Justin Baldoni and his legal team are arguing that Ryan Reynolds’ motion for dismissal should be denied.
According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly on Thursday, April 3, Baldoni’s attorneys argued that Reynolds, 48, “pretends that the Wayfarer Parties’ First Amended Complaint (the ‘FAC’) fails to set forth any basis for his liability and that he merely acted as a supportive spouse. Not so.”
The filing continued: “The FAC specifically alleges ample facts to support the Wayfarer Parties’ claims against him, based on both his direct actions and his liability as a co-conspirator.”
Baldoni’s lawyers also stated that if Reynolds’ motion to dismiss was accepted, the Deadpool star shouldn’t be able to recover attorneys’ fees.
Related: Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Seek to Dismiss Justin Baldoni’s Lawsuit
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are seeking to dismiss Justin Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit. Lively, 37, and Reynolds, 48, told a federal judge on Thursday, January 30, that they will move to dismiss the legal action filed against them by the It Ends With Us director, 40, Variety reported the same day. Per Variety, each side’s […]
A spokesperson for Reynolds’ addressed the latest filing in a statement to Us.
“The main takeaway from the Wayfarer Parties’ opposition to Ryan’s motion to dismiss their case is that they finally realize the plain defects in their complaint,” the statement read. “They once again claim defamation without alleging who was defamed, what specifically was said, or how anyone suffered actual harm.”
The statement continued: “Unlike Mr. Baldoni, who built his brand pretending to be a man who is ‘confident enough to listen’ to the women in his life, Ryan Reynolds actually is that man and he will continue to support his wife as she stands up to the individuals who not only harassed her but then have retaliated against her. Under New York law, California law, and indeed in every jurisdiction of the United States this lawsuit not only fails but may result in the Wayfarer Parties covering Ryan’s costs and attorneys’ fees for bringing such a frivolous case in the first place.”
Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman also addressed the filing in a statement issued to Us Weekly on Thursday April 3.
“Ms. Lively and her circle of Hollywood elites cannot prevent my clients from exercising their constitutional right to petition the court to clear their names from her false and harmful claims,” the statement read. “What Ms. Lively is attempting to do is to set a dangerous precedent by barring the courthouse doors to my clients and punishing them for having their day in court, a right protected by the First Amendment. This right protects not only Mr. Baldoni and the Wayfarer parties in this particular case, but all Americans in the future who have false accusations levied against them and seek relief from our justice system. This must stop here, and we will continue to fight against this blatant attempt to block access to the court system and to weaken our nation’s Constitution to serve those who are in the position of power. “
Baldoni, 41, and Blake Lively’s legal drama began in December 2024. In a legal complaint, Lively, 37, accused her It Ends With Us costar and director of sexual harassment and allegedly orchestrating a smear campaign against her.
Baldoni denied the allegations and subsequently filed his own $400 million lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds and the actress’ publicist. Lively and Reynolds both filed paperwork to dismiss the lawsuit while the publicist requested to be removed from the lawsuit.
In Reynolds’ dismissal filing, the actor’s lawyers argued that Baldoni’s case “does not identify a single allegedly defamatory statement” made by Reynolds.
“The entirety of Mr. Baldoni’s case appears to be based on Mr. Reynolds allegedly privately calling Mr. Baldoni a ‘predator,’ but here is the problem, that is not defamation unless they can show that Mr. Reynolds did not believe that statement to be true,” read a statement from Reynolds’ attorneys Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson to Us. “The complaint doesn’t allege that, and just the opposite, the allegations in the complaint suggest that Mr. Reynolds genuinely believes Mr. Baldoni is a predator.”
The statement continued: “Mr. Reynolds’ wife has accused Mr. Baldoni — privately and in multiple complaints — of sexual harassment and retaliation, and as pointed out by Mr. Reynolds’ motion, Mr. Baldoni has also openly spoken about his past of mistreating women and pushing the boundaries of consent. 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.”
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