Justin Baldoni has revealed the two-word derogatory name Ryan Reynolds allegedly called him in a conversation with a talent agent.
The drama surrounding It Ends With Us has escalated into one of Hollywood’s most contentious battles,
On December 21, the New York Times published a report revealing that the 37-year-old actress, who plays Lily Bloom in the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, has filed a lawsuit against Baldoni.
The Gossip Girl alum has accused the 40-year-old of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign against her after the pair starred in the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel.
After news of Lively’s complaint broke, Bryan Freedman – the attorney for Baldoni – slammed the allegations, saying that it was a “desperate attempt to ‘fix’ [Lively’s] negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign”.
“These claims are completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media,” he told the outlet.
In the days following Lively’s court filing, several famous faces have voiced their support to the mom-of-three, including It Ends With Us author.
“@blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive, and patient since the day we met,” she wrote on Instagram Stories on December 21, linking out to The New York Times. “Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.”
Jenny Slate, who played the sister of Baldoni’s character Ryle, also 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.”
“What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing, and wholly threatening,” she continued. “I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side.”
On Thursday (January 16), the Jane The Virgin alum filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, her publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane’s firm Vision PR.
The lawsuit, which was submitted to the Southern District of New York and obtained by E! News, accuses all defendants of various offenses, including civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy.
The couple faces specific accusations, including breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentional interference with contractual relations, and economic advantage.
The countersuit claims Reynolds, 48, referred to Baldoni as a “sexual predator” in a conversation with a Hollywood agent. According to the director, the alleged remark was made to an executive at WME during the premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine. The filing states: “He wanted to move on. Lively, however, would not let it go.”
“Baldoni later received word that, during the premiere of his movie Deadpool & Wolverine, Reynolds approached Baldoni’s agency, namely, an executive at WME, and expressed his deep disdain for Baldoni, suggesting the agency was working with a ‘sexual predator,’” the statement added.
Adding to the tension, Baldoni alleged the Marvel star pressured WME to drop him as a client. However, WME has firmly denied the claim, telling The Hollywood Reporter that the executive in question “was not at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere nor was there any pressure from Reynolds or Lively at any time to drop Baldoni as a client”.
Baldoni further accused Reynolds and the Age of Adaline star of hijacking the production of the film, creating a hostile work environment, and aiming to ruin his career.
The filing describes an alleged heated confrontation during a production meeting at Reynolds and Lively’s home: “Reynolds demanded that Baldoni apologize to Lively for actions that had either never happened or had been grossly mischaracterized.”
“Baldoni resisted apologizing for things he had not done, further enraging Reynolds. Everyone, including the producer Lively had asked the production to engage and the Sony representative, left the ‘meeting’ in shock,” the lawsuit added.
The fallout reportedly left many people stunned, with Baldoni claiming: “The producer said that in his 40-year career, he had never seen anyone speak to someone like that in a meeting.”
Furthermore, Balondi has denied engaging in a smear campaign against Lively in the newly filed countersuit, stating: “The reality is that it was Lively and her team who carefully planned and implemented a vile smear campaign against Baldoni and Wayfarer to deflect attention and blame for Lively’s disastrous misjudgments.”
