Blake Lively confirms Ryan Reynolds on witness list as Justin Baldoni seeks to muzzle celebrity testimonies

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Blake Lively experienced a legal defeat when a judge dismissed most of her lawsuit against her “It Ends With Us” co-star, Justin Baldoni. However, she has strong support from her husband, Ryan Reynolds.

The actress has included Reynolds as a witness in the ongoing legal battle, which is scheduled to go to trial on May 18th.

According to court filings submitted on Saturday, Blake Lively has listed the witnesses she intends to call for testimony, and Ryan Reynolds, known for his role in Deadpool, is expected to be a key witness, according to People magazine.

Reynolds has been deeply committed to supporting his wife as she gears up to face Baldoni in court.

The 49-year-old actor is anticipated to share his direct observations about problems during the making and marketing of the project, as well as the claims of unfair treatment and resulting harm that are central to the legal dispute.

Both Lively, 38, and Baldoni, 42, are scheduled to take the stand when the trial starts. They both turned down attempts to resolve the case out of court earlier this week.

Lively also has her sister, Robyn Lively, and fellow actors from the movie It Ends With Us – Jenny Slate and Isabela Ferrer – listed as witnesses.

I’ve been following this so closely, and it’s just… wow. She’s not just saying things, she’s proving them! She’s bringing in people who actually know him – like Liz Plank, who used to co-host his podcast with him, and even his old publicist, Stephanie Jones. And get this – she’s got the woman who handled his PR crises, Melissa Nathan, ready to testify too! It’s all coming out, and it’s amazing to see her holding him accountable with actual evidence and people backing up her story.

Colleen Hoover, the author of the book the movie is based on, may be called as a witness in the legal issues between the film’s lead actors. She will likely give her statement through a recorded deposition, meaning she won’t have to appear in court in person.

The author first publicly supported Lively in December 2024 after the actress came forward with her claims. However, she’s since changed her position and is now staying neutral, explaining that the lawsuit has drawn attention away from her new romance novel.

She admitted feeling awkward about her past work, saying she often just tells people she’s a writer and avoids specifying what she’s written, as she shared in an Elle interview from November 2025.

According to TMZ, Baldoni is trying to prevent several people on Lively’s witness list – including Hoover and Slate – from testifying. He argues that their claimed experiences, which he describes as a collection of minor issues like awkward comments and disagreements, wouldn’t have been allowed as evidence even if Lively’s harassment claims went to court.

Baldoni argued that Hoover’s statements shouldn’t be considered as evidence since she wasn’t present during the filming of ‘It Ends With Us’.

Slate argued that any complaints she had about him shouldn’t be considered because those issues had already been resolved.

In a September 2025 deposition, Slate stated that he told her she looked ‘sexy’ early in filming, specifically on their second day.

According to reports, Baldoni believes the claims made by Plank shouldn’t be considered as she wasn’t involved in the film’s production. Additionally, Ferrer never voiced any concerns to Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer, and actually praised both Baldoni and the film’s intimacy coordinator.

TMZ says that attorneys for both sides are preparing questions for potential jurors, such as whether they know anyone who might be mentioned during the trial.

Taylor Swift, a friend of Blake Lively’s—though they aren’t as close now—is among those invited, as are Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Slate, Colleen Hoover, Lively’s sister Robyn, and Hasan Minhaj, who starred as the brother-in-law of the main character in the movie It Ends With Us.

The legal dispute between Lively and Baldoni began in December 2024 when Lively accused Baldoni, the director and lead actor, of sexual harassment. She also claimed he and others worked to damage her reputation, allegations Baldoni refuted.

A New York federal judge dismissed ten of the thirteen claims made by Lively on April 2nd, rejecting allegations of sexual harassment, defamation, and conspiracy. The lawsuit continues with claims of retaliation and breach of contract still being considered.

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2026-04-12 00:03