Ryan Reynolds has broken his silence over unsealed text messages in which he called Justin Baldoni a 'dumb-dumb' and a 'predatory fraudster', defending his involvement in his wife Blake Lively's legal battle. The 49-year-old actor's representative told Puck News: 'Yes, Ryan got involved — what husband wouldn't support his wife and the mother of his children?'
The representative added that Reynolds saw his wife 'fighting daily to stand up against sexual harassment in a private and respectful way, only to face retaliation for doing so.' The statement continued: 'If anything, Ryan feels like he wasn't angry enough. He passionately believes in and will stand up for the basic right to a safe workplace free of harassment and retaliation for his wife and others. Then, now and always.'
The texts were unsealed as part of Lively's lawsuit against Baldoni, 42, filed in December 2024, accusing him of sexual harassment, retaliatory conduct, and intentional infliction of emotional stress. Lively claims Baldoni body-shamed her and orchestrated a smear campaign. Baldoni has denied the allegations, and his lawyer, Bryan Freedman, said: 'As stated all along, and reflected in our clients motions, as well as in messages from Sony discussing Ms. Lively's behaviors, the evidence does not support the claims as a matter of law.'
In one text exchange from July 2024, Reynolds allegedly referred to Baldoni as a 'thoroughbred, predatory fraudster' and an 'inexplicably toxic mess.' He also reportedly wrote: 'I'd put Blake's reputation on trial any day of the week... nobody has ever reached the empyrean heights of vile the way Justin Baldoni has.' A source told Puck News that Reynolds' comments about executive producer Todd Black and Sony executive Ange Giannetti — calling them 'ineffectual elderly people with no ideas or thoughtful communication skills' — make him look 'childish and petulant.'
Lively is seeking more than $160 million in damages, with the trial set for May 2026 in New York. Baldoni's countersuit against Lively and Reynolds, alleging defamation and extortion, has been dismissed. The legal battle has overshadowed the success of the film It Ends with Us, which earned $350 million globally.
