Since its release, book to movie adaptation It Ends With Us has been making headlines... and not due to the film's contents. The project, which is streaming with a Netflix subscription, has been making headlines thanks to drama surrounding Blake Lively and actor/director Justin Baldoni, and their respective lawsuits. And a defamation lawyer recently explained why Baldoni including Ryan Reynolds In His Lawsuit Is 'Not Strange,' according to a defamation lawyer.
Following Lively's lawsuit about It Ends with Us, Justin Baldoni filed a few suits of his own, making allegations against both Lively and Reynolds. The fact that the Deadpool star was included turned heads, but it might not be as surprising as the public thinks. Lawyer Jeff Lewis spoke to Yahoo Entertainment about this strategy, and he said:
It is not strange that Ryan Reynolds was named in light of Baldoni's theories in the complaint. Baldoni argues that Reynolds participated in a meeting to force Baldoni to apologize for misconduct that did not occur and pressured Baldoni to surrender creative control over the film. This meeting is a key part of Baldoni's civil extortion theory.
There you have it. Since Baldoni maintains that Ryan Reynolds tried to put his own spin on It Ends With Us through rewrites, Lewis thinks that it makes perfect sense to include the 48 year-old actor/writer/producer in the suit. And while Baldoni originally named Reynolds in his complaint against the New York Times, he's also brought his own defamation case against Reynolds and Lively. Only time will tell how this complicated legal situation ultimately plays out.
Prior to Baldoni filing his defamation suit, he mentioned Ryan Reynolds in his NYT complaint, claiming the Deadpool star pressured WME to drop him. The agency responded to this claim, but it remans a sticking point in his complaints. And according to Jeff Lewis, that's a key reason why Lively's husband is included in the suits. In his words:
Baldoni claims that both Lively and Reynolds took actions to force [talent agency] William Morris Endeavor to drop Baldoni as a client. Under the facts of this case, Reynolds is not just the husband of Lively. He is alleged to be individually responsible for Baldoni's claims.
Despite Reynolds not being as involved in It Ends With Us as Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, these reasons are seemingly why Ryan Reynolds has also been named in the various lawsuits surrounding the project. The stakes certainly feel high for the ongoing legal situation, especially with the movies director suing Lively and Reynolds for hundreds of millions.
Only time will tell how things ultimately shake out, and if the parties named end up facing off in court. For now, It Ends With Us can be streamed on Netflix. Check out the 2025 movie release dates.
