Justin Baldoni launches website, more alleged texts with Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds
Justin Baldoni's team continues to release what they consider evidence in his lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.
The "It Ends With Us" director apparently launched a website, which includes an amended and consolidated complaint filed against the A-list couple on Friday, as well as a "timeline of relevant events" that includes previously undisclosed text messages, emails and other communications seemingly between Baldoni and the couple. TMZ was the first to report the news.
USA TODAY has reached out to reps for Baldoni, Lively and Reynolds for comment.
Baldoni's timeline features alleged correspondence between himself and "It Ends With Us" author Colleen Hoover ahead of filming, as well as texts with Lively and Reynolds before and during filming.
In one set of text messages, dated February 2023, Baldoni seems to reach out to Reynolds to become "friends" and express his admiration, with Reynolds appearing to reply at one point: "You've been a wonderful collaborator with B and that means a great deal — to both of us. Being a stand up person is everything and you've been just that since day one. Thank you," and later writing, "I happen to adore you, Justin."
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In a separate exchange with Lively, dated April 2023, Baldoni allegedly exchanges messages with Lively about the dialogue for a "pivotal" rooftop meet-cute scene in "It Ends With Us."
"If you knew me (in person) longer you'd have a sense of how flirty and yummy the ball busting would play. It's my love language. Spicy and playfully bold, never with teeth," the texts attributed to Lively said of the dialogue. "And him serving it back to her is just as important. You don't usually see both the man AND the woman with such agency and humor."
The release of the texts and communications follows Baldoni's team releasing a 10-minute behind-the-scenes clip of a slow-dancing scene the actors performed. Attorneys for the A-list couple later filed a gag order, accusing Baldoni and his legal team of continuing their "harassing and retaliatory media campaign" against Lively with "almost daily media statements or other releases to the press," according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.
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Baldoni first sued his "It Ends With Us" co-star, her husband and The New York Times after the actress went public with claims Baldoni sexually harassed her and helped orchestrate a smear campaign against her. The complaint goes on to allege that Lively fabricated the claims of sexual harassment and conspired with The Times to publish a damning article against Baldoni and used her celebrity status to "seize control" of the filmmaking process. The director's amended extortion, invasion of privacy and defamation suit folds in Baldoni's previous suit against The Times for $250 million.
In Lively's suit, she alleged Baldoni sexually harassed her on set, added unwanted intimate scenes to the script, shared unsolicited information about his sex life and asked about hers, and entered her dressing room uninvited while she was breastfeeding.
Implicating not only Baldoni but also the crisis PR firm he hired after the movie wrapped, Lively alleged the hatred she received online was not an organic phenomenon but rather a highly coordinated operation to boost negative sentiment around the actress and insulate Baldoni from potential claims of harassment.
Lively and Baldoni's trial is set for March 9, 2026.
Contributing: Anna Kaufman and Edward Segarra
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Justin Baldoni website shows texts with Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds