In the midst of an ongoing lawsuit involving Hollywood heavyweights, it has been revealed that the actor-director of the film *It Ends with Us*, Justin Baldoni, took to his deposition to reveal how co-star Blake Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, accused him of weight-shaming the actress. It has now become a complex lawsuit with claims of causing emotional distress, intimidation, and career-damaging actions that have sent shockwaves across the entertainment world. The lawsuit brings to light tensions between the stars during filming of the movie that spilled over into a very public feud between Baldoni and the Lively-Reynolds couple.
The Weight-Shaming Incident
The issue at the heart of the conflict revolves around a scene in *It Ends with Us* in which Baldoni’s character, Ryle, was required to lift Lively’s character, Lily. According to Baldoni’s account, he made an inquiry to Lively’s personal trainer regarding her weight in an effort to ensure the scene was performed safely. Baldoni, who has back problems, said the question was born out of concern for his physical well-being and the potential injury during the lift. But things quickly got out of hand.
Lively allegedly took offense to the question, finding it intrusive. According to the lawsuit, this led to a series of confrontations, with Lively accusing Baldoni of shaming her for her body and weight. In one particularly damaging incident, Baldoni allegedly called Lively’s fitness trainer without her knowledge or consent, asking for her weight, which further exacerbated the tension between them.
Lively’s reaction, as filed in her lawsuit, was to decline to do the lift scene altogether, although it had previously been rehearsed with a stunt double. Baldoni, who had asked the question as a means of ensuring safety, suddenly found himself in the eye of a hurricane. A question that once seemed so reasonable to him now became a public relations nightmare-one that would ultimately have devastating ramifications for him.
Reynolds’ Aggressive Confrontation
As matters between him and Lively blew out of proportion, Reynolds was said to have engaged Baldoni in a virulent verbal attack. Following the complaint filed, Reynolds “berated” Baldoni in a traumatic manner, according to the complaint filed by Baldoni. Reynolds accused the defendant of weight-shaming Lively and did so in such a fit of outrage that Baldoni said he had never encountered. The confrontation, which reportedly took place during a meeting involving producers and Sony representatives, left everyone in the room stunned.
For not buckling under and apologizing for something that he did not feel he had done wrong, Baldoni argues, he further infuriated Reynolds. The incident that occurred, he says, humiliated him and caused emotional injury. Even the producer who was present reportedly stated it was the worst verbal attack in many years of his career.
In response to this altercation, Baldoni filed a lawsuit against the New York Times for misrepresenting the facts of the situation. He has alleged that the representation by the media about his incident had contributed to a smear campaign orchestrated by Lively and Reynolds. His legal representatives argue that the whole weight-shaming accusation was just a misunderstanding, and the reaction from Lively and Reynolds was too disproportionate.
The Smear Campaign Allegations
The lawsuit further alleges that, in the aftermath of the confrontation, Baldoni was subjected to a deliberate public relations smear campaign aimed at ruining his reputation. Text messages exchanged between Baldoni and his publicists indicate that he felt a backlash was imminent from Lively and Reynolds, one that would affect his professional and personal life. These messages exposed that not only did Baldoni and his team think about how this fallout might go down, but they even considered her blocking him on social media, which indeed occurred.
The tabloids further claim that Baldoni employed the services of a crisis management expert to mitigate the damage wrought by the situation. He says the campaign included negative threads on social media about Lively and Reynolds, but as with much of the rest of the campaign, that part was intentionally untraceable. For Baldoni, the fervor in both the media and public’s response to the allegations was disproportionate, leaving him hemmed in, vilified without justification.
Career and Personal Impact
The lawsuit also draws attention to how Baldoni’s professional standing was affected by the incident. He claims that Reynolds exerted pressure on his agency, leading to his removal from the prestigious William Morris Endeavor (WME) agency, which represented him at the time. Baldoni’s team alleges that Reynolds personally influenced this decision, a move they claim was intended to damage his career.
The situation was further compounded by the release of a New York Times article that reportedly included doctored text messages, further exacerbating Baldoni’s concerns about the integrity of the reporting. Baldoni’s attorney vehemently denied the accusations made in the article, calling the story a “smear campaign” orchestrated by Lively and Reynolds.
The Larger Fallout
While the debate of Baldoni versus Lively-Reynolds has driven much media attention, it has also broadened the debates on how power is exercised in Hollywood. Some critics, for instance, have raised the issue of the undue influence celebrities have over the press and how public figures leverage that to their advantage in manipulating certain narratives. On the other end, some defenders of Lively and Reynolds say they are simply defending Lively’s reputation and well-being out of concern for the serious nature of body-shaming.
With the court cases in motion, the lawsuits against both Baldoni and Lively will be decided on and determine their fate in the industry and the ripples it sends out regarding the star interaction that goes on behind the scenes. Although these allegations aren’t known to be true as of now, what is known is that this argument isn’t anywhere near over with both sides getting ready for a long court battle.
The feud between Justin Baldoni and Ryan Reynolds ultimately brought into the fore the complexities of interpersonal Hollywood relationships, where the simplest action can mushroom into an all-out legal and public relations war. With serious legal action taken on both sides, this saga is bound to continue unfolding in the public eye for some time.
