Ryan Reynolds has called Justin Baldoni a "blatant predator and sociopath" in a private message to writer Colleen Hoover dated August 10, 2024. The text is part of newly declassified court documents obtained by Page Six and was sent at a time when Blake Lively was under fire for her performance in the film “Never Again“.
“It's amazing that everyone involved in a production can completely distance themselves from someone who is clearly a predator and a sociopath, and the narrative should first focus on why the woman is the problem“, Reynolds wrote, quoted in the documents. He added that “people are already starting to talk“ and soon someone will come out with their claims.
Colleen Hoover responded that the loudest critics are probably 13-year-olds who don't think maturely enough yet and will eventually be ashamed of their positions. She added that “it seems like things are already starting to turn against him“.
In another snippet of the conversation, Ryan Reynolds ironically described the alleged approach of a crisis PR team working for Baldoni. According to his imaginary script, the actor and director was supposed to constantly talk about domestic violence and how beautiful Lively is while his team dealt with the online reactions.
Reynolds also wrote Baldoni's alleged line: “Namaste. Let's deal with this bitch.“ Hoover responded with laughter, according to court documents. At the end of the exchange, the "Deadpool" actor said that the truth about Baldoni was now making its way into the public domain.
In a separate message dated August 9, 2024, to his agent Warren Savala, Ryan Reynolds called Baldoni "a human rounding error" while commenting on the film's success.
The Lively-Baldoni Lawsuit
Blake Lively filed a complaint against Justin Baldoni in December 2024, accusing him of sexual harassment during the filming of "Never Again" and a subsequent smear campaign. Baldoni denied the allegations.
He then filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, and their PR team, accusing them of defamation and extortion. The lawsuit was dismissed in June 2025. Lively and the other defendants in her case reached a settlement in May 2026.