Justin Baldoni has accused Ryan Reynolds of “aggressively berating” him over comments he made to Blake Lively on the set of their movie It Ends with Us.
The claim was made in Baldoni’s recent libel lawsuit against The New York Times over its reporting of Lively’s sexual harassment allegations against him.
In the suit, seen by The Independent, Baldoni, 40, who directed and starred opposite Lively, 37, in the picture, says that he asked the Gossip Girl star how much she weighed before shooting a scene in which he was s
upposed to lift her.
The document said that Baldoni, who suffers from back problems, wanted “to ensure he could safely perform the lift without injury.”
However, his comments were allegedly misinterpreted by Reynolds, 48, who “aggressively berated” Baldoni and accused him of “fat-shaming” his wife, during a meeting at the couple’s New York City penthouse.
“The confrontation that followed was so aggressive that Baldoni felt compelled to offer repeated apologies,” the suit read. “Baldoni, in an effort to avoid further confrontation with Lively and Reynolds and rebuild rapport with his co-star, continued to bend to her will.”
It’s further alleged that Lively “refused to perform the lift scene” despite already having “rehearsed with a stunt double.”
Justin Baldoni accused Ryan Reynolds of ‘aggressively berating’ him during a meeting at Reynolds’ New York City penthouse (Getty Images)
The Independent has contacted Reynolds’ representative for comment.
Baldoni, along with nine other plaintiffs, has sued The New York Times for $250 million, accusing the newspaper of libel and false-light invasion of privacy with its December 21 story headlined: “‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.”
The bombshell article extensively covered Lively’s legal complaint made against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and orchestrating a “smear campaign” intended to “destroy” her reputation after she had gone public with allegations of misconduct on the set of their 2024 film.
Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, has called Lively’s allegations “false, outrageous and intentionally salacious.”
The Jane the Virgin alum’s lawsuit also argued that “the Times relied almost entirely on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative.”
A spokesperson for the Times has defended its “meticulous and responsible” reporting of Lively’s legal complaint, saying that the publication will “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.”
The same day Baldoni filed his lawsuit against the Times, Lively officially sued him for alleged sexual harassment and the “smear campaign.”
Baldoni is reportedly planning on filing a counter-suit against Lively.
In a statement issued by Lively and Reynolds’ joint representative on behalf of the former’s attorney, it was noted that “nothing in [Baldoni’s] lawsuit changes anything” about Lively’s accusations.
