Justin Baldoni’s Lawyer Fires Back At Ryan Reynolds Over Dismissal Request

On Tuesday, Reynolds filed a motion to dismiss Baldoni’s lawsuit against him, arguing that the director was being “thin-skinned” for claiming that the “Nicepool” character in “Deadpool & Wolverine” was meant to mock him.

However, Justin Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, is pushing back hard, calling Ryan Reynolds’ move an abuse of power and part of a larger scheme to ruin Baldoni’s career.

In a statement to TMZ, Freedman made it clear that Baldoni’s team will not back down, accusing Reynolds of actively working to smear Baldoni in Hollywood.

“Mr. Reynolds’ exploitation of his enormous power in Hollywood continues, this time arrogantly asking to be dismissed from the case despite his publicly documented involvement extending far beyond just being a ‘supportive spouse,'” Freedman said.

According to Freedman, Reynolds was allegedly a driving force behind efforts to destroy Baldoni’s career, claiming the “Deadpool” star was involved in defaming Baldoni, pressuring WME into dropping him as a client, and attempting to blacklist him within the industry.

Reynolds’ legal team has requested that the case be dismissed with prejudice, which would prevent Baldoni from refiling it in the future. However, Baldoni’s attorney argues that Reynolds’ involvement is too significant to be ignored.

Freedman went on to say that Reynolds’ attempts to downplay the case as merely “hurt feelings” were nothing more than an attempt to make bullying seem acceptable.

“His fingerprints have been all over this smear campaign against Justin and the Wayfarer team since day one,” Freedman continued. “Mr. Reynolds now attempts to reduce plainly cognizable claims to ‘hurt feelings,’ sending a clear message that bullying is acceptable.”

Freedman didn’t hold back, calling out Reynolds for trying to escape responsibility while continuing to joke about the controversy in public appearances.

“After lighting a match, Mr. Reynolds now seeks to run from the flames. It won’t work,” Freedman stated. “The Wayfarer Parties’ claims against him are real, and they are serious. Mr. Reynolds can appear on as many sketch shows as he wants and feebly try to make light of his current situation, but we will not stop until he is held accountable for his actions.”

Back in January 2025, Baldoni accused Reynolds of defamation, alleging that the actor called him a “sexual predator” in an effort to have his agency, WME, sever ties with him. However, Reynolds’ attorneys argued that such a statement was not defamatory and that the actor had the right to express his opinion.

In a statement to Page Six, Reynolds’ legal team defended the actor’s right to voice his beliefs, asserting that his statements were not defamatory unless Baldoni could prove Reynolds did not believe them to be true. “But here is the problem, that is not defamation unless they can show that Mr. Reynolds did not believe that statement to be true,” Reynolds’ lawyers stated.

They continued, “The complaint doesn’t allege that, and just the opposite, the allegations in the complaint suggest that Mr. Reynolds genuinely believes Mr. Baldoni is a predator.”

The legal team also referenced Blake Lively’s accusations against Baldoni, citing multiple complaints in which she alleged sexual harassment and retaliation. They further pointed out that Baldoni has previously spoken about his past behavior involving women and boundary-pushing consent, suggesting that Reynolds’ belief in calling him a predator was not unfounded.

Additionally, Reynolds’ team emphasized that freedom of speech under the U.S. Constitution protects his right to express such an opinion.

“Mr. Reynolds has a right to express his opinion of Mr. Baldoni,” his lawyers argued.

They also turned the tables on Baldoni, noting that the director himself had publicly labeled Reynolds and Lively as “bullies” throughout the lawsuit. Reynolds’ lawyers sarcastically suggested that Baldoni should find their argument for dismissal “comforting” since he had engaged in similar name-calling.

With both sides doubling down on their claims, the legal feud between Reynolds, Lively, and Baldoni shows no signs of slowing down.

While Reynolds’ team argues that he was well within his rights to call Baldoni a “predator,” Baldoni continues to claim that Reynolds deliberately tried to damage his career through both personal and professional attacks.