Justin Baldoni's Shocking Accusation: Ryan Reynolds Labels Him a 'Sexual Predator'!

Justin Baldoni is accusing Ryan Reynolds of defamation.

In response to claims made by the actor and his wife, Blake Lively, the director of “It Ends With Us” filed a countersuit for $400 million. He accused them of taking control of the film’s production prematurely and then organizing a negative media campaign against him, damaging his reputation.

In the lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York court and reported by TopMob News, Baldoni claimed that Reynolds labeled him as a “sexual predator” to a movie agent. At that point, Baldoni stated, he had been having disagreements with Lively for months regarding the creative direction of their film.

The text could be rephrased as follows: “Baldoni’s legal documents stated that he wished to leave the matter behind. Nevertheless, it seemed that Lively refused to drop it. Later on, during the premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine, Baldoni learned that Reynolds had expressed strong dislike towards him to Baldoni’s talent agency, specifically an executive at WME, claiming they were representing a ‘sexual predator’.

In addition to other claims made in the lawsuit, Baldoni stated that Reynolds, who has been married to Blake since 2012 and has four children together – James (age 10), Inez (age 8), Betty (age 5), and Olin (approximately 2) – allegedly requested that Baldoni’s agent “terminate” him as a client at a later point. WME, however, disputes this account, telling The Hollywood Reporter that there was neither Reynolds nor Lively’s pressure on Baldoni’s former representative to drop him as a client at any time or during the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere.

During the filming of “It Ends with Us”, Baldoni asserted that Reynolds began to exert significant power and sway. As the atmosphere became more tense, Baldoni expressed concern that Lively and Reynolds might be attempting to sabotage his career and personal life, as their actions seemed intentionally harmful towards him.

In response, Baldoni denied the accusations in his lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds.

Although Baldoni was accused by Lively of spreading false information about her, the countersuit suggests that it was actually Lively and her team who strategically orchestrated a malicious smear campaign against Baldoni and Wayfarer. The purpose behind this defamation was to divert attention from Lively’s poor decisions.

TopMob News has reached out to Lively and Reynolds’ reps for comment but hasn’t heard back.

For a complete breakdown of Lively’s legal battle against Baldoni, keep reading.

In another part of the court case, Baldoni claimed that Reynolds lashed out in a forceful verbal attack during a meeting for the show “Welcome to Wrexham” which took place at the residence shared by Reynolds and Lively.

In the complaint, it was stated that Baldoni was required to apologize to Lively for actions that were either fabricated or severely distorted. However, Baldoni refused to apologize for actions he hadn’t committed, which only served to infuriate Reynolds more. This refusal caused a stir, and everyone, including the producer Lively had reached out to and the Sony representative, abruptly ended the supposed meeting in disbelief.

In the court filing, I asserted, “During our professional encounter, the producer stated something to the effect of, ‘I’ve never experienced such disrespectful speech in a business meeting over the course of my 40-year career.’

In a lawsuit filed by Lively against Baldoni towards the end of December, she claimed that her co-star had fostered a hostile working atmosphere during the production of their film, and furthermore, engaged in character assassination against her when she resisted.

In response, Baldoni denied the accusations in his lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds.

Though Baldoni was accused by Lively of spreading false rumors, the countersuit suggests that it was actually Lively and her team who deliberately orchestrated a malicious smear campaign against Baldoni and Wayfarer. The intention behind this campaign was to divert attention away from Lively’s own mistakes and shift the blame elsewhere.

TopMob News has reached out to Lively and Reynolds’ reps for comment but hasn’t heard back.

For a complete breakdown of Lively’s legal battle against Baldoni, keep reading.

Four months following the theater release of the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us,” I, Blake Lively, submitted a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) on December 20th, as reported by The New York Times. In the complaint obtained by TopMob News, Justin Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios (Wayfarer), its CEO Jamey Heath, its co-founder Steve Sarowitz, Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel, her company RWA Communications, crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan, her company The Agency Group PR LLC (TAG), contractor Jed Wallace and his company Street Relations Inc. were named as defendants.

In the complaint, I asserted that Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates “launched a complex press and digital strategy in retaliation” for me voicing concerns about alleged on-set misconduct—claiming that myself and other cast and crew members “experienced intrusive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior” from Baldoni and Heath.

I further stated that this alleged campaign against me resulted in “significant harm” to both my personal life and career. The charges listed in the complaint include sexual harassment; retaliation; failure to investigate, prevent, and/or remedy 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, an article appeared in The New York Times, detailing accusations of a counterattack smear strategy orchestrated by Baldoni and his colleagues against Lively – based on her CRD complaint. In the piece, the publication shared messages sent by Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), and Nathan (crisis communications specialist) that were included in her complaint. The newspaper’s website also provided access to related court documents for readers to review.

Lively stated, “I hope my legal action sheds light on these underhanded retaliatory tactics used to harm those who speak out against misconduct, and serves as protection for others who might face similar targeting.”

Upon the release of Lively’s criticism, I—as a lifestyle expert—would phrase it like this: After Lively’s allegations surfaced, Bryan Freedman, attorney for Baldoni, Wayfarer, and their representatives, vigorously dismissed her claims. He stated on The New York Times website that it was disgraceful for Lively and her team to make such grave and factually incorrect accusations against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their representatives. These allegations were deemed completely false, outrageous, and deliberately sensationalized with the intent to harm publically and perpetuate a negative narrative in the media.

Furthermore, Freedman defended Wayfarer’s decision to engage a crisis manager, explaining that this was done prior to the marketing campaign of the movie. He later added that Wayfarer Studios’ representatives neither took any proactive measures nor retaliated; instead, they only responded to media inquiries to ensure accurate and balanced reporting and monitored social activity. What is notably absent from the selectively presented correspondence is evidence that no proactive measures were taken with the media or otherwise; rather, it shows internal strategy discussions among public relations professionals, which is standard practice within the industry.

After an article published by The New York Times on December 21st, talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) ended its relationship with actor Baldoni. This decision was confirmed by Ari Emanuel, CEO of WME’s parent company Endeavor, to the outlet.

However, it is important to clarify that Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband and also a client of WME, was not responsible for the agency’s decision to part ways with Baldoni as suggested in a lawsuit filed by Baldoni against The New York Times (more on that below). In response to this allegation, WME, which represents both Reynolds and Lively, issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1st, stating that “there is a claim in Baldoni’s filing that Reynolds pressured Baldoni’s agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere. This is not true.” Furthermore, they added that Baldoni’s former representative was not present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere and there was no pressure from Reynolds or Lively to drop Baldoni as a client at any time.

After Lively’s CRD filing and an article by The New York Times, several notable individuals expressed their responses to her accusations against Baldoni. Among them was the author of “It Ends With Us”, Hoover, who showed support on Instagram Stories.

On December 21st, Hoover wrote on Instagram Stories, linking out to The New York Times, “Blake Lively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.”

Jenny Slate, who played Baldoni’s character Ryle’s sister, also expressed her solidarity with Lively. On December 23rd, she issued a statement to Today: “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 on The New York Times’ website and linked out to the outlet, writing, “For the love of God read this.”

Lastly, Lively’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn wrote that they stand with her in solidarity.

Liz Plank recently informed her followers on Instagram that she will no longer be co-hosting The Man Enough Podcast, effective immediately. In her message, she expressed gratitude for the trust, stories, and community created during her four years on the show. However, she did not specify the reason behind her departure. This decision comes shortly after Blake Lively’s complaint against Baldoni and his associates at Wayfarer. Plank concluded by stating that she will continue to support those who speak out against injustice and hold accountable those who stand in their way. She also mentioned that she will share more details as she processes the situation further.

In a lawsuit filed against him, his company Wayfarer, and several individuals including his current publicist Abel and crisis communications specialist Nathan, Baldoni’s former publicist Stephanie Jones and her agency Jonesworks LLC allege that these defendants conspired to attack Jones and her agency for months. The suit claims they breached multiple contracts, induced contractual breaches, stole clients, and orchestrated a smear campaign against Baldoni’s film co-star, all while secretly coordinating with Baldoni and Wayfarer.

The lawsuit further alleges that Abel and Nathan have since falsely accused Jones of the smear campaign when she had no involvement in it. Abel, who worked at Jonesworks until last summer according to her LinkedIn profile, is said to continue defaming and attacking Jones as their misconduct becomes public knowledge.

Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer Jonesworks clients, are accused of repudiating their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and refusing to settle the dispute privately in arbitration. TopMob News reached out to the defendants for comment.

In a statement given to Variety on December 23rd, Lively’s legal team revealed they acquired the text excerpts in The New York Times article through a subpoena issued to Jonesworks. Freedman, who represents Nathan, Abel, Baldoni, and their Wayfarer associates, further mentioned that none of his clients were served subpoenas concerning this matter. He also expressed his intention to file a lawsuit against Jones for disclosing messages from Abel’s phone to Lively’s legal team.

On December 31st, Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, TAG, Abel, RWA Communications, Wallace, and Street Relations filed a lawsuit against The New York Times. In this lawsuit, The New York Times is accused 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 the plaintiffs allegedly conducted against Lively following her expression of concerns about purported misconduct on set.

The report was deemed “false” by the plaintiffs, who also claimed that the messages mentioned in the article and complaint were taken out of context. The lawsuit asserts that The New York Times primarily relied on Lively’s unverified narrative, while disregarding a vast amount of evidence contradicting her claims and revealing her true intentions.

The plaintiffs also allege that it was actually Lively, not them, who orchestrated a calculated smear campaign, a claim she has denied. The New York Times plans to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.” They have stated that their story was thoroughly and responsibly reported, based on a comprehensive review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails they accurately quoted extensively in the article.

That very same day, I took the plunge and brought a lawsuit against Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan, his company TAG, and Abel in New York. As per the court documents I’ve managed to get my hands on from TopMob News, I’m accusing these defendants of sexual harassment, retaliation, failing to investigate, prevent, or rectify such harassment, aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and false light invasion of privacy.

The accusations in this lawsuit are a mirror image of what I’d previously outlined in the CRD complaint I filed earlier that month. In response to my lawsuit, Baldoni and his team have chosen to file against The New York Times—where I am not listed as a defendant. My legal representatives made it clear to TopMob that “the content of this lawsuit doesn’t alter any aspect of the claims in her CRD and federal complaints.”

They further stated that “this lawsuit is built on the blatantly false assumption that my administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a strategy to avoid suing Baldoni, Wayfarer, and instead opt for an out-of-court settlement. However, as evidenced by the federal complaint I’ve filed today, this interpretation of the events is unfounded.

In their legal action against The New York Times, Baldoni and his colleagues have made it clear that they are not finished yet. According to the court papers, there are more wrongdoers to be held accountable, and it’s important to note that this won’t be the only lawsuit they file. In a recent interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman confirmed that they intend to take legal action against Lively as well.

The conversation surrounding Baldoni and Lively hasn’t ended yet. For example, some social media users have suggested that Reynolds may have teased Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool.

Reynolds has not addressed these rumors publicly; however, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman shared his opinion on this matter during an interview on “The Megyn Kelly Show,” which was posted to YouTube on Jan 7.

“In my view, if your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make light of Justin Baldoni,” Freedman stated. “You don’t joke about the situation. You treat it seriously. You file complaints with HR and follow due process. What you shouldn’t do is mock the person and turn it into a jest.

Ms. Lively’s legal team has stated that there have been further instances of hostile actions towards her since she filed the lawsuit, following her federal lawsuit against Wayfarer Entertainment for alleged sexual harassment and retaliation. They emphasized that this is not a petty dispute stemming from creative differences or he-said-she-said scenarios, but rather a case of unlawful retaliatory astroturfing by Wayfarer and its associates against Ms. Lively for attempting to safeguard herself and others on the film set. They also warned that sexual harassment and retaliation are illegal in all workplaces and industries, and urged people to refrain from employing tactics such as victim-blaming or reversing the roles of offender and victim when faced with allegations of this nature. Lastly, they reiterated that media statements do not serve as a defense against her accusations and that they will present their case in court.

In response, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman told TopMob, “It is painfully ironic that Blake Lively is accusing Justin Baldoni of weaponizing the media when her own team orchestrated this vicious attack by sending the New York Times grossly edited documents prior to even filing the complaint.”

“We are releasing all of the evidence which will show a pattern of bullying and threats to take over the movie,” he added. “None of this will come as a surprise because consistent with her past behavior Blake Lively used other people to communicate those threats and bully her way to get whatever she wanted. We have all the receipts and more.”

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

Specifically, Lively and Reynolds are accused of breaching the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentionally interfering with contractual relations and economic advantage, as well as negligently interfering with prospective economic advantage. The plaintiffs deny Lively’s allegations of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign against her. They also claim that she seized control of It Ends With Us and worked with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to tarnish the reputation of the plaintiffs in the press following criticism of her film marketing tactics (which Lively states were carried out according to Sony’s marketing plan).

In their lawsuit, plaintiffs claim defendants collaborated with The New York Times to publish a sensational news article that was not only untrue but damaging. The media outlet defends its report.

In response to TopMob’s inquiry, Freedman stated, “Blake Lively appears to have been either deceived by her team or deliberately misled the truth.” So far, her representative has remained silent on the matter.

2025-01-17 02:50

Justin Baldoni’s Shocking Accusation: Ryan Reynolds Labels Him a ‘Sexual Predator’!

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