Justin Baldoni accuses Ryan Reynolds of ‘berating’ him for ‘fat-shaming’ Blake Lively
Court documents state that Baldoni has back issues, due to which he inquired about Lively's weight to “safely perform” a scene where he would lift his co-star
Justin Baldoni named Ryan Reynolds in his $250 million libel lawsuit against the New York Times. In the 87-page complaint filed at Los Angeles Superior Court, the 40-year-old accused the Deadpool star of “berating” him for “fat-shaming” Blake Lively, a claim the It Ends With Us director has denied. Tuesday's filing further alleges that the outlet misled the public by relying on the Gossip Girl actress' “unverified” narrative.

Justin Baldoni claims Ryan Reynolds ‘berated’ him for ‘fat-shaming’ Blake Lively
The lawsuit was filed by Baldoni and nine other plaintiffs, including publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel and It Ends with Us producers Jamey Heath and Steve Sarowitz. Court documents state that the filmmaker has back issues, due to which he inquired about Lively's weight to “safely perform” a scene where his character Ryle would lift his co-star.
However, the inquiry, which Baldoni made in “good faith,” made its way back to the Age of Adaline star, who then informed her husband about it. “The confrontation that followed was so aggressive that Baldoni felt compelled to offer repeated apologies, despite his question being entirely reasonable and made in good faith,” the filing reads. “Following this incident, Lively refused to perform the lift scene, even though it had already been rehearsed with a stunt double.”
Baldoni claimed that weeks before the New York City premiere of It Ends With Us, Reynolds “had aggressively berated Baldoni during a meeting at their penthouse in New York, accusing him of ‘fat shaming’ Lively.” In order to “avoid further confrontation” with the couple and to “rebuild rapport with his co-star” Lively, Baldoni “continued to bend to her will,” the lawsuit adds.
Additionally, the filmmaker's legal team claims that Baldoni's “inappropriate and humiliating berating” was “delivered, perhaps intentionally, as other celebrity friends were coming in and out of their penthouse.” The filing adds that it was “prompted by Baldoni's reasonable inquiry into crucial information needed to ensure safety and avoid injury in a scene,” per USA Today.
