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The It Ends With Us drama continues with Ryan Reynolds filing a motion to dismiss Justin Baldoni‘s defamation lawsuit. The actor was named a defendant alongside his wife, Blake Lively, in the latter’s $400 million lawsuit. Baldoni accused the couple of civil extortion, defamation, and more stemming from their sexual harassment allegations.
The legal warfare began last December when Lively penned a scathing complaint against her co-star. She accused him of sexual harassment and running a smear campaign against her. Her husband allegedly supported her claims by making mean references to Baldoni in his Deadpool & Wolverine movie. Reynolds did so with a character named “Nicepool.”
However, his lawyers recently slammed Baldoni’s allegations in a heated statement. Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson refuted the director’s argument that Reynolds had defamed him with his “predator” label. “That is not defamation unless they can show that Mr. Reynolds did not believe that statement to be true,” the legal reps claimed, per Fox News.
Ryan Reynolds Defends Himself Using His First Amendment Rights
Reynolds’ attorneys stressed that his opinions and perception of Baldoni as a “predator” cannot be seen as defamation. They noted he believed the latter was one based on Lively’s complaints and his past confessions. “Mr. Baldoni has also openly spoken about his past of mistreating women and pushing the boundaries of consent,” they alleged, adding:
“Mr. Reynolds has a First Amendment right to express his opinion of Mr. Baldoni, which should be comforting to a group of people who have repeatedly called Ms. Lively and Mr. Reynolds’ bullies’ and other names over the past year.”
The attorneys doubled down on Reynolds being innocent of defamation, accusing Baldoni of ruining his image. They claimed the latter only named their client in the lawsuit to shame him for supporting his wife. Additionally, they argued that Baldoni failed to show how he suffered $400 million in damages and moved to dismiss the lawsuit.
Ryan Reynolds Jokes About Justin Baldoni Lawsuit in Front of a Disapproving Blake Lively
A month before his motion for dismissal, We covered Reynolds’ hilarious reaction to Baldoni’s lawsuit on SNL. The TV personality attended the show’s 50th anniversary special on February 16 with his wife and other A-listers. The couple were all smiles during the event; however, Lively lost her happy expression during a skit.
SNL alums Tina Fey and Amy Poehler urged audience members to ask their biggest questions regarding the comedy show. Without missing a beat, Reynolds eagerly stood up to participate, encouraging the pair to ask about his well-being. “Great,” the actor replied before pausing and playfully asking, “Why? What have you heard?”
Fey and Poehler reassured Reynolds that nothing was wrong, claiming they had only heard nice things about him. However, their grim expressions betrayed their genuine emotions, sparking a roar of laughter from the audience. Everyone seemed to understand the silent reference to Lively and Baldoni’s legal drama, but the actress didn’t find the moment funny. Lively’s expression turned cold at the joke, with fans speculating she had a look of “pure horror.” Others suggested she never expected the skit, while some claimed she “was stressing.”
Will Ryan Reynolds win his motion to dismiss Justin Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit?
