In a dramatic twist in the Hollywood legal scene, Ryan Reynolds has taken decisive steps to detach himself from the $400 million defamation lawsuit filed by Justin Baldoni against him and his wife, Blake Lively. Reynolds’ legal team filed a motion on March 18, 2025, asserting that Baldoni's claims lack any legal basis and amount to little more than an expression of hurt feelings.
Baldoni, the director of "It Ends With Us," has accused the couple of using their celebrity status to undermine his career and damage his reputation. The central accusations revolve around two occasions where Reynolds allegedly referred to Baldoni as a “predator.” In his motion to the court, Reynolds contends that he sincerely believes Baldoni's behavior justifies such a label, thus asserting his First Amendment rights to express an opinion.
The situation escalated when Reynolds' character in the film “Deadpool & Wolverine” was seen as mocking Baldoni’s public persona. Reynolds’ filing argues that Baldoni's claims about feeling mocked and his allegations of defamation are a mere expression of “thin-skinned outrage” rather than legitimate legal grievances.
“The entirety of Plaintiffs’ defamation claim appears to be based on two times that Mr. Reynolds allegedly called Mr. Baldoni a ‘predator,’ but the filing does not allege any facts suggesting that Reynolds did not believe that comment to be true,” stated Reynolds' attorneys. They emphasized that calling someone a predator reflects a constitutionally protected opinion.
In the motion, Reynolds’ legal team highlighted Baldoni’s ongoing outrage over the character Nicepool, a figure in "Deadpool & Wolverine". They argue this grievance lacks any connection to substantive legal issues and simply reflects Baldoni’s emotional reaction.
To add another layer of complexity, Reynolds is named in the lawsuit because of business dealings involving Steve Sarowitz, who has allegedly threatened to spend large sums of money to ruin Lively and Reynolds’ careers amidst claims of retaliation against Lively for her harassment accusations against Baldoni.
Details from Baldoni’s lawsuit reveal that he accuses Reynolds of intervening in the production of "It Ends With Us," asserting that Reynolds rewrote scenes without permission and made unauthorized changes to the script. Baldoni is also claiming that Reynolds berated him for allegedly fat-shaming Lively.
The legal sparring intensified when Bryan Freedman, Baldoni's attorney, issued a statement on March 19, robustly defending Baldoni's allegations against Reynolds. According to Freedman, Reynolds was instrumental in a broader smear campaign to vilify Baldoni within Hollywood. “Mr. Reynolds was a key player in the scheme, defaming Justin around Hollywood, strong-arming WME into dropping Justin as a client,” Freedman claimed. He also accused Reynolds of attempting to escape accountability for his actions.
Reynolds’ representatives countered by stating that Baldoni’s claims are frivolous, reiterating their confidence in an eventual dismissal of the case. “We look forward to this lawsuit being dismissed,” remarked a spokesperson for Reynolds.
As the legal battle unfolds, Reynolds and Lively remain firm in their belief that their actions were justified and rooted in protecting their interests and reputations. The initial complaints from Lively to the California Civil Rights Department against Baldoni included charges of sexual harassment and retaliation—a narrative that has since spiraled into a multi-faceted legal confrontation involving accusations of defamation, extortion, and retaliation.
Baldoni's lawsuit also extends to Lively's publicist, Leslie Sloane, claiming her involvement constituted participation in defaming him. Notably, WME dropped Baldoni following Lively's complaint, which further complicates the interplay of Hollywood business politics within this sector.
The depth of these allegations and counter-allegations between Baldoni and the dynamic Hollywood couple have garnered significant media and public attention, and both parties seem prepared for a lengthy legal battle that is set to begin in March 2026. In the meantime, the question remains: how will the entertainment industry respond to the unfolding drama? As details continue to emerge, the public watches closely.
Furthermore, Lively and Baldoni's legal saga is not just confined to the courtroom. It also includes intricate ramifications on social media and public relations, with both actors deploying responses to the allegations in interviews and statements to the press.
The outcome of this lawsuit could resound across Hollywood, influencing how cases of harassment and defamation are perceived and handled in the future, particularly within a landscape increasingly defining actions in the context of prominent societal movements like #MeToo.
Ultimately, as both parties prepare for trial, they are entrapped in a high-stakes game of public relations and legal strategy, where each maneuver not only shapes their futures but also the norms of accountability in the entertainment industry.
