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Topics: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, US News, Celebrity, Entertainment, News
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Madison Burgess
Topics: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, US News, Celebrity, Entertainment, News
Ryan Reynolds' representative has come to his defence after his private text messages were made public amid the legal battle between his wife, Blake Lively, and Justin Baldoni.
For those who need a reminder, the Gossip Girl actress, 38 and Jane The Virgin star, 42, played the leads in the screen adaption of Colleen Hoover's best-selling book, It Ends With Us.
As well as starring in the movie, Baldoni also directed it - however, things weren't exactly harmonious behind the scenes.
In December 2024, it emerged that Lively had filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing both him and his team at Wayfarer Studios of sexual harassment and retaliation.
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The actress also claimed he'd launched a 'smear campaign' against her, after she first raised complaints about the alleged on-set conditions.
Baldoni responded, filing a $400 million countersuit against Lively, which was was dismissed back in June.
The high-profile trial is set to kick off in May of this year in New York.
Amid the proceedings, a number of private texts have emerged - and not just those of Baldoni and Lively.
The likes of Taylor Swift, Brandon Sklenar, and of course, Lively's husband Ryan Reynolds, have all been subject to their texts being unsealed in recent months.
One reported text message that was recently unsealed was allegedly sent from Reynolds to his WME agent Warren Zavala in August 2024, while It Ends With Us was in the middle of a big opening weekend box office, while all the speculation was swirling of cast drama behind the scenes.
The alleged text read: "I'm super frustrated because this is a moment in which Blake should be celebrating. She made this unbelievable win happen.
"She WILLED this weekend into reality. Baldoni and these other buckets of dumb-dumb-juice should be acknowledging the speculation and gossip themselves. They should be jumping in front of it in the most full throated, unqualified way. Now."
The Deadpool star allegedly added in another text: "I'd put Blake's reputation on trial any day of the week. She's worked with... dozens of other mercurial, and abusive people. In her experience (and mine) nobody has ever reached the empyrean heights of vile the way Justin Baldoni has.
"His complete lack of not only remorse but self-preservation is a character study in malignant, lazy-lidded stupidity and darkness."
And now, Reynolds' rep has issued a comment on the newly-unsealed text messages, defending the actor's words.
The rep told Puck News: "Yes Ryan got involved - what husband wouldn’t support his wife and the mother of his children?"
They added in a statement: "He saw his wife fighting daily to stand up against sexual harassment in a private and respectful way, only to face retaliation for doing so.
"If anything, Ryan feels like he wasn’t angry enough. He passionately believes in and will stand up for the basic right to a safe workplace free of harassment and retaliation for his wife and others. Then, now, and always."
Meanwhile, as per PEOPLE, on 21 January, Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman said in a statement: "As stated all along, and reflected in our clients' motions, as well as in messages from Sony discussing Ms. Lively's behaviors, the evidence does not support [Lively's] claims as a matter of law.
"A simple read of the newly released message exchanges make the truth abundantly clear. We remain confident in the legal process and clearing the names of all the Justin Baldoni parties."
Tyla has contacted reps for Reynolds and Baldoni for comment.