Ryan Reynolds is requesting that a judge dismiss him as a defendant in Justin Baldoni’s $400 million defamation lawsuit, arguing that Baldoni’s claims lack legal grounds and stem from “hurt feelings.”
The filing, submitted on Tuesday, states that the lawsuit against Reynolds and his wife, Blake Lively, is based on two instances where Reynolds allegedly called Baldoni a “predator.” However, Reynolds’ legal team asserts that Baldoni’s lawsuit does not dispute Reynolds’ belief that Baldoni’s behavior was reflective of that term, with the filing further explaining that calling someone a “predator” is a constitutionally protected opinion.
Reynolds’ attorneys also argue that Baldoni’s frustration over a character in the movie Deadpool & Wolverine is not legally valid and merely stems from Baldoni feeling slighted. The motion claims that Reynolds’ only involvement in the situation is as a supportive spouse to Lively, who is the primary focus of the case. Lively has sued Baldoni and his associates for sexual harassment and retaliation. Reynolds has not been directly linked to these claims.
The motion further argues that Reynolds is only included in Baldoni’s lawsuit due to an alleged promise made by Steve Sarowitz, one of Baldoni’s business partners at Wayfarer Studios, to spend up to $100 million to “ruin” Lively and Reynolds.
Baldoni’s lawsuit accuses Reynolds of aiding Lively in “hijacking” his film It Ends With Us, alleging that Reynolds rewrote a scene and made unauthorized changes to the script. Baldoni also claims that Reynolds reprimanded him at Lively and Reynolds’ New York home and mocked him in Deadpool & Wolverine by creating a character, Nicepool, based on him. Additionally, Baldoni asserts that Reynolds made comments to a WME executive, labeling him a “sexual predator” to encourage the agency to drop him as a client.
Lively and Reynolds are high-profile clients at WME, where Baldoni was previously represented before the agency dropped him following Lively’s sexual harassment claims. WME, however, has denied that Reynolds and Lively had any influence on their decision to part ways with Baldoni.
Baldoni’s legal team insists that Reynolds played a key role in damaging Baldoni’s career, accusing him of defamation and orchestrating a campaign to destroy his reputation. They argue that Reynolds is attempting to downplay his involvement and dismiss legitimate claims.
Reynolds’ legal team, on the other hand, maintains that his actions were protected under the First Amendment, emphasizing that Reynolds believes Baldoni is a “predator,” which is an opinion. Reynolds’ representatives have called Baldoni’s lawsuit “frivolous” and expressed confidence that it will be dismissed.
Both Baldoni and Lively’s attorneys have stated they do not intend to settle, and the case is set for trial in March 2026. If the judge does not grant Reynolds’ motion to dismiss, he may be called to testify in the highly publicized case.
The legal battle between Baldoni and Lively began in December, with Lively accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation. Lively amended her complaint last month, adding claims from other women who raised concerns about Baldoni’s behavior on set. Baldoni’s representatives have denied these allegations, describing them as false and intentionally harmful.
