Ryan Reynolds is fighting back against accusations made by Justin Baldoni in a recent defamation lawsuit.

On March 18, the "Deadpool" actor filed a motion to be dismissed from the $400 million lawsuit Baldoni filed in response to sexual harassment and retaliation claims made by Reynolds' wife, Blake Lively.

Baldoni, the director of "It Ends With Us," accused Reynolds of defamation, claiming that Reynolds privately called him a "sexual predator" to a Hollywood agent, ENews said.

However, Reynolds' legal team argues that the defamation suit is unfounded. Reynolds genuinely believes Baldoni's behavior could be described as "predatory."

"The entirety of Mr. Baldoni's case is based on Mr. Reynolds allegedly calling him a 'predator,'" Reynolds' lawyers, Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, stated. "But this cannot be defamation unless it's shown that Reynolds did not believe the statement to be true."

The lawsuit filed by Baldoni is part of a series of legal battles following Lively's December lawsuit, where she accused Baldoni of sexual harassment while filming "It Ends With Us."

Blake Lively also accused Baldoni and his team of orchestrating a public smear campaign against her.

Baldoni countersued Lively, Reynolds, and her publicist, Leslie Sloane, claiming civil extortion, defamation, and false light invasion of privacy.

Ryan Reynolds Defends His Right to Speak Out Amid Baldoni's Defamation Claims

Reynolds' attorneys have dismissed Baldoni's claims as a "desperate effort" to damage his reputation.

They criticized Baldoni for attempting to turn the tables by painting himself as the victim. They suggested that his legal actions were an attempt to discredit Lively and Reynolds' stance on the issue.

While the defamation lawsuit seeks $400 million in damages, Reynolds' legal team questions the validity of this amount, stating that Baldoni fails to explain who exactly suffered harm or how this loss occurred.

The motion to dismiss suggests that Baldoni's case is long on rhetoric and short on facts that would hold up in a legal setting.

According to the NYPost, Reynolds has also defended his right to express his opinions, particularly when it comes to the ongoing battle concerning his wife's harassment claims. "Mr. Reynolds has a First Amendment right to express his opinion," his lawyers noted, calling the accusations against him an attack on his stance as a supportive partner.

As this legal dispute unfolds, the public remains divided, with Lively's legal team accusing Baldoni of using classic tactics to reverse the narrative. "This is an age-old story," Lively's lawyers stated, "where the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim."

Tags
Ryan Reynolds