Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively Stand Strong Together Amid Explosive Legal Drama!

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are making time for each other.

In the midst of a prolonged legal dispute with director Justin Baldoni, who recently filed a lawsuit against them and their publicist for an astounding $400 million, the actor from Deadpool posted a heartwarming selfie featuring himself and his wife, whom he has been married to for 12 years.

On February 3rd, Ryan, sporting glasses and a black-and-white checkered shirt, offered a gentle smile while embracing Blake in a photo he posted on Instagram Stories. The former star of Gossip Girl, adorned in a beige and black houndstooth sweater, flashed a radiant gaze towards the camera.

On the very same day a judge decided against limiting what Justin’s attorney could disclose regarding the ongoing disagreements between the parties, the unique behind-the-scenes look of the Green Lantern cast was publicly revealed.

Following a request by Ryan and Blake, who are my fellow parents of James (age 10), Inez (8), Betty (5), and Olin (born in 2023), their attorney Bryan Freedman was denied a gag order on Jan 21st. However, Judge Lewis J. Liman cautioned that he might advance the trial date from March 2026 if Justin’s and Blake’s representatives persist in airing their differences in the media.

As a lifestyle expert speaking directly, I’d rephrase it this way: Lately, my legal team has unveiled a new website showcasing our substantial evidence in the ongoing case with Blake. In a recent post on the site, I’ve chosen to share text messages between myself and Ryan that were exchanged back in February 2023. These messages suggest that The Proposal star contacted me prior to the filming of It Ends With Us, which started much earlier than initially planned, specifically requesting a two-week advancement in the shooting schedule.

As a die-hard fan, I couldn’t help but notice the profound mutual admiration between Justin and Ryan. In fact, it was Ryan who confessed, “I can’t hide it anymore, Justin, I genuinely admire you.

Ever since I lodged my grievance with the California Civil Rights Department in December, things have been heating up like a telenovela between the radiant Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants star and the captivating Jane the Virgin alum. The legal banter has been more intense than a season finale!

After expressing an initial grievance, Blake chose to pursue a formal legal action against Baldoni, filing a lawsuit that included claims for lost wages, breach of contract, emotional distress, and sexual harassment which allegedly transpired on the set of “It Ends With Us”.

Regarding Justin, he has refuted the claims in Blake’s lawsuit, and furthermore, he sued The New York Times for $250 million due to defamation. This action followed their publication of an investigative report suggesting that Justin and his associates may have orchestrated a smear campaign against Blake during the press tour of “It Ends With Us.

Keep reading to untangle the ongoing battle between the It Ends With Us stars…

Four months following the cinema release of Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us,” Blake Lively submitted a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) on December 20th, as reported by The New York Times.

The complaint, obtained by TopMob News, named 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. as defendants.

In the complaint, Lively asserted that Baldoni and Wayfarer associates initiated a complex press and digital strategy in retaliation to her expressing concerns about alleged misconduct on set. She stated that she and other cast and crew members “encountered invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior” by Baldoni and Heath.

Lively further claimed that this alleged campaign against her caused significant harm to her both personally and professionally. The charges listed in the complaint include sexual harassment, retaliation, failure to 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, I woke up ecstatic as The New York Times unveiled a revelation about the underhanded smear campaign that Baldoni and his circle were suspected of orchestrating against Lively. Their accusations were substantiated by her CRD complaint, which was referenced in the newspaper’s report. Quotes from Baldoni, his publicist Abel, crisis communications specialist Nathan, and others involved were all part of the complaint, showcased within the article itself. The icing on the cake? A scrollable access to the court documents right on The New York Times website. This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for – a chance to expose these shady retaliatory moves aimed at silencing those who speak out against misconduct! I hope my legal battle will serve as a shield for others who might find themselves in similar situations.

Upon hearing about Lively’s grievances, as an ardent fan of Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, I can’t help but express my disappointment over Bryan Freedman’s response. In a statement published on The New York Times website, he vehemently denounced Lively’s accusations against Baldoni, Wayfarer, and their representatives as baseless and maliciously fabricated.

According to Freedman, these allegations are merely an underhanded tactic by Lively and her team to salvage her tarnished reputation, which was earned through her own words and actions during the promotional campaign for the film. The public scrutiny of her interviews and press activities allowed for widespread criticism and speculation, he argued.

Freedman further defended Wayfarer’s decision to hire a crisis manager before the movie’s marketing campaign, stating that their representatives only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure balanced reporting and factual accuracy. He also emphasized that there was no proactive action taken against Lively or the media, but rather internal planning and private correspondence among public relations professionals, which is standard practice.

Following the publication of an article by The New York Times on December 21, talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) severed ties with Baldoni. This decision was confirmed by Ari Emanuel, CEO of the agency’s parent company Endeavor, to the outlet. However, it’s important to note that WME denied any involvement from Ryan Reynolds in their decision to part ways with Baldoni, a claim later made by Baldoni in his subsequent lawsuit against The New York Times.

In his filing, Baldoni alleged that Reynolds had pressured his agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere. However, WME, which represents both Reynolds and Lively, stated to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1 that this claim is false. They clarified that Baldoni’s former representative was not present at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere and there was no pressure from Reynolds or Lively at any time for Baldoni to be dropped as a client.

After Blake Lively’s CRD filing and a New York Times article, several well-known figures expressed their support for her allegations against Baldoni. For instance, the author of ‘It Ends With Us’, Colleen Hoover, posted on Instagram Stories: “Blake Lively, you have always been honest, kind, supportive, and patient since we met… Never change. Never wilt.”

Jenny Slate, who played Baldoni’s character Ryle’s sister, also voiced her support for Lively, stating in a December 23 statement to Today: “As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I express my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation.”

Brandon Sklenar, a love interest for Lively’s character Lily Bloom, shared the complaint published in the New York Times and linked to the outlet, writing “For the love of God read this”.

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

Liz Plank recently shared her decision to step down from her role as co-host on The Man Enough Podcast, which she co-hosted with Baldoni and Heath. This announcement was made via Instagram on December 23rd. In her post, she expressed gratitude towards the listeners for their trust, support, and for making the show what it was. She also mentioned that she will miss them dearly. Despite not providing a specific reason for leaving, this move came shortly after Lively’s complaint against Baldoni and his associates at Wayfarer.

Plank emphasized her continued commitment to the values they built together. She thanked her followers for their trust and companionship over the past four years. She closed by stating that everyone deserves better, and she believes that together, they can create it.

In a subsequent statement, she mentioned that she would share more details as she processes the recent events. However, she assured her supporters that she will continue to support anyone who speaks out against injustice and holds those responsible accountable.

Stephanie Jones, Baldoni’s ex-publicist, and her agency Jonesworks LLC filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, Abel (his current publicist), and Nathan (crisis communications specialist) in New York on Christmas Eve. The lawsuit claims that Abel and Nathan collaborated secretly for months to defame and breach contracts, as well as to take clients from Jonesworks. It also alleges that they orchestrated a smear campaign against Baldoni’s co-star without Jones’ knowledge, using it to create discord between Jones and Baldoni and shifting blame onto Jones when she had no involvement in the matter.

Abel, who worked at Jonesworks until last summer according to her LinkedIn profile, is accused of falsely implicating Jones now that their misconduct is being exposed, and of defaming and attacking her within the industry.

Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer clients of Jonesworks, are alleged in the suit to have breached their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and rejected Jones’ attempts to settle the dispute privately through arbitration. When contacted for comment, the defendants did not respond.

In a statement given to Variety on December 23, Lively’s lawyers revealed that they obtained 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 served a subpoena on this matter and that he plans to sue Jones for disclosing messages from Abel’s phone to Lively’s legal team.

A group consisting of Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, TAG, Abel, RWA Communications, Wallace, and Street Relations filed a lawsuit against The New York Times on December 31. In this lawsuit, obtained by TopMob News, 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 after she expressed concerns about misconduct on set.

The plaintiffs claim that the report was false and based solely on Lively’s complaint to CRD. They deny the accusations and allege that messages cited in the article and complaint were taken out of context.

“Although it claims to have ‘reviewed these along with other documents,’ The New York Times relied almost entirely on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative,” the lawsuit states, “lifting it nearly verbatim while disregarding an abundance of evidence that contradicted her claims and exposed her true motives.”

The plaintiffs also assert that it was Lively, not them, who engaged in a calculated smear campaign. However, Lively has denied this claim.

In response, The New York Times stated that it intends to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.” The newspaper added, “The role of an independent news organization is to follow the facts where they lead. Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported. It was based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article.

On that very day, I took the bold step to file a legal action against Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan, his company TAG, and Abel in New York City. As an avid fan, I felt compelled to stand up for my rights following the unacceptable treatment I endured.

The lawsuit encompasses a multitude of charges: sexual harassment, retaliation, neglecting to investigate and rectify harassment, aiding and abetting such actions, breach of contract, intentionally causing emotional distress, negligence in causing emotional distress, and invading my privacy under false pretenses.

These accusations were initially disclosed in the CRD complaint I submitted earlier that month.

In response to this lawsuit, Baldoni and his associates retaliated by filing a suit against The New York Times—a move which does not implicate me as a defendant. My legal team made it clear to TopMob News that “the essence of this lawsuit remains unchanged from the claims in my CRD and federal complaints.”

They further stated, “The premise that my administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was merely a pretext for not filing a lawsuit against Baldoni, Wayfarer, and that litigation was never my ultimate goal is fundamentally incorrect. As proven by the federal complaint filed by me today, this notion about the rationale behind my lawsuit is false.

In their legal action against The New York Times, the plaintiffs have made it clear that they are far from finished. According to court papers, there are more parties involved in wrongdoing, and it should be understood that this will not be their only lawsuit. In a January 2 interview with NBC News, Baldoni and Wayfarer’s lawyer Freedman confirmed their intention to take legal action against Lively as well.

The discussion surrounding Baldoni and Lively hasn’t ended there. For example, internet users have hypothesized that Reynolds joked about Baldoni in his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool.

Reynolds has not spoken out on these speculations; however, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman expressed his thoughts.

“In my interpretation,” Freedman stated during an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show (available on YouTube as of Jan 7), “if your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make light of Justin Baldoni’s situation. You don’t turn it into a joke. Instead, you take it seriously, file complaints with HR, and follow proper legal procedures. What you shouldn’t do is mock the person and make fun of them.

In a statement released on January 7, Lively’s legal team explained that the ongoing lawsuit against Wayfarer Entertainment in the Southern District of New York is about severe allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation, supported by solid evidence. This isn’t a dispute stemming from creative disagreements or a he-said-she-said situation, as some might claim. Instead, as detailed in Lively’s complaint, Wayfarer and its associates are accused of illegally engaging in astroturfing, a retaliatory tactic against Lively for standing up for herself and others on set. Since the lawsuit was filed, they have continued to launch more attacks against Lively.

In the meantime, they appealed to everyone to keep in mind that sexual harassment and retaliation are unlawful in any workplace or industry. A common strategy to divert attention from such misconduct accusations is to blame the victim by implying that they welcomed the behavior, caused it themselves, misunderstood the intentions, or even lied. Another tactic is to switch the roles of the victim and the offender, claiming that the offender was actually the one who suffered.

Lively’s legal team pointed out that such ideas minimize and trivializes serious misconduct allegations. They also reminded everyone that media statements do not serve as a defense against her claims, and they will present their case in court.

On January 16th, Baldoni, Heath, Wayfarer, publicist Abel, crisis communication specialist Nathan, and It Ends With Us Movie LLC filed a lawsuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, her publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane’s firm Vision PR in New York.

The complaint, obtained by TopMob News, accuses all defendants of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, breach of good faith, and interference with contractual relations. Lively is specifically accused of seizing control of It Ends With Us, working with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to harm the plaintiffs’ reputation in the press following her marketing of the film, which she claims was done according to Sony’s marketing plan. However, the plaintiffs deny Lively’s allegations of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign against them.

In their lawsuit, plaintiffs claim defendants collaborated with The New York Times to release a sensational yet untrue news story. The media outlet defends its report. Regarding this matter, Freedman stated to TopMob that either Blake Lively was significantly misled by her team or she purposefully and knowingly presented false information.

Lively’s legal team labeled his lawsuit as “an additional tactic in the manual of an abuser,” stating to TopMob News, “This scenario is familiar: A woman presents solid proof of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the abuser tries to shift the blame onto the victim. This tactic is often referred to by experts as DARVO – Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender.

Additionally, she asserted that he reacted adversely after she brought charges against him, claiming that Baldoni is attempting to change the storyline, implying that Lively took over creative direction and drove the cast away from Mr. Baldoni.

As your trusted lifestyle advisor, I’d like to shed some light on some intriguing insights. It’s been unveiled that Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer had their fair share of challenging encounters with certain individuals within the cast, including myself. Additionally, it has come to light that Sony requested Ms. Lively to supervise their segment of the film production. This selection proved fruitful as the film went on to become a significant success in distribution.

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

In a nutshell, their defense against sexual harassment accusations revolves around blaming the victim for wanting it and suggesting her clothing was responsible. However, as her legal team pointed out, this tactic is a desperate attempt to shift attention away from the abuse itself. It does not counter the evidence presented in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and ultimately, it will fall short.

As a lifestyle connoisseur, I recently came across some exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the making of “It Ends With Us.” My legal team has made it clear that the portrayal of me in certain circles doesn’t align with reality, as evidenced by this footage which clearly contradicts the characterization given by Ms. Lively.

As a devoted admirer, let me express that the pivotal moment under scrutiny was meticulously crafted to portray the blossoming love between our cherished characters, their yearning for closeness being beautifully conveyed. Rest assured, both performers are not only adhering to the requirements of the scene but doing so with utmost respect and unwavering professionalism.

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I’d like to clarify a point from a recent legal dispute. From my understanding, Lively’s legal team asserts that the video aligns perfectly with her account in the lawsuit. They claim every scene was spontaneously directed by Mr. Baldoni without any prior discussion or consent.

The video depicts Miss Lively moving back and frequently urging the characters to converse instead, as reported to TopMob News in a statement. A sense of unease similar to Miss Lively’s may be familiar to any woman who has experienced workplace harassment.

In simpler terms, they wrote a letter to the judge handling their case, asking for Freedman (the lead lawyer from Baldoni’s legal team) to be silenced during the trial to prevent any unethical behavior.

As a devoted follower of the production of “It Ends With Us,” I stumbled upon a seven-minute voice memo that reportedly originated from Baldoni, which was subsequently made public. In this recording, it seems he referenced the pivotal rooftop scene Lively rewrote and discussed how these adjustments were presented to him during an alleged gathering with Reynolds and our mutual friend, Taylor Swift.

He said, “It’s wonderful to have friends as talented and innovative as them, not just because they’re among the most creative individuals globally. The combination of the three of you is simply astonishing.

In the recording, Baldoni appears to express remorse to the actress for his cool response to her script, stating, “I made a mistake. One important thing about me is that I’ll own up to my mistakes and offer an apology when necessary.

Exactly one month following the legal action taken by Lively, a court hearing was scheduled on March 9, 2026.

2025-02-04 18:25

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