A lawsuit described as a “bombshell” was filed on December 30th by It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni against Blake Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. In it, the couple are accused of “bullying” Baldoni during a tense confrontation at their New York penthouse.
The document alleges that Reynolds overreacted in defense of his wife, furiously berating Baldoni for allegedly fat-shaming Lively in front of co-workers.
Highlights
- Lawsuit claims Reynolds berated Baldoni for fat-shaming Lively at a NY meeting in front of co-workers.
- Reynolds demanded a public apology, causing the meeting to end with chaos and cancellation.
- Baldoni accused couple of hijacking control of 'It Ends With Us' from him.
- Lively allegedly blocked Baldoni from the premiere and sabotaged his career, according to the document.
The professional meeting took place on January 4, 2023, after the director, some producers, and a representative from Sony were invited to the couple’s penthouse to discuss the filming of the movie.
What should’ve been a business encounter soon turned into a fiery back-and-forth, as Reynolds reportedly “aggressively” accused Baldoni of making inappropriate and rude comments about Lively’s appearance.
“[I’ve] never been spoken to like that in [my] life,” the filmmaker stated.
Ryan Reynolds allegedly went on a furious tirade against Justin Baldoni for "fat-shaming" Blake Lively, according to a lawsuit
Image credits: vancityreynolds
According to the lawsuit, “Reynolds launched into a tirade, berating Baldoni in what Baldoni later described as a 'traumatic' encounter.” The actor then allegedly demanded an apology from the filmmaker in front of producers in what was described as a “humiliating” manner.
Baldoni didn’t budge, however, refusing to apologize for what he described as “mischaracterized” actions the document says he never did to begin with.
Image credits: Gotham / Getty
His resistance only intensified Reynolds' attitude towards him, derailing the meeting to the point that it had to be cancelled, with the rest of the production team refusing to remain in the room any further.
Image credits: Sony Pictures Entertainment
“When Baldoni resisted apologizing for what he had not done, Reynolds became further enraged,” the document read.
“Everyone, including the producer Lively, had asked production to engage, and a representative of Sony that was in attendance left that 'meeting' in shock. The producer offered that in his 40-year career, he had never seen anyone speak to someone like that.”
Baldoni stated that from that meeting onwards, the couple tried to wrestle control of the movie away from him
Image credits: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Ever since the conflict between the co-stars was made public during the film’s promotional tour, Baldoni has maintained that it all stemmed from an attempt by the celebrity couple to hijack control of the movie away from him.
The lawsuit continues in this line, with the filmmaker alleging that the couple sidelined him from key decisions from the day of the confrontation onwards.
For instance, the filmmaker accused Lively of blocking Baldoni from attending the movie’s premiere and walking the red carpet, as well as “sabotaging” and damaging his career through different means.
Image credits: https://www.instagram.com/vancityreynolds/
These included Reynolds privately reaching out to Baldoni’s agent to have him dropped from the movie altogether. Lively allegedly also acted like a “diva” on set, refusing to meet with an intimacy coordinator, as well as demanding to alter her wardrobe and add lines to the script at the last minute.
The document ends by denying claims that Baldoni had orchestrated a “smear campaign” through a PR firm, adding that Lively already had a compromised public image heading into the movie due to media appearances in which she made rude comments to interviewers.
The back-and-forth between the former co-stars has left netizens divided, with one side vouching for Lively and the other believing Baldoni is the victim of people more influential than him
Image credits: https://www.instagram.com/justinbaldoni/?hl=en
While many netizens rallied behind Lively after her lawsuit accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment, just as many have now reconsidered their stance, considering the filmmaker’s version of events much more plausible.
“This actually makes a lot more sense than her initial lawsuit. I mean, JB worked on a TV show for years without a single complaint. On the other hand, BL has always had a diva reputation,” one user wrote.
“She’s the reason the movie bombed. All she did was create drama during the promotion. She and her team made sure we all knew. No one should hire her again,” another argued.
Image credits: https://www.instagram.com/blakelively/?hl=en
“They wanted complete creative control and wanted to push Justin out. Coleen Hoover sides with them because she enjoys their money and power train,” a reader said.
Others theorized as to what the nature of the alleged “fat-shaming” comments could have been.
“Asking someone how much they weigh when you have to lift them is not unreasonable. Although there are tactful ways to ask and not so tactful ways,” one user said.
“Baldoni has a history of back injury and was required in the script to lift Lively up. He made discreet inquiries through his trainer regarding how much she weighed as this could impact his ability to perform the lift,” another stated.
"Good. This is what any husband would do." Fans congratulated Reynolds for, according to them, standing up for his wife
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