Newly revealed court documents describe Justin Baldoni’s account of a tense confrontation with Ryan Reynolds that he says left him overwhelmed and shaken. In an exhibit included in filings obtained by People, Baldoni detailed in text messages to Rainn Wilson how a January 2024 visit to Blake Lively and Reynolds’ New York City apartment became a distressing exchange.
Baldoni wrote that he felt “emotionally paralyzed” after what he described as an unanticipated confrontation. According to his text messages, Reynolds addressed him in a condescending manner. “Ryan was talking to me like a five-year-old and scolding me,” he wrote, recalling the prior night’s events. He said that Reynolds and Lively challenged both him and his colleague Jamey Heath, claiming they were not the people they represented themselves to be and suggesting that their involvement in a podcast was “unsafe” because it gave the impression that they were trustworthy.
Per People, Baldoni said Reynolds read a list of accusations from a phone, allegations Baldoni insisted were “taken completely out of context.” He wrote that being confronted with what he believed were false assumptions made the experience emotionally devastating. “It’s hard to feel so much of what they believe about me is false because they are so convinced that it’s real,” he said. The director reiterated that he had not felt such paralysis “in years.”
Baldoni explained in the text messages that the encounter left him struggling to respond. He stated that he wanted to walk away and “blow this whole movie up” because he perceived the accusations as fundamentally unjust. Instead, he believed the only way forward was to acknowledge the couple’s emotions and apologize. He described Reynolds as an “angry husband” and said he felt unable to react in the way he intended, noting that he hoped for guidance in the moment and felt abandoned when no words came.
According to the filing, Baldoni said the allegations included claims that his conduct on the set of a domestic violence-focused film amounted to “abuse.” He wrote in the texts that he and his team were told the production had been “the worst experience” of Lively’s career and that others had described his behavior as “creepy.”
Representatives for Lively and Reynolds did not provide comment to Page Six.
The confrontation had already been referenced in Baldoni’s January countersuit, in which he alleged that Reynolds “launched into a tirade” during what he considered a “traumatic” exchange. Baldoni claimed the conflict began after he asked a trainer for Lively’s weight to prepare for a lifting scene because he had back issues. According to the filing, the trainer informed Lively about the inquiry, prompting her to alert Reynolds.
Baldoni’s legal team previously described the alleged confrontation as “inappropriate and humiliating,” claiming it unfolded while other celebrity acquaintances were coming and going from the couple’s penthouse. His attorney, Bryan Freedman, told Page Six in January that Reynolds’ response was “stern,” “impassioned,” and “angry,” though he clarified that Reynolds did not “aggressively berate” Baldoni. He noted that the definition of “berate” is to scold or criticize angrily.
Lively filed suit against Baldoni in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation and seeking millions in damages for emotional distress. Baldoni denied the allegations and filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, Reynolds, and others, which a judge dismissed in June. A trial on Lively’s claims is scheduled for March 2026 in New York.
The filings provide additional detail about Baldoni’s version of events as both sides prepare for a high-profile legal battle.