Justin Baldoni’s Lawyer Slams Blake Lively's Husband Ryan Reynolds for Trying to Dismiss Lawsuit: ‘We Will Not Stop Until...’

Justin Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, slammed Ryan Reynolds for seeking to dismiss a 400M USD defamation suit, accusing him of being deeply involved in a smear campaign.

Written by Sakina Kaukawala , Entertainment Journalist

Updated on Mar 20, 2025 | 07:59 AM GMT | 5.4K

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively and Bryan Freedman (via Getty Images)

Justin Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, criticized Ryan Reynolds for attempting to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed against him, accusing him of trying to run from the flames after filing a motion to be removed from the case.

Freedman stated in a statement obtained by PEOPLE that Ryan Reynolds was a key player in the scheme. He added that his fingerprints have been all over this smear campaign against Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer team since day one.

Bryan Freedman argued that Reynolds’ motion to dismiss was an attempt to downplay serious allegations. “Mr. Reynolds now attempts to reduce plainly cognizable claims to ‘hurt feelings,’ sending a clear message that bullying is acceptable,” he added.

“After lighting a match, Mr. Reynolds now seeks to run from the flames. It won’t work.” He also added, "Mr. Reynolds can appear on as many sketch shows as he wants and feebly try to make light of his current situation, but we will not stop until he is held accountable for his actions.”

Reynolds’ attorneys, Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, responded by stating that Baldoni’s claims do not hold legal merit. The Deadpool star’s legal team filed the motion on March 18, arguing that calling someone a predator is an opinion protected under the First Amendment.

Reynolds’ attorneys argued that the defamation claim was invalid unless it could be proven that Reynolds did not believe his statement to be true.

They stated that the complaint did not make such an allegation and instead suggested that Reynolds genuinely believed Baldoni was a predator. The attorneys also noted that Baldoni had publicly spoken about his past behavior toward women and the boundaries of consent.

Baldoni filed the USD 400 million defamation lawsuit in January against Reynolds, Blake Lively, and their publicist, Leslie Sloane. The lawsuit stemmed from allegations that Reynolds told a talent agent at WME to drop Baldoni by labeling him a sexual predator during the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere in July 2024.

The talent agency ended its contract with Baldoni in December 2024 after Lively filed a complaint accusing him of sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us. However, WME denied Reynolds played a role in their decision, stating Baldoni’s representative was not present at the premiere.