Justin Baldoni Accuses Wrexham Co-Owner Ryan Reynolds of "Aggressive" Behavior
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are involved in a dispute with Justin Baldoni
Justin Baldoni Labels Ryan Reynolds as "Aggressive" in Lawsuit Against The New York Times
In a newly filed lawsuit against The New York Times, It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni has described Ryan Reynolds as "aggressive."
The lawsuit follows a December 20 legal complaint from Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds’ wife, Blake Lively. Her 80-page filing detailed allegations of a strained working relationship with Baldoni during the production of their Hollywood film, which premiered in August.
Her complaint includes accusations that he intentionally tried to "destroy her reputation" and allegations of sexual harassment. She claims his conduct caused her "severe emotional distress."
Baldoni has refuted the claims made against him. This week, Lively initiated a second lawsuit, alleging that Baldoni inflicted "severe emotional distress and pain, humiliation and embarrassment" on her.
She further accused him, along with his publicist Jennifer Abel and crisis PR Melissa Nathan, of causing her "mental pain and anguish" and resulting in lost wages.
The Gossip Girl star is seeking punitive and compensatory damages and has requested a jury trial.
Justin Baldoni Sues The New York Times Amid Allegations of Smear Campaign Against Blake Lively
Justin Baldoni has filed a lawsuit against The New York Times following its article, "'We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine," which suggested Baldoni and his associates orchestrated a smear campaign targeting Blake Lively, reports the Mirror.
The publication has denied the claims, stating it "plans to vigorously defend against the lawsuit."
According to Variety, legal documents reveal that Baldoni accused Ryan Reynolds of "berating" him during a January 4 meeting at the couple's home last year. The meeting, attended by producers of It Ends With Us and a Sony representative, reportedly took an unexpected turn when Reynolds allegedly "aggressively" accused Baldoni of "fat-shaming" Lively.
The documents describe how attendees, who arrived prepared to discuss filming plans, were instead "blindsided" by Lively and Reynolds presenting a list of grievances that were "both unanticipated and troubling."
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively star in It Ends With Us
Justin Baldoni Accuses Ryan Reynolds of Pressuring Him to Apologize for Alleged False Claims
In his lawsuit, Justin Baldoni asserts that he was pressured to apologize for actions against Blake Lively that he maintains were misrepresented and entirely false. He recalls that he had "never been spoken to like that in his life" and suggests Reynolds became even more furious when Baldoni, a producer on It Ends With Us, refused to express remorse.
The lawsuit also includes allegations that Lively took control of the It Ends With Us project and that Reynolds contacted Baldoni's agency, William Morris Endeavor, urging them to "drop" him.
However, a spokesperson for WME has denied these claims, stating there was no coercion from Reynolds or Lively to sever ties with Baldoni, as reported by Variety.
A spokesperson for Lively has addressed Baldoni's recent lawsuit. They said: "Nothing in this lawsuit changes anything about the claims advanced in Ms. Lively's California Civil Rights Department Complaint, nor her federal complaint, filed earlier today.
"This lawsuit is based on the obviously false premise that Ms. Lively's administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a ruse based on a choice 'not to file a lawsuit against Baldoni, Wayfarer,' and that 'litigation was never her ultimate goal.'".
"As demonstrated by the federal complaint filed by Ms. Lively earlier today, that narrative underpinning the Wayfarer lawsuit is false.
"While we will not air this matter in public, we do encourage people to read Ms. Lively's complaint in its entirety. We look forward to addressing each and every one of Wayfarer's allegations in court."
At the time of Lively's initial complaint, Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, said: "It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to 'fix' her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions."