Ryan Reynolds Seen Out for Walk Same Day Justin Baldoni Filed $400 Million Lawsuit Against Him and Blake Lively

Mar. 15, 2025

Ryan Reynolds in New York City on Jan. 16, 2025.Photo:Diamond / BACKGRID

Diamond / BACKGRID

Ryan Reynoldswas spotted out in New York City just before news broke ofJustin Baldoni’s lawsuit against him and wifeBlake Lively.

TheDeadpool & Wolverineactor, 48, was photographed Thursday morning, Jan. 16, the same day Baldoni, 40,filed a $400 million lawsuitin the Southern District of New York.

The filing is on behalf of Baldoni, producer Jamey Heath, publicist Jennifer Abel and crisis publicistMelissa Nathan, claiming Lively, 37, attempted to “destroy Baldoni’s reputation and career” while hijackingIt Ends With Us.

The outing comes just over a week after Reynolds served as apresenter at the National Board of Review Awards gala, which marked his first appearance since his wife filed her initialsexual-harassment complaintagainst Baldoni on Dec. 20.

Baldoniis now suing Reynolds, Lively and their publicist Leslie Sloane, as well as Sloane’s PR firm Vision PR, Inc., on claims of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentional interference with contractual relations, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, and negligent interference with prospective economic advantage.

Reps for Lively, Reynolds and Sloane have not responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment about the newly filed lawsuit.

Ryan Reynolds in New York City on Jan. 16, 2025.Diamond / BACKGRID

Lively alleged in her initial complaint that Baldoni engaged in misconduct during the production of their filmIt Ends With Us, which was released in August 2024 as a big-screen adaptation ofColleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel.

The actress’complaint included accusationsthat Baldoni and producer Heath entered her trailer “uninvited” while she was undressed or “vulnerable" and alleged Baldoni “suddenly” pressured her to “simulate full nudity” in a birth scene and “improvised physical intimacy that had not been rehearsed, choreographed or discussed with Ms. Lively, with no intimacy coordinator involved."

Per her complaint, theGossip Girlalum met with producers alongside husband Reynolds to request that Baldoni change his behavior. The complaint also alleged that Baldoni agreed to the protections, then hired crisis publicists tobegin a retaliatory smear campaignagainst her.

Lively’s filing noted that she “suffered from grief, fear, trauma and extreme anxiety” due to Baldoni’s alleged behavior and that the “emotional impact” also affected Reynolds andtheir four kids.

Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively inIt Ends with Us(2024).Nicole Rivelli

Nicole Rivelli

On top of the new filing, Baldoni is also seeking to gain communications made about Reynolds’Deadpool & WolverinecharacterNicepool, in an attempt to show it was used to “bully"Baldoni.

On Jan. 7, Baldoni’s lawyers sent a litigation hold letter to Marvel Studios presidentKevin Feigeand Walt Disney Company CEOBob Iger, demanding they hold onto documents that mention Baldoni for potential use in court.

To support his claim, Baldoni’s legal team is looking for documents “relating to or reflecting a deliberate attempt to mock, harass, ridicule, intimidate or bully Baldoni through the character of Nicepool,” among other subjects.

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DAMEBK/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

“This is not a ‘feud’ arising from ‘creative differences’ or a ‘he said/she said’ situation,” her lawyers' statement read. “As alleged in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and as we will prove in litigation, Wayfarer [Studios] and its associates engaged in unlawful, retaliatory astroturfing against Ms. Lively for simply trying to protect herself and others on a film set. And their response to the lawsuithas been to launch more attacksagainst Ms. Lively since her filing.”

The statement continued, “Sexual harassment and retaliation are illegal in every workplace and in every industry.”

“Most importantly, media statements are not a defense to Ms. Lively’s legal claims,” Lively’s legal team added. “We will continue to prosecute her claims in federal court, where the rule of law determines who prevails, not hyperbole and threats.”

“Ms. Lively will never again be allowed to continue to exploit actual victims of real harassment solely for her personal reputation gain at the expense of those without power,” the attorney continued in his statement, in part. “We know the truth, and now the public does too. Justin and his team have nothing to hide, documents do not lie.”

source: people.com