Ryan Reynolds is vociferously contending that he could not have tarnished the reputation of Justin Baldoni, as his assertions stem from a genuine conviction regarding the director of "It Ends With Us" engaging in predatory conduct. In an effort to dismiss the lawsuit filed on Tuesday, Reynolds invokes the stringent legal standards required to establish defamation against a public figure, where it must be demonstrated that the allegedly defamatory statements were made with either knowledge of their falsity or reckless disregard for the truth. He invokes the protections of the First Amendment and highlights prior statements by Baldoni, which alleged misconduct towards women and pushing the boundaries of consent.
In the court filing, Michael Gottlieb, Reynolds' attorney, writes that Baldoni's lawsuit "fails to present any plausible facts that even remotely hint, let alone substantiate, that anyone perceived Reynolds' statements as anything other than his sincerely held belief about Baldoni's character."
This filing marks the latest salvo in a multifaceted legal skirmish involving Blake Lively and Baldoni, with both parties accusing each other of orchestrating a smear campaign. After the actress initiated her lawsuit, Baldoni countersued, alleging extortion, defamation, and breach of contract, among other claims. Reynolds has been ensnared in the litigation for purportedly approaching Baldoni's agency, specifically an executive at WME, and labeling Baldoni a "sexual predator." Subsequently, Reynolds reportedly demanded that the agency, which also represents him and Lively, sever ties with Baldoni.
Bryan Freedman, Baldoni's attorney, stated in a release that Reynolds' "exploitation of his immense power in Hollywood persists, this time brazenly seeking dismissal from the case despite his publicly documented involvement extending far beyond merely being a 'supportive spouse.'" He further contended that Reynolds was a "pivotal figure in the scheme, tarnishing Justin's reputation in Hollywood, pressuring WME to drop Justin as a client, and attempting to demolish Justin's career by any means necessary."
In Tuesday's filing, Reynolds argues that the lawsuit "fails to pinpoint any allegedly defamatory statement" he directed towards Baldoni. In response to accusations that he characterized Baldoni as a "predator" during a conversation with WME, Reynolds contends that the lawsuit must specify the details of the conversation, including its content, date, and context. Gottlieb writes, "The absence of these specifics renders it impossible, for instance, to ascertain whether the statement falls within the applicable one-year defamation statute of limitations."
Irrespective of whether Baldoni can meet the criteria to allege defamation, Reynolds maintains that his statement should be construed as an opinion rather than a factual assertion. He cites the lawsuit's allegation that he expressed "his profound disdain" for Baldoni during the alleged conversation with the WME executive, emphasizing his First Amendment right to criticize the "It Ends With Us" director "or any man whom he believes sexually harassed his wife." He also points to Baldoni's own statements hinting at sexual misconduct, such as Baldoni's admission on a podcast, "I'm certain I've crossed boundaries and lines in my teens and twenties without even contemplating it, due to the porn I consumed."
Addressing other claims, Gottlieb writes in the motion to dismiss, "The Wayfarer Parties assert that Reynolds extorted them but neglect to allege that he received any monetary or material gain. They claim he interfered with a contract without specifying which contract, what provisions were allegedly breached, or even which parties were involved. They claim $400 million in damages without elucidating who suffered the loss, to what extent, as a result of which claims, or what proximately caused such losses."
In a statement, Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, Reynolds' attorneys, emphasized that the actor possesses a "First Amendment right to express his opinion." They added that Baldoni must prove that Reynolds did not genuinely believe his characterization of Baldoni as a "predator" to succeed in his defamation claim. Reynolds' spokesperson remarked that Baldoni is "endeavoring to embarrass Mr. Reynolds for being the man Mr. Baldoni has constructed his brand around pretending to be, a man who is 'confident enough to listen' to the women in his life."
Read Baldoni’s full statement below:
Mr. Reynolds’ exploitation of his enormous power in Hollywood continues, this time arrogantly asking to be dismissed from the case despite his publicly documented involvement extending far beyond just being a “supportive spouse.” Mr. Reynolds was a key player in the scheme, defaming Justin around Hollywood, strong-arming WME into dropping Justin as a client, and trying to destroy Justin’s career however possible. His fingerprints have been all over this smear campaign against Justin and the Wayfarer team since day one. Mr. Reynolds now attempts to reduce plainly cognizable claims to “hurt feelings”, sending a clear message that bullying is acceptable. After lighting a match, Mr. Reynolds now seeks to run from the flames. It won’t work. The Wayfarer Parties’ claims against him are real, and they are serious. 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.
Read the full statement from Reynolds’ legal team below:
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. 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. 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.
Read the full statement from Reynolds’ spokesperson below:
The claims filed against Mr. Reynolds are simply a list of grievances attempting to shame Mr. Reynolds for being the man Mr. Baldoni has built his brand pretending to be, a man who is “confident enough to listen” to the woman in his life. We look forward to this lawsuit being dismissed, and to collecting on Steve Sarowitz’s $100 million pledge by recovering Mr. Reynolds’ costs and attorneys’ fees incurred to toss this frivolous case.”
