Ryan Reynolds Speaks at Harvard Amid Wife Blake Lively's Legal Battle

Ryan Reynolds maintains high energy as he navigates the ongoing court case involving him, Blake Lively, and Justin Baldoni.

Indeed, the actor of Deadpool collaborated with Matt Higgins, who previously appeared on Shark Tank, for a discussion at Harvard Business School. This was his first public appearance since he and Lively were involved in a lawsuit by Baldoni concerning the film It Ends With Us, marking a significant step in his post-lawsuit activities.

In an Instagram post on January 22nd, Reynolds expressed that the students in this class have immense ability (or skill), which he referred to as ‘megawatt talent’. He also mentioned that the questions posed during the class made him more knowledgeable.

True to Reynolds’ style, the 48-year-old infused some humor into his recap of his visit. In a subsequent post, he referenced his late father, James Chester Reynolds, by saying, “If my dad were still alive enough to witness me speaking at Harvard Business School, he’d be quite proud.

He jokingly added, “It’s mainly because of his unexpected liveliness,” but also, “it presents a unique chance to reserve affection and witness your kid deliver a speech at Harvard.”

He playfully commented, “Primarily it’s due to his surprising energy,” yet he found it intriguing, “to keep emotions in check AND watch your child give a speech at Harvard.

Reynolds’ outing occurred the day following a petition by him and Lively (the parents of children James, 10, Inez, 8, Betty, 5, and Olin, nearly 2) for a restraining order on Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s lawyer, to keep him from disclosing information during their ongoing legal proceedings.

In response to accusations made by Lively about a supposedly hostile work environment during the 2024 movie production, Baldoni and his partner have filed a lawsuit against Reynolds and his wife, who have been married for 12 years.

Baldoni disputes Lively’s claims, asserting in his lawsuit that the couple interfered with his directorial duties during the production of the Colleen Hoover adaptation. Furthermore, Baldoni refutes Livery’s charge of a smear campaign against her, suggesting instead that Lively and Reynolds conspired with journalists to shift blame onto him by spreading false information.

Amidst the courtroom frenzy, Baldoni’s legal team shared exclusive footage from the set of It Ends With Us, which was disseminated to numerous media platforms like TopMob News, in an attempt to counter Ms. Lively’s portrayal of him through showing his actions in the video.

In a January 21st statement to TopMob, Lively’s legal team asserted that the footage aligns perfectly with what Ms. Lively stated in her lawsuit. They claimed that it depicted the actress trying to use humor to avoid unwelcome touching.

In the midst of the courtroom commotion, Baldoni’s legal team shared exclusive behind-the-scenes clips from the production of It Ends With Us, which were distributed to numerous media platforms such as TopMob News, with the aim that the actors’ behaviors in these videos would contradict Ms. Lively’s portrayal of him.

In their January 21st statement to TopMob, Lively’s legal team contended that the video aligns completely with the account given by Ms. Lively in her lawsuit. They explained that it depicts her efforts to use humor as a means to counteract the unwelcome touching.

Speaking for myself as a lifestyle advisor, I firmly believe that every individual has the right to openly defend themselves using accurate facts and tangible evidence in the public sphere. This is a fundamental aspect of maintaining one’s reputation and integrity.

He informed TopMob on January 21st that while Ms. Lively desires unique standards to be applied to her situation, it’s crucial to remember that honesty and authenticity are universal and unwavering principles. Upon examining the video and the forthcoming evidence, it becomes clear why Ms. Lively might prefer this matter not to unfold in public now.

For more on the legal saga between Lively and Baldoni, keep reading.

Four months following the theater release of the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us,” Blake Lively submitted a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) against her costar Justin Baldoni and his associates on December 20, as reported by The New York Times.

In the complaint obtained by TopMob News, Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios (Wayfarer), its CEO Jamey Heath, co-founder Steve Sarowitz, Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel, RWA Communications, crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan, The Agency Group PR LLC (TAG), contractor Jed Wallace, and Street Relations Inc. were named as defendants.

Lively claimed in her complaint that Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates “initiated a complex press and digital plan in retaliation” for expressing concerns about alleged misconduct on set—with Lively stating that she and other cast and crew members “encountered invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior” from Baldoni and Heath.

The actress further asserted that the alleged campaign against her caused “significant damage” to her personally and professionally. The accusations detailed in the complaint include sexual harassment; retaliation; failure to investigate, prevent, and/or address harassment; aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation; breach of contract; intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligence; false light invasion of privacy; and interference with prospective economic advantage.

The following day, The New York Times released an article detailing a supposed counterattack smear operation that Baldoni and his allies were accused of launching against Lively, using her CRD complaint as evidence. The newspaper’s piece featured messages exchanged between Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), Nathan (crisis communications specialist), and Lively, which were included in the complaint. Readers could access the related court documents directly on The New York Times’ website. Lively expressed her hope that her legal action would expose these underhanded retaliatory strategies aimed at silencing those who speak out against misconduct, thereby shielding others potentially targeted in a similar manner.

Following Lively’s allegations, Bryan Freedman – legal representative for Baldoni, Wayfarer, and their associates – strongly refuted her claims. In a statement published on The New York Times website, he denounced the serious and factually incorrect accusations made against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives as a desperate attempt to improve Lively’s tarnished reputation, stemming from her own remarks and actions during the movie campaign, which were open for public scrutiny. Freedman also stated that these claims are completely false, outrageous, intentionally sensational, and aimed at causing harm in the media.

Furthermore, Freedman defended Wayfarer’s decision to hire a crisis manager prior to the movie’s marketing campaign. He added that Wayfarer’s representatives merely responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure balanced and accurate reporting, and monitored social activity. Crucially, he pointed out that there is no evidence of proactive measures taken by Wayfarer with the media or otherwise; only internal planning and private correspondence to strategize, which is standard practice among public relations professionals.

Following the publication of an article by The New York Times on December 21, talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) chose to part ways with actor-director Baldoni. This decision was later confirmed by Ari Emanuel, CEO of WME’s parent company Endeavor, to the outlet.

However, it’s important to clarify that Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband and a client represented by WME, was not the reason behind their separation with Baldoni, as alleged in Baldoni’s subsequent lawsuit against The New York Times (more details on this below).

In response to these claims, WME issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1st, stating that “In Baldoni’s filing there is a claim that Reynolds pressured Baldoni’s agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere. This is not true.” It was also emphasized that Baldoni’s former representative was not present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere, and neither Reynolds nor Lively ever put pressure on Baldoni’s agent to drop him as a client at any point in time.

In the aftermath of Blake Lively’s CRD filing and a New York Times article, several notable figures expressed their support for her allegations against Baldoni. Here’s how I might put it:

“Following Blake Lively’s CRD filing and the New York Times article, many prominent figures voiced their backing of her claims—Colleen Hoover, author of ‘It Ends With Us,’ among them. On Instagram Stories, December 21st, I wrote: ‘Blake, you have always been honest, kind, supportive, and patient since our first meeting. Thank you for being exactly who you are. Never change. Never wilt.’

Jenny Slate, who played Ryle’s sister in the series, also made it clear she stands with Lively. In a December 23rd statement to Today, she said: ‘As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation.’ She added, ‘Blake is a leader, loyal friend, and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her. What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing, and wholly threatening. I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side.’

Brandon Sklenar, a love interest for Lively’s character Lily Bloom, shared a screenshot of the complaint published to The New York Times’ website and linked out to the outlet writing, ‘For the love of God read this.’ Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn also wrote they ‘stand with her in solidarity.’

Liz Plank recently shared that she is no longer a co-host on “The Man Enough Podcast”. In an Instagram post, she expressed her gratitude for the trust, stories, and community created during her tenure. Although she didn’t specify the reason for her departure, it happened shortly after a complaint against her co-host, Baldoni, and his associates at Wayfarer. Plank emphasized her continued commitment to the values they built together and her support for those who speak out against injustice. She also mentioned that she will share more about this change soon as she processes everything that has happened.

In a lawsuit filed in New York on Christmas Eve, Stephanie Jones, Baldoni’s former publicist, and her agency Jonesworks LLC accused Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, his current publicist Abel, and crisis communications specialist Nathan of conspiring against them for months. The lawsuit claims that Abel and Nathan orchestrated a campaign to publicly and privately attack Jones and Jonesworks, breach contracts, and steal clients.

The suit further alleges that behind Jones’s back, Abel and Nathan coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to launch a smear campaign against one of Baldoni’s film co-stars, and then used the resulting crisis as an opportunity to create a rift between Jones and Baldoni. The lawsuit also accuses them of falsely blaming Jones for the smear campaign, even though she had no involvement in it.

Abel, who worked at Jonesworks until last summer according to her LinkedIn profile, is accused of continuing to falsely implicate Jones now that their misconduct is being exposed. The lawsuit also alleges that they defamed and attacked her within the industry.

Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer clients of Jonesworks, are accused of breaking their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and refusing to settle the dispute privately through arbitration. When reached for comment, the defendants did not respond.

According to a statement made to Variety on December 23rd, Lively’s legal team declared that they acquired the texts mentioned in The New York Times article through a subpoena issued to Jonesworks. Freedman, who represents Nathan, Abel, Baldoni, and their Wayfarer associates, further stated that none of his clients were summoned over this matter, and he plans to take legal action against Jones for disclosing messages from Abel’s phone to Lively’s lawyers.

31st December saw a lawsuit being filed against The New York Times by Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, TAG, Abel, RWA Communications, Wallace, and Street Relations. The lawsuit, obtained by TopMob News, accuses the newspaper of libel, false light invasion of privacy, promissory fraud, and breach of implied-in-fact contract regarding an article about a supposed retaliatory smear campaign they allegedly conducted against Lively after she voiced concerns about on-set misconduct.

The plaintiffs claim the report was false and based on Lively’s CRD complaint, denying the accusations and alleging that messages cited in the article and complaint were taken out of context. They argue that The New York Times largely relied on Lively’s unverified narrative while ignoring evidence contradicting her claims and exposing her true motives.

The lawsuit also alleges that it was Lively, not the plaintiffs, who engaged in a calculated smear campaign, which she has denied. In response, The New York Times stated they plan to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.” They added that their story was thoroughly and responsibly reported, based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails they accurately quoted in the article.

On the same day, Lively initiated a legal action against Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan, Nathan’s company TAG, and Abel in New York. The court documents show that she is accusing these defendants of sexual harassment, retaliation, failure to address harassment, aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy through false light.

The allegations in the lawsuit are similar to those made in the CRD complaint she filed earlier that month. In response, Baldoni and his associates have filed a suit against The New York Times – where Lively is not listed as a defendant. However, her lawyers have stated in response to TopMob that the lawsuit does not alter the claims in her CRD and federal complaints. They argue that the idea that Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a ploy to avoid suing Baldoni, Wayfarer, and that litigation was never her primary goal, is false. Instead, they point out that her recent federal complaint supports their position.

In their legal action against The New York Times, Baldoni and his team have made it clear that they are not finished with their fight. According to court documents, there are more wrongdoers involved, and this is not the only lawsuit they intend to file. In a January 2 interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s attorney Freedman stated unequivocally that they plan to take legal action against Lively as well.

As a lifestyle expert, I can’t help but weigh in on the ongoing chatter surrounding Justin Baldoni and Ryan Reynolds.

For one, social media enthusiasts have proposed an interesting theory: Reynolds may have poked fun at Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool.

However, Reynolds himself has yet to address these speculations. In response, Baldoni’s attorney, Freedman, shared his perspective during a recent interview on The Megyn Kelly Show.

Freedman succinctly stated, “When your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t mock Justin Baldoni. You don’t make light of the situation. Instead, you treat it with the gravity it deserves. You file complaints, raise the issue, and follow due process. What you don’t do is turn it into a joke.”

The video of this insightful interview was posted on YouTube on January 7th.

In their statement on January 7, Lively’s attorneys explained that the ongoing lawsuit against a company named Wayfarer in the Southern District of New York concerns substantial accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation, supported by solid evidence. They emphasized that this is not a petty dispute stemming from artistic disagreements or he-said-she-said scenarios. Instead, as detailed in Lively’s complaint, Wayfarer and its associates are accused of engaging in unlawful, retaliatory astroturfing against Lively for standing up for herself and others on a film set. Since the lawsuit was filed, more attacks have been directed at Lively.

The lawyers urged everyone to remember that sexual harassment and retaliation are prohibited in all workplaces and industries. They warned against common tactics used to divert attention from such misconduct, such as blaming the victim or suggesting they were responsible for the harassment, misunderstood the intentions, or even lied. Another tactic is to reverse the roles of the offender and victim. Lively’s lawyers stated that these strategies serve to normalize and trivialize serious allegations of misconduct. They also clarified that media statements are not a defense against Lively’s claims and that they will present their case in court.

On January 16th in New York, Baldoni, Heath, Wayfarer, Abel (publicist), Nathan (crisis communication specialist) and It Ends With Us Movie LLC filed a lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, Leslie Sloane (Lively’s publicist) and Vision PR. The suit, obtained by TopMob News, alleges that all defendants have committed civil extortion, defamation, and false light invasion of privacy.

In the case, specific accusations against Lively and Reynolds include breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentional interference with contractual relations, economic advantage, and negligent interference with prospective economic advantage. The plaintiffs refute Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign against her. Instead, they allege that she seized control of the movie “It Ends With Us” and collaborated with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to damage the reputation of the plaintiffs through negative press following her marketing of the film. (Lively stated in her filings that she promoted the movie according to Sony’s marketing plan.)

In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that the defendants colluded with The New York Times to publish a sensational yet untrue news report. The publication maintains its stance on the validity of its report. Regarding Blake Lively, Freedman stated in part of his response to TopMob that either Lively was deceived by her team or she deliberately misrepresented the truth knowingly.

Lively’s legal team referred to his lawsuit as “just another instance in the script of an abuser,” stating in a statement to TopMob News, “This situation follows a familiar pattern: A woman presents solid proof of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the abuser attempts to shift the blame onto the victim. This tactic is often called DARVO – Deny the accusations, Attack the accuser, Reverse the roles of Victim and Offender.

Beyond her initial accusations, she also claimed that he reacted by attempting to change the subject. Specifically, she stated that Baldoni is trying to portray Lively as the one who took creative control, causing the rest of the cast to distance themselves from Mr. Baldoni.

It’s clear from the evidence,” it went on to say, “that both the cast members and others had unfavorable encounters with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Moreover, the evidence reveals that Sony requested Ms. Lively to manage their portion of the film. This selection proved successful as Sony subsequently distributed it, resulting in a remarkable success.

Her team went on to slam Baldoni’s reaction to her allegations of harassment.

In simpler terms, their defense against sexual harassment accusations was to blame the victim, stating she welcomed it and it was her fault. Additionally, they argued that the way she was dressed led to the incident. However, according to her lawyers, this approach is misguided as it does not disprove the evidence in Ms. Lively’s claim and will ultimately fall short. Essentially, while the victim concentrates on the abuse, the abuser concentrates on shifting blame to the victim.

In a recent statement, Baldoni’s legal team shared unseen footage from the set of “It Ends With Us“, claiming that the depicted actions of the actor directly contradict Ms. Lively’s portrayal of him.

According to Baldoni’s lawyers, the specific moment depicted was intended to portray the two characters developing feelings for each other and yearning for intimacy. It’s important to note that both actors are acting appropriately and professionally throughout this romantic scene, demonstrating their skill and respect for one another.

Nevertheless, Lively’s legal team argues that the video fully supports, in every detail, what Ms. Lively claimed in her lawsuit. They also assert that each moment depicted in the video was spontaneously created by Mr. Baldoni without any prior conversation or agreement.

In a statement shared with TopMob News, I expressed that the video portrays Ms. Lively leaning back and repeatedly urging the characters to simply converse. As a woman who has experienced unwelcome advances at work, I could relate to her unease depicted in the scene.

In their ongoing case, the pair penned a missive to the presiding judge, asking for the restriction known as a gag order to be imposed on Freedman, who leads Baldoni’s legal team, during the court process, in an effort to prevent any inappropriate behavior.

2025-01-23 07:18

Ryan Reynolds Speaks at Harvard Amid Wife Blake Lively’s Legal Battle

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