In a significant turn of events in the ongoing controversy involving Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, Ryan Reynolds has officially filed a motion to dismiss Baldoni’s $400 million defamation lawsuit against him.
As reported by Variety, Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds has formally requested the court to dismiss Justin Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit against him, arguing that Baldoni cannot take legal action over “hurt feelings."
The lawsuit, which stems from the It Ends With Us director’s ongoing feud with Lively, was filed in January after the actress took legal action against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign against her.
The lawsuit, filed earlier this year, accuses Reynolds of mocking and bullying Baldoni by introducing the character ‘Nicepool’ in Deadpool & Wolverine—a supposed satire of Baldoni’s “woke feminist” persona.
As per Variety, Reynolds’ legal team acknowledged in a motion to dismiss on Tuesday that Nicepool was indeed inspired by Baldoni but dismissed his claims as an example of “thin-skinned outrage.” Baldoni’s defamation suit further alleges that Reynolds privately labeled him a “sexual predator” and attempted to pressure his talent agency, WME, into cutting ties with him.
Justin Baldoni, who directed and starred in It Ends With Us alongside Blake Lively, became involved in controversy after the film’s successful release last summer. Lively accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her on set and claimed he orchestrated a smear campaign against her through his publicists. In response, Baldoni countersued both Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, alleging they were deliberately trying to sabotage his career with false allegations.
As part of his lawsuit, Baldoni also claimed that Reynolds had confronted him over allegedly "fat-shaming" Lively. However, in their motion to dismiss, Reynolds’ legal team argued that expressing a personal belief does not constitute defamation, asserting that Reynolds cannot be sued simply for stating what he genuinely believes.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
