Justin Baldoni made his first public appearance since filing a $400 million defamation lawsuit against It Ends With Us costar Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds.

The 40-year-old was spotted at Los Angeles' LAX airport early Friday, January 17, accompanied by his wife Emily and their children, Maiya, 9, and Maxwell, 7.

Speaking briefly with photographers and paparazzi, Baldoni expressed gratitude for being with his family and said he would rely on his "amazing friends and family" to get through this difficult period. He added that his faith would be essential in dealing with the ongoing conflict.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday, January 16, accuses Lively, Reynolds, and Lively's publicist Leslie Sloane of defamation, civil extortion, and false light invasion of privacy. This follows Baldoni's earlier $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times regarding their coverage of Lively's sexual harassment allegations against him.

Court documents reveal Baldoni's claims that Lively hijacked the filming of It Ends With Us, which he directed. He also alleged that the couple forced his family to wait in a basement holding area during the film's premiere to avoid contact with Lively.

Lively's attorneys responded with a strong statement, characterizing the lawsuit as "another chapter in the abuser playbook" and describing it as a DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender) tactic.

They maintain that Baldoni's production company is using its resources to overwhelm public understanding of the sexual harassment allegations through legal action.

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Blake Lively