Justin Baldoni and his legal team have quoted Ryan Reynolds, who made a remark about drinking “blood” of his “enemies,” in their dismissal reply as their legal battle continues.
In the legal documents obtained by Us Weekly on Thursday, April 3, Baldoni’s legal team cited a quote from Reynolds which was made on July 12, 2024.
“I’ve realized that I’m too big to fail at this point, so I just crush my enemies and drink their Blood,” Reynolds, 48, is quoted as saying, per the documents.
Baldoni, 41, and his team are arguing that Reynolds’ motion to dismiss Baldoni’s lawsuit — which was filed on March 18 — should be denied. The quote is one of the examples they are using to argue that Reynolds was acting as a co-conspirator with his wife Blake Lively, 37, who filed a lawsuit in December 2024, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign against her. (Baldoni has denied all claims against him.)
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Also in December, Baldoni sued Lively for defamation, seeking $400 million in damages. He named Reynolds in the lawsuit filing — which Reynolds is now seeking to dismiss. (Reynolds and Lively have also denied all claims against them.)
In the documents Baldoni’s attorneys argued that Reynolds “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 attorney Bryan Freedman doubled down on their filing in a statement 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. “
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.”
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Baldoni and Lively have been embroiled in drama since they worked together on It Ends With Us, the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel. Following rumors of feud while they were promoting the film in July 2024, Lively confirmed animosity between the pair by accusing Baldoni, her costar and director on the film, of sexual harassment and conducting 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.
