving the IC well before the principal photography.

This public sharing of internal documents is highly unusual and was a direct response to allegations of inappropriate behavior on set. It cemented the IC's role as a key entity in the film's production, not just as a safety measure, but as a critical part of the creative process for the Ryle and Lily dynamic.

Blake Lively's Stance and the Critical Importance of the IC

Blake Lively, who not only stars as Lily Bloom but also served as an executive producer, has been a vocal proponent of the intimacy coordinator's role, emphasizing its necessity, especially in a story like It Ends With Us.

In various interviews, Lively has described the work of the IC as "critical" and "essential," particularly when dealing with scenes that are both physically and emotionally vulnerable. Her perspective highlights that the IC's job extends beyond just physical choreography; it is about protecting the emotional well-being and boundaries of the performers.

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The IC ensures that:

• Clear Boundaries Are Set: Actors like Lively and Baldoni, as well as Brandon Sklenar (who plays Atlas Corrigan), have their boundaries clearly communicated and respected by the entire crew.
• Consent is Ongoing: The process of consent is not a one-time agreement but an ongoing conversation that is revisited before and during the shoot of any intimate sequence.
• The Narrative is Served Safely: The IC helps translate the emotional weight of Colleen Hoover’s novel—specifically the intensity of Lily’s relationship with Ryle and the tenderness of her bond with Atlas—onto the screen without compromising the actors' safety.

Lively's strong endorsement provides a powerful counter-narrative to the idea that ICs stifle creativity, positioning them instead as facilitators who enable actors to perform difficult scenes with confidence and safety.

The Intimacy Coordinator's Role in the Legal and Leaked Footage Controversy

The most recent and compelling reason for the public interest in the IC's presence stems from a legal dispute and a piece of leaked behind-the-scenes footage that emerged in late 2024.

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The Legal Complaint and Allegations

In a legal complaint filed in December 2024, Blake Lively allegedly referenced the intimacy coordinator's role, or lack thereof in specific instances, as part of her broader allegations against Justin Baldoni. This development immediately turned a standard production safety measure into a key piece of evidence in a highly publicized Hollywood dispute. The core of the issue revolved around the interpretation of professionalism and boundaries on the set of the film.

The Leaked Footage Context

A separate piece of leaked footage, which showed an interaction between Baldoni and Lively during a dance sequence, also drew attention to the IC's role.

• Scene Type: The leaked footage was not of an explicit sex scene, but a moment of physical closeness—a dance.
• IC's Absence Explained: An independent, professional intimacy coordinator weighed in on the footage, explaining why their absence in that specific clip was not surprising.
• Industry Standard: Intimacy coordinators are generally not on set for every single moment of physical contact, but are specifically called in for more explicit, simulated sex, or highly vulnerable scenes. The expert confirmed that the IC is often only present for the "closed set" days when the most explicit content is filmed, not necessarily for a public dance scene.

This nuanced discussion helped to educate the public on the actual scope of an intimacy coordinator's job, clarifying that their presence is targeted and strategic, not a blanket supervision of all physical contact between actors. The controversy, while negative for the production, inadvertently boosted public awareness of the entity and its protocols.

Why the IC is Non-Negotiable for a Colleen Hoover Adaptation

The source material, Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel, is known for its intense emotional content and depiction of domestic violence and passionate, yet toxic, relationships. The IC's job was arguably more crucial on this set than on many others.

The coordinator's responsibilities included:

1. Handling Trauma-Informed Scenes: Ensuring the scenes depicting violence or its aftermath, which are deeply emotional for Lily Bloom, were handled with sensitivity and a trauma-informed approach.
2. Distinguishing Character vs. Actor: Helping actors like Lively and Baldoni separate the intense, often abusive, actions of their characters (Lily and Ryle) from their professional relationship as colleagues.
3. Maintaining Consistency: Documenting the choreography and boundaries to ensure consistency across reshoots and different camera angles, which is vital for a high-stakes drama.

The successful navigation of these complex themes on screen, which is paramount to the film's success, is directly tied to the professional structure that the intimacy coordinator provides. The entire cast, including Brandon Sklenar as the compassionate Atlas, benefited from a clear, professional environment for their emotionally charged scenes.

Key Entities and the Future of Set Safety

The story of the intimacy coordinator on It Ends With Us has become a landmark case in the ongoing conversation about set safety and actor protection. The film, which is one of the most anticipated book-to-screen adaptations, will forever be associated with this behind-the-scenes scrutiny. The public release of Baldoni's notes and Lively's strong advocacy have firmly placed the entity of the intimacy coordinator into the mainstream Hollywood conversation.

Key entities involved in this discussion include: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Colleen Hoover, Lily Bloom, Ryle Kincaid, Atlas Corrigan, Intimacy Coordinator, Legal Complaint, Leaked Footage, Domestic Violence Themes, Production Safety, and Hollywood Industry Standards. The fresh details emerging from the legal proceedings ensure that the conversation about the IC's role on It Ends With Us remains current and highly relevant to the future of film production.