Why did Blake Lively bring Ryan Reynolds to Justin Baldoni 'sexual harassment meeting'?

Blake Lively has provided new details in her ongoing legal battle against Justin Baldoni, explaining her decision to bring her husband, Ryan Reynolds, to a January 4 meeting addressing alleged misconduct. 

The meeting was part of her claims against Baldoni, whom she accuses of sexual harassment and fostering a toxic work environment during the production of It Ends With Us, a film he directed and co-starred in with Lively.

In her initial lawsuit, filed on December 20, Lively accused Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios CEO Jamey Heath of creating a hostile work environment. 

Lively’s New Year’s Eve filing further emphasized her allegations and disclosed her reasoning for including Reynolds in the meeting.

According to Lively, Reynolds attended as her representative during the January 4 meeting, as per her legal right. 

“Ms. Lively also had the agreed-upon right to have a representative present,” her latest lawsuit states. 

“She chose her husband, given that the meeting was about repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior by Mr. Baldoni and Mr. Heath.”

The meeting, described by Lively as an “all-hands” gathering to address workplace issues, reportedly involved Baldoni, Heath, and other production members.

However, Baldoni’s account of the events sharply contrasts with Lively’s version.

In Baldoni’s own $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times—filed the same day as Lively’s New Year’s Eve complaint—the director alleges he was “blindsided” by Lively and Reynolds.

Baldoni claims the meeting occurred at the couple’s New York penthouse and described it as a “traumatic” confrontation. According to his lawsuit, Reynolds allegedly “berated” him and accused him of various offenses against Lively, including “fat shaming.”

“Reynolds launched into a tirade, berating Baldoni in what Baldoni later described as a ‘traumatic’ encounter, stating he had ‘never been spoken to like that in his life,’” the filing states. 

Baldoni further claims the meeting was supposed to involve discussions about the next day’s filming, but instead turned into a heated exchange of grievances.

Married for over a decade, Lively and Reynolds are known as one of Hollywood’s power couples and share four children. Their strong partnership has been a cornerstone of Lively’s response to the alleged incidents on set.