Hollywood feud heats up between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively.
Justin Baldoni has fired back at Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds after they tried to get his $400 million defamation lawsuit thrown out.
The legal fight began in December 2024 when Lively accused Baldoni of inappropriate behavior on the set of It Ends With Us, where she starred opposite him.
Baldoni, who also directed and produced the movie, denied the claims and says Lively launched a smear campaign against him.
In response, Baldoni filed a lawsuit against Lively and named Reynolds and Lively’s publicist, Leslie Sloane, accusing them of damaging his reputation.
41-year-old Baldoni has also taken legal action against The New York Times, filing a $250 million lawsuit over how the outlet covered Blake Lively’s claims. Everyone involved in the case has denied the accusations.
In March, Blake, Ryan, and Blake’s publicist, Leslie Sloane, asked the court to throw out Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit, calling it bitter and unfounded. Reynolds also publicly criticized Baldoni, calling him overly sensitive while defending his role as a supportive husband.
Then, on April 1, Baldoni’s lawyers fired back. In a new filing, they labeled Reynolds a key part of the effort to damage Baldoni’s name and urged the judge not to dismiss the case against him or Lively.
As reported by PEOPLE, Baldoni’s legal team argued that Ryan Reynolds is trying to distance himself from the lawsuit by claiming he was just standing by his wife.
However, they insist that the legal complaint includes enough details to hold Reynolds accountable – not only for his own actions but also as someone who was actively involved in what they call a joint effort.
They also argued that if Reynolds is removed from the case, which they believe is very unlikely, he shouldn’t be allowed to ask for legal costs to be covered by Baldoni.
This happened after Lively’s legal team argued in a March 20 filing that continuing the lawsuit against her could potentially cost Baldoni’s side $100 million.
According to Daily Mail, Ryan Reynolds’ spokesperson responded to Justin Baldoni’s latest legal move on April 3, calling the lawsuit “pointless” and poorly put together.
They said Baldoni and his team haven’t clearly explained who was hurt, what was said, or how it caused any real damage.
The rep also shared that Reynolds will keep supporting his wife, Blake Lively. They added that while Baldoni tries to act like someone who respects and listens to women, Reynolds actually does – and he will continue to stand by Lively as she speaks out about what happened.
“Unlike Mr. Baldoni, who built his brand pretending to be a man who is ‘confident enough to listen’ to the women in his life, Ryan Reynolds actually is that man, and he will continue to support his wife as she stands up to the individuals who not only harassed her but then have retaliated against her,” the spokesperson stated.
“Under New York law, California law, and indeed in every jurisdiction of the United States, this lawsuit not only fails but may result in the Wayfarer Parties covering Ryan’s costs and attorneys’ fees for bringing such a frivolous case in the first place.”
In the latest development, court documents obtained by TMZ show that Baldoni has pushed back strongly against Lively’s attempt to have his lawsuit thrown out.
He told the judge that she was at the center of what he described as a carefully planned effort to damage both his reputation and that of his studio.
According to Justin, Blake approved or gave the green light to the public statements he believes were meant to harm him.
He also accused her of giving The New York Times a false and damaging story, claiming she knew it would be published and used it to fuel a revenge narrative. Baldoni insists she acted with clear intent to ruin his career.
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, also spoke out to TMZ, calling Lively a member of the “Hollywood elite” and accusing her of attempting to create a risky precedent by trying to have Baldoni’s lawsuit dismissed.
“Ms. Lively and her circle of Hollywood elites cannot prevent my clients from exercising their constitutional right to petition the court to clear their names from her false and harmful claims,” said Freedman.
“What Ms. Lively is attempting to do is to set a dangerous precedent by barring the courthouse doors to my clients and punishing them for having their day in court, a right protected by the First Amendment.”
He continued, “This right protects not only Mr. Baldoni and the Wayfarer parties in this particular case, but all Americans in the future who have false accusations levied against them and seek relief from our justice system.
“This must stop here, and we will continue to fight against this blatant attempt to block access to the court system and to weaken our nation’s Constitution to serve those who are in the position of power,” the statement concluded.
Source: Daily Mail – TMZ – PEOPLE
Leave A Comment:
What are your views on this update? Let us know in the comments below!
