Movies

Ryan Reynolds looks sheepish as he’s seen for first time since new Justin Baldoni lawsuit against Blake Lively

BBG News

On Thursday, Ryan Reynolds appeared somewhat awkward following the recent filing of a new lawsuit by Justin Baldoni against him and his wife, Blake Lively.

In simpler terms, it’s alleged that the actress, aged 37, devised a plan to sabotage the career of It Ends With Us actor, who is 40, and his publicists by fabricating claims of sexual harassment against them.

Forty-eight-year-old Reynolds walked sadly through New York City, caught up in the recent court dispute, dressed in a sweater, trench coat, and athletic pants.

He hid his eyes with dark shades and appeared pensive on the solo walk without Lively. 

Exclusive court documents obtained by DailyMail.com suggest that Lively and Reynolds are being accused of leveraging their celebrity status to take control over The It Ends With Us project, with Lively asserting herself in production even though it’s claimed she didn’t read the book until filming had already begun extensively.

It is said that during the hijacking, Baldoni and his family were forced into the basement upon their arrival at the movie premiere on August 6, 2024, on the red carpet, as Lively insisted he should not be present.

The security team led Baldoni’s group down to the building’s basement, giving the impression they were worried about an attempted escape.

At that location, they found themselves corralled within a temporary detention zone, enclosed by the stock of nearby concession stands. The space was furnished with collapsible tables and seats, all neatly aligned in a square configuration.

Beyond starting the filming without first reading the book, the lawsuit alleges that she initially resisted the idea of having to read it altogether.

Although the book’s theme was quite grim, it is said that Lively didn’t seem to treat it with the gravity it deserved during promotions. In fact, she reportedly named a cocktail after the abusive male protagonist.

According to this document, it appears there was a lack of sensitivity displayed which ultimately led to an organic response or reaction against the actress last summer.

Additionally, she declined to engage with the home violence organization that Baldoni teamed up with during the movie’s promotions.

Three weeks back, accusations of sexual harassment against Lively initially surfaced in a New York Times article. The piece contained texts exchanged between his publicists, which they now claim were selectively presented and devoid of proper context to give the impression that Baldoni was masterminding a ‘defamatory campaign’ against the actress.

However, the actor claims that Lively, not he, was the one masterminding a damaging media smear – by suggesting that she had collaborated with her personal publicist Leslie Sloane and The New York Times long before the piece went live in the newspaper.

Baldoni has filed a lawsuit against the media outlet for libel and defamation, claiming that the story was based on Lively’s personal account. The lawsuit states that the story relied on Lively’s biased version of events.

The newly submitted document is a counterclaim against Lively’s original one, mentioning that Baldoni and his representatives received legal documents while attempting to flee their homes due to the destructive wildfires in Los Angeles over the past week.

Vividly, she emphasized that she was securely residing in New York, while at the same time, she had process servers working amidst the fires.

The home of Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman was among the casualties of the Palisades Fire.

The documentation further explains that Baldoni’s representatives, Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, faced severe threats and an overwhelming wave of abusive comments following the broadcast of Lively’s accusations. Some of this abuse contained elements of anti-Semitism.

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The report additionally outlines the ordeal experienced by Baldoni’s publicists, Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, who were subjected to death threats and a deluge of abusive language after Lively’s claims were made public, with some abuse being anti-Semitic in nature.

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The submission also reveals that Baldoni’s PR team, Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, had to endure death threats and a barrage of abusive comments following the revelation of Lively’s allegations, including some which were anti-Semitic.

A representative from the industry shared with DailyMail.com, “Given what we now understand, the main point of curiosity is why Blake chose to act in this manner?

Here are two possible explanations for this situation:

1) She may have underestimated the opposition’s response, assuming they wouldn’t retaliate.
2) Alternatively, she could have been presented with manipulated and falsified communications from her own advisory group.

It’s intriguing to observe how she manages from here, given that the general public now possesses the complete, uncensored correspondence.

As a lifestyle advisor speaking candidly, I can share that the claims made against me by Lively have been truly crushing. In response, I find it essential to express that these accusations of bullying are entirely false and unfounded.

The statement expressed regret that we’re compelled to confront a relentless, self-centered legal dispute filled with verifiable falsehoods, amidst the heartbreaking situation affecting our home state of California.

Approximately five months ago, Ms. Lively decided to market a movie addressing domestic violence, but her approach led to immediate, spontaneous criticism because of her personal history of controversy.

Rather than taking accountability, she opted to unfairly point fingers at us. This deliberately malicious act by Ms. Lively and her team involved providing misleading information to The New York Times by manipulating, taking out of context, and editing text messages. Their intention was to create an image of herself as a victim. Consequently, this series of events has caused significant damage.

Let me set the record straight here: I’ve come to understand that Miss Lively and her crew started a malicious media smear, primarily to generate unwarranted public empathy over their errors.

For the past month, a torrent of hateful messages, including death threats, offensive insults, and abusive anti-Semitic remarks, has been directed at us. This is a result of her choosing to exploit us as fall guys for her actions, promoting her film which earned her substantial profits.

By submitting this document, we’re pulling back the veil to reveal the destructive consequences when individuals misuse power, leverage fear, and wield wealth to undermine, intimidate, and belittle those who oppose them.

The recent document submission offers a new perspective on Lively’s actions during production, revealing an instance where the actress allegedly intimidated Baldoni by highlighting her influential industry connections and suggesting potential complications for him if he did not comply.

In an argument about changing a scene in the movie, Lively reportedly compared herself to Daenerys Targaryen (Khaleesi) from Game of Thrones, stating that she viewed her co-stars as “my dragons.

As a die-hard admirer, I’d say that Baldoni expresses he would have consented to her recommendations under ordinary circumstances, but the aggressive tone caught him off guard.

In a subsequent statement, the suit claims that she attempted to make Baldoni admit fault and apologize amidst the criticism. When he declined, they allegedly planned to eliminate him from the entertainment world by fabricating accusations of sexual misconduct against him.

The film adaptation of “It Ends With Us” garnered significant attention after its August premiere, unfortunately, not for positive reasons.

Additionally, enclosed in the filed documents are the complete transcripts of text exchanges alleged to be between Baldoni’s representatives. The lawsuit alleges these communications were acquired when Sloane confiscated Abel’s phone upon resigning from her public relations agency, and subsequently edited some parts selectively.

Among the documents enclosed, you’ll find transcripts of full conversations, each including additional statements that challenge Lively’s assertion of a coordinated defamation scheme.

The latest legal action follows several back-and-forth conflicts between Lively and Baldoni, stemming from a significant disagreement they had regarding “It Ends With Us.” Lively has faced allegations of taking control over this project.

In the recently filed lawsuit, it is claimed that the negative reaction she encountered during the movie’s promotional period was primarily due to her seemingly insensitive self-promotion of her own brands, such as an alcohol company, rather than being caused by a deliberate smear campaign.

In a different phrasing, the movie is about the character Lily Bloom (portrayed by Blake Lively), who finds herself trapped in a harmful romantic involvement with Ryle Kincaid, played by Justin Baldoni.

One area of disagreement seemed to revolve around the marketing strategy for the film. It’s said that Lively wished to emphasize a more optimistic tone, while Baldoni felt that the narrative should place greater emphasis on the themes of abuse.

With rumors of a dispute lingering, public sentiment on social media gradually shifted towards actress Blake Lively, who has faced increasing criticism due to her perceived defensive comments during promotional interviews for the film.

In a critique that labeled her as insensitive and lacking depth, she faced backlash following her interview with her fellow actors from “It Ends With Us,” during which she neglected to delve into the film’s profound underlying theme.

A disagreement arose when Baldoni enquired about the weight Lively had before the scene where Baldoni was required to lift her.

As a devoted admirer, I’d rephrase it like this: The renowned actress is said to have felt shamed about her weight, possibly due to a comment or action, whereas sources close to Baldoni clarify that he was merely taking precautions for his injured back, not intending any form of body-shaming.

In contrast to numerous other projects that struggle due to criticism affecting their box office performance, It Ends With Us managed to be a box office success, even with mixed opinions from critics.

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2025-01-17 00:19

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