A resurfaced clip of Blake Lively casually calling her boots 'sexy' has landed online at an awkward moment, with fans using the footage to question the treatment of the same word in her explosive legal dispute with Justin Baldoni. In the video, filmed during the production of It Ends With Us, Lively appears to joke with a group of male crew members while explaining why she thinks the boots look attractive.
She says the footwear is 'so sexy' because it is essentially 'bone hitting wood', turning an ordinary costume discussion into a surprisingly memorable behind-the-scenes moment. The clip has now been seized upon by critics who argue that the relaxed exchange looks very different from the way Baldoni's alleged use of the word has been discussed online.
The Boots Clip Sparks Fresh Criticism
The footage itself is not new, but its circulation has given it a completely different meaning for people already following the Lively-Baldoni saga. Rather than focusing on the boots, viewers are picking apart the language and the fact that Lively appears comfortable using the word 'sexy' around male colleagues.
Video shows Blake Lively telling a group of male crew members on the set of IEWU that her boots are 'so $£xy' because they are just 'bone hitting wood! https://t.co/vHDx5nL0wP pic.twitter.com/fkdUNbXBgO
— UHDpictures (@uhd_pictures) August 26, 2026
Several commenters have accused Lively of hypocrisy, with one claiming she would have included Baldoni's use of the word in her complaints had the circumstances been reversed. Others were far harsher, branding her 'embarrassing' and even comparing her to Amber Heard, showing just how personal the online reaction has become.
Fans Point Back to Baldoni's Alleged Remark
The biggest criticism centres on claims that Baldoni said the word 'sexy' once and that the incident was later raised as part of Lively's complaints about his conduct.
Critics now argue that if the word itself was considered problematic in one context, Lively's own casual use of it deserves the same scrutiny.
That comparison, however, does not establish that the two situations were identical.
The legal dispute involved wider allegations about workplace behaviour and retaliation, meaning a single word cannot, by itself, prove or disprove the competing accounts surrounding the production.
The Legal Battle Changed the Story
Lively's December 2024 lawsuit accused Baldoni and Wayfarer of sexual harassment, retaliation and other wrongdoing connected to the film's production. Baldoni denied the allegations and later brought claims against Lively and others, accusing them of defamation and other misconduct.
The dispute ultimately became an enormous public battle, with behind-the-scenes footage, private correspondence and competing accounts repeatedly becoming part of the conversation. Lively and Baldoni settled their remaining claims in May 2026 before the expected federal trial, leaving the court fight over legal fees as one of the final loose ends.
Lively Won Fees But Not the Full Amount
That final financial issue produced another striking development this week, after Judge Lewis J. Liman awarded Lively £299,910 ($407,451.75) in attorneys' fees and costs. The award consisted of £267,118 ($363,245.40) in legal fees and £32,497 ($44,206.35) in costs, far below the more than £5.89 million ($8 million) she had requested.
Liman found that the hourly rates charged by Lively's lawyers were not unreasonable given the complexity of the case, but ruled that the number of hours claimed was unreasonable. He also noted problems with the documentation submitted to support the request, further reducing the amount she could recover.
Baldoni Finally Speaks Out
Baldoni and his wife Emily previously addressed the controversy publicly, describing the emotional strain the prolonged legal battle had placed on their family. Baldoni said they had avoided adding to the noise surrounding the case, while Emily questioned how such a situation could unfold under the banner of fighting for women.
That silence has now been joined by a new wave of online scrutiny over old footage, including Lively's boots comment. For critics, the clip is another piece of material they believe raises questions about consistency, although it remains social media commentary rather than a judicial finding about the meaning or context of the exchange.
One Word Is Now Carrying a Lot of Baggage
The resurfaced video has therefore become less about a pair of boots and more about the extraordinary baggage attached to one simple word. Lively's critics see an apparent contradiction, while the wider legal record shows that the dispute involved far more complicated allegations than a single remark about footwear.
For now, the clip is likely to keep circulating because it fits neatly into the internet's favourite kind of celebrity story: an old moment suddenly viewed through the lens of a much bigger scandal. And with the legal battle finally winding down, every resurfaced piece of footage is being given fresh significance by fans still arguing over what really happened on the set.
