According to reports, Ryan Reynolds did not "aggressively berate" Justin Baldoni at an alleged encounter, despite the fact that the actor-director of "It Ends With Us" accused him of doing so in a libel lawsuit against the New York Times that was filed out for $250 million.
During their exchange, the "Deadpool & Wolverine" actor was reportedly "angry and stern" and even "impassioned" according to an insider who was apparently present at the putative encounter that took place in January 2024. However, the source added that he did not shout at Baldoni.
During the production of "It Ends With Us," the former cast member of "Jane the Virgin" said in his complaint, which was submitted on Tuesday, that Reynolds admonished him for allegedly "fat-shaming" Blake Lively.
During the course of the filming process, Lively, who is 37 years old, said in her complaint that was submitted to the California Civil Rights Department as well as in her official lawsuit that was filed in the federal court in New York on Tuesday, that Baldoni, who is 40 years old, made comments about her postpartum weight, in addition to making sexual remarks and other statements.
Furthermore, according to the TMZ, Baldoni was not "blindsided" by the conversation that was reported earlier with Reynolds, 48, and Lively. The source stated that the conversation took place in the penthouse that the pair resides in in New York City.
The director of "Five Feet Apart" alleges in his complaint that he was taken aback by what he referred to as the "traumatic encounter." He said that he had been under the impression that he was being asked to their house for a discussion regarding production concerns.
The insider who spoke to TMZ, on the other hand, stated that "everyone in attendance knew that Baldoni's alleged behavior would be addressed."
In addition, the source refuted Baldoni's assertion that the "inappropriate and humiliating berating" took place "as other celebrity friends were coming in and out of their penthouse."
Baldoni filed a lawsuit against the Times along with nine other plaintiffs, including his crisis manager, Melissa Nathan, and his publicist, Jennifer Abel, after the publication published a piece on December 21 that detailed Lively's accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation.
After the lawsuit was filed, the Times issued a statement to Page Six stating that the piece "was meticulously and responsibly reported" and that they "plan to vigorously defend against the lawsuit." The Times remained steadfast in its reporting.
During this time, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, alleging that they had engaged in sexual harassment, caused her to suffer mental distress, breached their contract, and orchestrated a campaign of smears against her. The charges that were made in her initial lawsuit were refuted by his attorney.
She said that Baldoni's behavior was reviewed during the "all-hands" meeting that took place in January 2024. During this meeting, she reportedly "discussed a list of twenty examples of the behaviors" that she did not feel comfortable with and urged that they be stopped.
Baldoni asserts in his complaint that he made repeated attempts to please Lively for the purpose of the film in response to her "multiple demands and threats." However, Lively then sought to prevent him from attending the premiere of "It Ends With Us" in August of 2024.
It was about the time of the premiere that rumors began to circulate regarding the pair's strained working relationship. This was especially true when they did not appear together when they were promoting the picture.
Lively has received support from her co-stars on the television show "It Ends With Us," Jenny Slate and Brandon Sklenar, as well as from other friends in the entertainment industry.
Following the filing of Lively's complaint, Baldoni was terminated from his agreement with WME and his former publicist filed a lawsuit against him.
Business Times has reached out to Justin Baldoni for comments.
