Ryan Reynolds makes rare comment about Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's legal battle

Leigh BlickleyMon, April 20, 2026 at 2:47 PM UTC

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Blake Lively and Ryan ReynoldsCredit: GC ImagesKey Points -

Ryan Reynolds said he's "proud" of wife Blake Lively amid her legal battle with Justin Baldoni.

The actor has been in full support of Lively since she filed a sexual harassment and retaliation complaint against Baldoni in December 2024.

Lively and Baldoni are set to head to trial on May 18.

Ryan Reynolds is standing firmly behind his wife Blake Lively ahead of her trial against Justin Baldoni next month.

The actor, 49, briefly spoke about Lively's legal battle with her It Ends With Us director and costar Baldoni during a Sunday Sitdown live chat with Today's Willie Geist, saying the whole situation has showed him "the illusion behind so much of this stuff — digital life versus real life."

"Really without getting into too much, I'll just say I've never in my life been more proud of my wife," Reynolds — who shares children James, 11, Inez, 9, Betty, 6, and Olin, 3, with Lively — added as the crowd clapped. "People have no idea what's really going on. And I've just never in my life been more proud of someone with that level of integrity that brings that with them and carries that with them in everything that they do."

Lively, 38, has been embroiled in legal drama with Baldoni, 42, since when she filed a complaint against him in December 2024 with the California Civil Rights Department, alleging sexual harassment and his coordination of a smear campaign.

Earlier this month, Judge Lewis Liman of the Southern District of New York tossed out 10 of the 13 claims in Lively's lawsuit against Baldoni, including claims of sexual harassment, defamation, and conspiracy, according to court documents obtained by Entertainment Weekly on April 3.

At the time of Lively's filing, an attorney for Baldoni called the allegations "completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious" before he responded by filing a countersuit against Lively and Reynolds in January 2025. Baldoni requested $400 million in damages and alleged defamation, civil extortion, and breach of contract, among other accusations.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in 'It Ends With Us'Credit: Nicole Rivelli/Sony Pictures Entertainment

In response, Lively's legal team said: "This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim." A judge threw out that lawsuit in June 2025.

Since the lawsuits were filed, additional accusations have been made on both sides. Loads of evidence, including emails and text messages, have been unsealed, and there have been efforts to dismiss the case altogether.

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Judge Liman allowed the case to move forward on claims of breach of contract, one claim of retaliation in violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, and aiding and abetting in retaliation in violation of FEHA.

Of the decision, Sigrid McCawley, a member of Lively’s legal team, told EW: "This case has always been and will remain focused on the devastating retaliation and the extraordinary steps the defendants took to destroy Blake Lively’s reputation because she stood up for safety on the set and that is the case that is going to trial."

The statement continued, "For Blake Lively, the greatest measure of justice is that the people and the playbook behind these coordinated digital attacks have been exposed and are already being held accountable by other women they’ve targeted. She looks forward to testifying at trial and continuing to shine a light on this vicious form of online retaliation so that it becomes easier to detect and fight.”

McCawley concluded, “Sexual harassment isn’t going forward not because the defendants did nothing wrong but because the court determined Blake Lively was an independent contractor, not an employee.”

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Baldoni's legal team told EW in a statement at the time that the judge dismissing 10 claims was "gratifying" for them.

"Despite our clients being accused of DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim, and Offender) in defending these claims, and despite our client being referred to in writing as a predator, what I said, on behalf of our clients day one and every day since then, is true," lead attorney Bryan Freeman said. "Our clients are very good people who have not engaged in this sexual harassment as alleged. As such, they have deserved a vigorous defense which was led through transparency."

Their trial is scheduled to begin on May 18.

on Entertainment Weekly

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”