Ryan Reynolds Stands by Blake Lively as She Faces Legal Turmoil!

Ryan Reynolds remains incredibly supportive of Blake Lively, particularly during trying times, showing nothing but seriousness akin to Deadpool.

On March 7th, the actor showed his backing for his wife who was at the premiere of “Another Simple Favor” during SXSW 2025. This event marked her initial solo public appearance since she started a legal dispute with Justin Baldoni in December. Dressed in a delicate pink and black latex Renée Massoomian gown, Lively posed for photos on the red carpet both by herself and with her co-stars.

Reynolds posted pictures on his Instagram Stories, one featuring the Gossip Girl alum along with fellow cast member Anna Kendrick and director Paul Feig (who recently released the comedy sequel and 2018 original film A Simple Favor). Another photo showed Lively striking a pose on the red carpet alongside Italian actor Michele Morrone, who portrays her character’s love interest.

The movie “Another Simple Favor” wrapped up production in mid-2024, well before Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, her director and co-star on “It Ends With Us,” for sexual harassment and retaliation. In January, Baldoni and Reynolds counter-suited her, accusing them of extortion and defamation. Both parties have denied any wrongdoing, with Lively and Baldoni claiming that the other is waging smear campaigns against them.

At the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, where she made her debut, Lively conversed briefly with journalists and took part in a panel discussion alongside her co-stars from “Another Simple Favor”. This was her first public comments since her legal disagreement with Baldoni commenced. Notably, she did not address the ongoing dispute during this occasion.

She made her second public appearance since initiating her lawsuit against Baldoni in February. Previously, she and Reynolds were seen together at the live taping of Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary special, where Reynolds, known for his roles as Deadpool and Wolverine, seemed to mock the media attention surrounding the legal dispute.

At SXSW, Lively made her debut at the Austin, Texas festival. During this event, she briefly talked to journalists and joined a panel discussion with her co-stars from the movie “Another Simple Favor”. This was her first public remarks since the legal battle with Baldoni started. Nevertheless, she did not address the ongoing dispute in her comments.

She made her second public outing since initiating her lawsuit against Baldoni. In February, she and Reynolds were spotted together at the live recording of Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary special, where it seemed that the actor from Deadpool & Wolverine was taking a jab at the media attention surrounding our legal dispute.

In a simulated Q&A session with esteemed alumni Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, as well as an engaged studio audience, I found myself standing up to be asked, “How are you doing?” I cheerfully replied, “I’m great!” After a brief pause, I couldn’t resist adding, “But why? What’s the latest scoop?” This playful remark sparked laughter from the audience.

In response, Fey and Poehler simply nodded, signaling ‘no’, and offered Reynolds a friendly thumb’s up. Meanwhile, seated next to her husband, Lively turned her head in his direction after the joke, displaying an unreadable expression.

Read on for more about Lively and Baldoni’s legal battle…

4 months following the cinema release of Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us”, Blake Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) against her costar Justin Baldoni and his associates on Dec 20, as reported by The New York Times.

The complaint, obtained by TopMob News, names Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, its CEO Jamey Heath, cofounder 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.

Lively claims in the complaint that Baldoni and Wayfarer associates initiated a “sophisticated press and digital plan” in retaliation for expressing concerns about alleged misconduct on set, stating that she and other cast and crew members were subjected to “invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional, and sexually inappropriate behavior” by Baldoni and Heath.

The actress further asserted that this campaign caused “significant damage” to her personally and professionally. The charges outlined 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, The New York Times released an exposé detailing a suspected counterattack smear strategy allegedly employed by Baldoni and his allies against Lively, backed up by her CRD complaint. In the article, the newspaper shared messages from Baldoni, Abel (his publicist), and Nathan (crisis communications expert), all of which were included in her complaint. The court documents related to this matter could also be found on The New York Times‘ website for further perusal.

“I hope my legal action will help reveal these underhanded retaliatory tactics used to damage those who speak out against misconduct,” Lively told the publication, “and provide protection to others potentially subjected to similar targeting.

Upon the emergence of Lively’s claims, I, as a loyal supporter, find myself compelled to echo the sentiments expressed by Bryan Freedman – legal counsel for Baldoni, Wayfarer, and their representatives. It’s disheartening that Lively and her team would level such grave and unequivocally false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and their associates, in a misguided ploy to rectify her tarnished reputation, which was earned through her own words and actions during the film’s promotional campaign. These claims are wholly baseless, excessively sensational, and deliberately malicious, intended to cause public harm and perpetuate a media narrative.

Freedman further defends Wayfarer’s choice to engage a crisis manager, explaining that this decision was made prior to the movie’s marketing campaign. He later clarified that Wayfarer’s representatives didn’t take any proactive measures nor retaliate, but only responded to incoming media inquiries to maintain balanced and accurate reporting and monitor social activity. Notably absent from the selectively presented correspondence is evidence of a lack of proactive measures with the media or elsewhere; what is conspicuously missing are documents showing that no such actions were taken – these are standard practices among public relations professionals when strategizing.

After the publication of an article by The New York Times on December 21, William Morris Endeavor (WME) severed ties with Baldoni. Ari Emanuel, CEO of Endeavor, the agency’s parent company, confirmed this to the outlet. However, it was denied that Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband and a client represented by WME, played any role in the separation between Baldoni and the agency. This claim was later made by Baldoni in his lawsuit against The New York Times (more details below). In response, WME stated to The Hollywood Reporter on January 1 that Baldoni’s allegation about Reynolds pressuring Baldoni’s agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere was untrue. They added 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 to drop Baldoni as a client.

Following Lively’s CRD filing and the New York Times article, several well-known figures expressed their support for Lively’s allegations against Baldoni. Among them was the author of ‘It Ends With Us’, Hoover.

On Instagram Stories, December 21st, Hoover wrote, “Blake Lively, you have always been 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 showed her support for Lively. In a statement to Today on December 23rd, 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. Blake is a leader, loyal friend, and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her.”

Brandon Sklenar, a love interest for Lively’s character Lily Bloom, shared the complaint published on 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 costars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn also wrote they stand with her in solidarity.

Liz Plank recently informed her followers on Instagram that she is no longer co-hosting “The Man Enough Podcast”. She expressed gratitude for the trust and shared stories from listeners, stating that she will miss them dearly. Although she didn’t specify a reason, her decision came shortly after Lively’s complaint against Baldoni and his associates at Wayfarer. Plank concluded by expressing her continued commitment to the values they had built together and pledging to share more updates as she processes the situation. She also vowed to continue supporting those who call out injustice and hold accountable those who stand in their way.

Stephanie Jones, Baldoni’s former publicist, and her agency, Jonesworks LLC, have taken legal action against Baldoni, his company Wayfarer, Abel (his current publicist), Nathan (crisis communications specialist), and others in New York on December 24th. According to the lawsuit obtained by NBC News, Abel and Nathan allegedly conspired for months to publicly and privately attack Jones and Jonesworks, breach contracts, induce contractual breaches, and steal clients and business opportunities. The lawsuit claims that behind Jones’s back, they coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to launch a smear campaign against one of Baldoni’s film co-stars, using the ensuing crisis as an opportunity to create a rift between Jones and Baldoni, and to shift blame for the smear campaign onto Jones, who had no involvement in it.

Abel, who worked at Jonesworks until last summer according to her LinkedIn profile, is accused of falsely blaming Jones now that her own misconduct is being exposed. The lawsuit also alleges that she and Nathan have defamed and attacked Jones within the industry. Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer clients of Jonesworks, are alleged to have breached their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and refused to settle this dispute privately in arbitration.

TopMob News reached out to the defendants for comment.

According to a report by Variety published on December 23rd, Lively’s lawyers stated they acquired the text excerpts mentioned in The New York Times article through a subpoena issued to Jonesworks. Freedman, who represents both Nathan, Abel, and Baldoni as well as Wayfarer associates, further told the outlet that none of his clients were served with a subpoena regarding this matter and he plans to sue 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. According to a 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 CRD complaint, denying the accusations and alleging that messages cited in the article and complaint were taken out of context. The lawsuit states that “The Times” relied heavily on Lively’s unverified narrative while ignoring contradictory evidence.

Furthermore, they allege 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 that it plans to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.” They further mentioned 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 quote accurately in the article.

On the same day, Lively initiated a legal action against Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan, his company TAG, and Abel in New York. Court documents obtained by TopMob News reveal that she is accusing the defendants of sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, false light invasion of privacy, and aiding and abetting these actions. The allegations against them were previously outlined in the CRD complaint she filed earlier that month. In response to this lawsuit, Baldoni and his associates filed a counterclaim against _The New York Times_, stating that Lively is not listed as a defendant. However, her lawyers responded to TopMob that “the content of this lawsuit does not alter anything about the claims in her CRD and federal complaints.” They further stated that the premise that Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was only a tactic to avoid filing a lawsuit against Baldoni, Wayfarer, and that litigation was never her ultimate goal is false. This is contradicted by the federal complaint filed by Lively earlier on the same day.

As a lifestyle expert, I can share that in our ongoing legal battle against The New York Times, we, Baldoni and my associates, are far from finished. The court documents reveal that there are more unscrupulous parties at play, and let me make this clear: This will not be our only lawsuit. In a recent interview with NBC News, my attorney Freedman and I confirmed that we indeed plan to file a lawsuit against actress Lively as well.

The discussions surrounding Baldoni and Lively haven’t ended yet. For example, people on social media have suggested that Reynolds may have teased Baldoni in his movie “Deadpool & Wolverine” through the character Nicepool.

Reynolds has not spoken publicly about these rumors; however, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman shared his opinion on the matter. During an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show, which was posted to YouTube on January 7th, Freedman stated: “In my view, if your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make light of Justin Baldoni’s situation. You treat it seriously by filing complaints, raising the issue, and following a legal process. What you shouldn’t do is make fun of the person and turn it into a joke.

As one who stands by Ms. Lively, I am here to share some insights about her ongoing legal battle. Her lawsuit against Wayfarer and its associates in the Southern District of New York revolves around substantial allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation, substantiated with solid evidence. This is not a petty disagreement or hearsay argument. As her complaint states, and as we will demonstrate in court, these individuals have been engaging in unlawful, retaliatory astroturfing against Ms. Lively for merely advocating for herself and others on set. Since the filing of her lawsuit, they have continued to launch further attacks against her.

While we navigate through this legal journey, it’s crucial that everyone recognizes the gravity of sexual harassment and retaliation in any workplace or industry. A common strategy used to divert attention from such misconduct is to question the victim’s integrity by implying they invited or instigated the behavior, misinterpreted intentions, or even fabricated claims. Another tactic is to flip the roles of the offender and the victim.

These strategies are employed to normalize and trivialize serious allegations of misconduct. We want to emphasize that media statements do not serve as a defense for her claims, and we will present our 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 Lively, Reynolds, Leslie Sloane (Lively’s publicist), and Vision PR in New York. The lawsuit alleges that all defendants are guilty of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentional and negligent interference with contractual relations, and economic advantage.

The plaintiffs dispute Lively’s claims of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign against her. Instead, they accuse her of taking control over It Ends With Us and collaborating with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones, and others to damage the plaintiffs’ reputation in the media after she faced criticism for promoting the film. (Lively maintains that she promoted the movie as per Sony’s marketing plan.)

In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that the defendants collaborated with The New York Times to publish a sensational yet false report. Despite this allegation, the news outlet maintains the accuracy of its report. In response to TopMob, Freedman stated that either Blake Lively was deceived by her team or intentionally lied about the truth.

Lively’s legal team has referred to his lawsuit as “an additional instance in the script of an abuser,” stating to TopMob News that “This is a recurring scenario: A woman presents solid proof of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the abuser tries to counterattack the accuser. Experts call this tactic DARVO – Deny the allegations, Attack the accuser, Reverse the roles of Victim and Offender.

She also claimed that he responded by attempting to counteract her accusations, contending that Lively was grabbing creative control and pushing away the cast from Mr. Baldoni instead of focusing on the original issue at hand.

It was further stated that the proof will make clear that both the cast members and others had unfavorable encounters with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. Additionally, it will be revealed that Sony tasked Ms. Lively to supervise their segment of the film, which they subsequently chose for distribution, leading to its tremendous success.

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

In simpler terms, when faced with sexual harassment accusations, they blame the victim, implying she invited it and her clothing was to blame. Their legal team further stated this approach. In essence, while the victim concentrates on the mistreatment, the perpetrator focuses on the victim. This strategy of blaming the woman is desperate, it does not negate the evidence presented in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and it will ultimately fall short.

In a recent development, Baldoni’s attorney has made public unseen footage from the set of “It Ends With Us”. The lawyer stated that the actor’s behavior depicted in the video directly contradicts Ms. Lively’s portrayal of him.

The described scene is intended to depict the blossoming romance between the characters, as they yearn for physical proximity, according to Baldoni’s legal team’s statement. It is evident that both actors are performing their roles appropriately within the context of the scene, maintaining respect and professionalism throughout.

Nonetheless, Lively’s lawyers argue that the video aligns perfectly with the account provided by Ms. Lively in her lawsuit, claiming that each second of it was impromptu, without any prior consultation or agreement between them and Mr. Baldoni.

The video depicts Ms. Lively pulling back and frequently requesting that the characters converse instead, as stated to TopMob News. A similar unease is likely to be identified by any woman who has experienced unwanted physical contact at work.

In the context of their ongoing trial, the couple wrote a letter to the presiding judge, asking for Freedman, who leads Baldoni’s legal team, to be subjected to a restraining order on speech, as they aim to prevent any inappropriate behavior during the court proceedings.

Online, a voice recording of seven minutes that allegedly came from Baldoni and was addressed to Lively during the filming of “It Ends With Us” became available. In this recording, it seems that Baldoni discussed the movie’s rooftop scene which Lively had revised, mentioning that these modifications were reportedly presented to him in a meeting with Reynolds and their friend Taylor Swift during production.

He mentioned to Lively that it’s fantastic not only because they are among the most inventive individuals globally, but also due to the exceptional dynamics when the three of them interact: it’s simply astonishing.

In the recording, Baldoni appeared to express an apology to the actress for not responding favorably to her script. He said, “I made a mistake. Here’s something important about me: I will acknowledge and apologize when I fall short.

After I officially initiated legal action against Baldoni last month, a court date has been scheduled for March 9, 2026. As a lifestyle expert, it’s crucial to emphasize the importance of seeking justice when necessary, while maintaining transparency about the process and keeping my readers informed.

According to reports from TopMob News, Baldoni’s legal team has updated their January 16th counterclaim filed at the U.S. District Court against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane, now also involving The New York Times.

In the revised paperwork, Baldoni alleges that Lively and her associates conspired for several months, spreading misinformation to The New York Times.

The filing, distinct from the $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times, claimed that the paper selectively presented and modified communications, removing crucial context, and intentionally edited them in a way to deceive.

I, as a dedicated follower, am sharing that Baldoni established a website detailing his legal battle with Lively. This platform includes the first amended complaint submitted by Baldoni’s team on January 31st, along with a “chronology of pertinent occurrences.” One of the documents enclosed is said to contain screenshots of text conversations between Lively, Reynolds, and myself.

The website went live a month following when Freedman mentioned that they intended to publish all text messages exchanged between the two parties.

In a January 2nd interview with NBC News, Baldoni’s lawyer expressed that they desire transparency and want all relevant documents to be accessible. They believe people should form their own opinions using the provided evidence or receipts.

In the new filing, Lively’s legal team asserts that two additional female crew members from “It Ends” have expressed discomfort due to Baldoni’s conduct during filming.

TopMob News obtained a complaint stating that Ms. Lively wasn’t the only one voicing concerns about Mr. Baldoni. The complaint, recorded from May 2023 onwards, detailed similar experiences shared by Ms. Lively and other individuals. Contrary to the story Defendants have fabricated, Mr. Baldoni admitted to these complaints in writing at the time. He was aware that women besides Ms. Lively also felt uneasy and had expressed their discomfort regarding his conduct.

In the revised lawsuit, the two potential witnesses who were supposedly going to testify, as mentioned by Lively, were not explicitly named because of the potentially harmful environment filled with threats, harassment, and intimidation allegedly instigated by the defendants’ reprisal efforts.

In an interview with TopMob, Freedman contended that the statement contained a lot of unverified information and suggested that those who could back up the complainant’s allegations are now unwilling to do so or make their support public.

Following Baldoni’s allegations that Sloane spread “harmful rumors” depicting him as a “sexual offender” and masterminding a “defamatory campaign” under Lively’s guidance, Sloane chose to ask for dismissal from the ongoing legal case.

According to papers acquired by TopMob News, Sloane’s legal representative asserted that there was no ground for the allegations directed towards their client, instead claiming she had been unfairly drawn into the lawsuit as a tactic to divert attention away from Lively’s claims, using her as a smokescreen.

Nick Shapiro, previously serving as CIA’s Deputy Chief of Staff, was enlisted by Lively to provide counsel on the legal communication strategy regarding an ongoing sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit in the Southern District of New York. This information was shared by a member of her litigation team at Willkie Farr & Gallagher with Variety on February 28th.

Previously employed by the CIA from 2013 to 2015 during the Obama administration, Shapiro later moved on to hold positions as Visa’s vice president of global security and communications, followed by Airbnb’s head of worldwide crisis management. After spending three years at the rental company, he established his own consulting firm, named 10th Avenue Consulting LLC.

In response to the ongoing $250 million legal dispute with Baldoni, The New York Times has asked for its removal from the additional $400 million lawsuit involving Lively, Baldoni, and Sloane, as reported by TopMob News based on submitted documents.

In their court submission, the newspaper contended that Baldoni’s group was presenting a “single-perspective narrative that has attracted much media attention,” but stressed that “The Times” should not be involved in this legal disagreement.

After The New York Times moved to have their case dismissed, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman agreed and delayed the process of discovery as requested by the newspapers, based on documents acquired by TopMob News.

The court granted a request for a temporary hold on the exchange of information or documents between parties, following the newspaper’s motion filed on February 28, which the judge is currently reviewing.

According to the document dated March 4th, Liman argues that the New York Times has provided “solid reasons” and a “convincing case” suggesting that their motion to dismiss could be granted based on its merit.

Additionally, the judge expressed his viewpoint that Baldoni’s legal team should not be unfairly disadvantaged during the court’s deliberation on the upcoming motion, as a temporary hold (stay) would not be justified in this case.

In an interview with TopMob News, a representative of the New York Times commented on the latest development, stating, “We are pleased with today’s court ruling, as it upholds the significant First Amendment principles involved. The court has prevented Mr. Baldoni from imposing discovery requests on us in a lawsuit that lacks merit.

2025-03-08 21:48

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