Ryan Reynolds reportedly did not aggressively berate Justin Baldoni during an alleged meeting in January 2024, despite Baldoni claiming otherwise in a $250 million libel lawsuit against the New York Times. A source present at the meeting stated that Reynolds was firm and impassioned during their conversation, but did not yell at Baldoni. The “Jane the Virgin” actor-director accused Reynolds of reprimanding him for allegedly fat-shaming Blake Lively during the filming of “It Ends With Us.”
Lively, in her complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department, as well as her formal lawsuit submitted in New York federal court, alleged that Baldoni made comments about her postpartum weight and lewd remarks during filming. A source revealed that Baldoni was not surprised by the discussion with Reynolds and Lively, which allegedly took place in the couple’s New York City penthouse. Baldoni believed he was attending a meeting about production but was shocked by what he considered a traumatic encounter.
Despite Baldoni’s claim that the inappropriate berating occurred while other celebrity friends were present, the TMZ source stated that everyone knew Baldoni’s behavior would be addressed. Baldoni filed a lawsuit against the New York Times and nine other plaintiffs after the publication reported on Lively’s allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation. The Times defended its reporting, stating that the story was meticulously and responsibly reported, and they plan to vigorously defend against the lawsuit.
Lively sued Baldoni and his production company for alleged sexual harassment, loss of wages, emotional distress, breach of contract, and orchestrating a smear campaign against her. In a meeting in January 2024, she discussed a list of behaviors that made her uncomfortable and requested that they be stopped. Baldoni claimed he tried to appease Lively multiple times for the sake of the film, but she attempted to ban him from the premiere of “It Ends With Us” in August 2024.
Rumors of a fractured professional relationship between Lively and Baldoni surfaced around the time of the film’s premiere, especially when they did not appear together while promoting the movie. Lively was supported by her co-stars, Jenny Slate and Brandon Sklenar, as well as other friends in Hollywood. Baldoni was dropped by his agency, WME, and sued by his former publicist after Lively’s complaint filing. The situation between the parties involved continues to unfold with legal actions and public statements being made.
