Justin Baldoni Accuses Ryan Reynolds of 'Berating' Him in 'Traumatic Encounter' Over Comments He Made About Blake Lively

Justin Baldoni claims Ryan Reynolds aggressively berated him in a meeting during the making of It Ends With Us.

The director-actor filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times on Dec. 31 over an article published Dec. 21 that reported on costar Blake Lively's complaint alleging sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign.

Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman claimed the Times "cowered to the wants and whims of two powerful 'untouchable' Hollywood elites," meaning Lively and Reynolds, the former costars who married in 2012. According to Freedman, the bombshell report used "doctored and manipulated texts" and that his side has "all of the communications to back" their version of events.

A spokesperson for the Times responded, saying, "Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported. It was based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article." The outlet plans to "vigorously" defend against Baldoni's lawsuit.

Within his complaint, Baldoni's legal team alleged that he and some of the It Ends With Us producers were called to a meeting at Lively and Reynolds' New York City apartment in January 2024 the day before filming was set to resume after industry guild strikes ended.

There, "Reynolds launched into a tirade, berating Baldoni in what Baldoni later described as a 'traumatic' encounter, stating he had 'never been spoken to like that in his life,' " the complaint alleges.

Baldoni, 40, claims Reynolds, 48, "demanded" an apology for Lively, 37, accusing him of "fat-shaming" her, and when Baldoni "resisted apologizing for what he had not done, Reynolds became further enraged."

Related: Blake Lively Is 'Ready to Tackle Whatever Comes Her Way' After Suing Justin Baldoni (Exclusive Source)

His lawyers characterize the alleged exchange as an "inappropriate and humiliating berating of Baldoni — delivered, perhaps intentionally, as other celebrity friends were coming in and out of their penthouse."

Reps for Reynolds and Lively did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

According to Baldoni, the fat-shaming element was a misunderstanding: He says he asked a trainer "how much Lively weighed" since he has "back issues" and was concerned about injuring himself for a scene where his character lifts hers. The trainer "relayed this information to Lively, who then informed Reynolds," leading to a "confrontation," Baldoni's lawyers claims.

"Lively threatened to quit the production altogether, despite her contractual obligations. Lively gave Baldoni an ultimatum: to either cast someone else or work with her in the way she works. It was her way or the highway," Baldoni's lawyers allege in the complaint.

In her complaint, Lively's lawyers alleged that Baldoni "routinely degraded Ms. Lively by finding back channel ways of criticizing her body and weight."

Four months after giving birth to her fourth child, Lively was "humiliated to learn" that Baldoni "secretly called her fitness trainer, without her knowledge or permission, and implied that he wanted her to lose weight in two weeks," her lawyers wrote. "Mr. Baldoni told the trainer that he had asked because he was concerned about having to pick Ms. Lively up in a scene for the movie, but there was no such scene."

Related: Justin Baldoni's Lawyer Says ‘the Truth’ About Blake Lively’s Legal Complaint Will Expose ‘Those Who Believe Themselves Untouchable’ (Exclusive)

Lively's complaint also includes the "all-hands" meeting that took place in January 2024, saying it was "convened to address the hostile work environment that had nearly derailed production," and that she chose to have Reynolds there as her "agreed-upon right to have a representative present." The complaint says at the meeting they "discussed at length the details of concerns that had been expressed by Ms. Lively and others."

Elsewhere in her filing, Lively's lawyers expressed that she faced "extreme" emotional distress, and that "Reynolds, too, has been affected mentally, physically and professionally by his wife and children’s pain" due to the situation.

The same day Baldoni filed his lawsuit against the Times, Lively escalated her own legal action by officially filing a federal complaint, against Baldoni's company Wayfarer Studios and others, in the Southern District of New York.

Lively's attorneys said in a statement, "As alleged in Ms. Lively’s federal Complaint, Wayfarer and its associates have violated federal and California state law by retaliating against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety concerns. Now the defendants will answer for their conduct in federal court."

In a previous statement, Lively said she hopes her legal action "helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted."

Related: Blake Lively’s Publicist Denies Allegations of Planting Stories During It Ends with Us Press Tour: ‘False’

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Several of Lively's former costars and collaborators have spoken out in support of her coming forward, as well as her It Ends With Us costars. Brandon Sklenar encouraged fans to read Lively's complaint in full, and Jenny Slate said, "What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing and wholly threatening. I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side."

In the wake of Lively's complaint, Baldoni was cut by his agency William Morris Endeavor, commonly known as WME. Baldoni's complaint alleged that Reynolds approached his agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere in July and "demanded that the agent 'drop' Baldoni."

The agency issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter Jan. 1 denying that Reynolds pressured them to drop Baldoni. "This is not true. ... nor was there any pressure from Reynolds or Lively at any time to drop Baldoni as a client."

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