Private Chats Reveal Ryan Reynolds’ Push for Sony to Defend Blake Lively
In August 2024, actor Ryan Reynolds pushed Sony Pictures behind closed doors to publicly defend his wife, Blake Lively, amid intense social media backlash over the promotional tour for their film It Ends With Us (released in Spanish-speaking markets as Romper el círculo).
The Promotional Backlash Surrounding It Ends With Us
The controversy centered on how Lively, then 39, marketed a cinematic project dealing with domestic violence. Fans and commentators heavily criticized the actress for encouraging audiences via social media to wear floral prints and gather with friends to watch the film, while also accusing her of using the press tour to promote her personal hair care and beverage brands. Simultaneously, persistent rumors surfaced regarding on-set creative frictions between Lively and the film’s director and co-star, Justin Baldoni.
As digital hostility mounted, personal friction grew behind the scenes. Reynolds communicated extensively with talent agent Warren Zavala regarding the toll the public vitriol was taking on his household.
August 2024 Messages Show Frustration with Sony Pictures
Private exchanges presented in court documents from November 2025 reveal that Reynolds demanded aggressive intervention from the studio as early as August 9, 2024. The Deadpool star expressed acute frustration that his wife had to absorb online hostility after losing sleep and missing time with their children to complete the project.
Reynolds insisted that Sony needed to step forward and attribute the backlash to an organized smear campaign orchestrated by specialized crisis public relations teams. He drafted a statement for the studio himself, though Sony ultimately declined to publish it at that stage. Meanwhile, Zavala advised a softer approach centered on gathering positive testimonials from individuals close to the actress, while warning that Baldoni’s camp possessed material capable of damaging her public standing further.
Direct Demands and Internal Friction
The intensity of Reynolds’ communications reflected his growing agitation regarding the studio’s perceived inaction. In messages dated August 17, 2024, the 49-year-old actor described the situation as the most disturbing thing I have ever seen in this business.
He urged the studio to intervene, stating, They have to frame it the right way! It’s not hard.
Reynolds explicitly accused Sony of leaving the Gossip Girl star to fend for herself, labeling the studio’s behavior as unforgivable.
He further contended that 42-year-old Baldoni has to see that an entire studio knows what he is doing.
In his earlier August 9 correspondence, Reynolds warned the studio that they can and must bear the consequences of their actions and face that atrocious—deliberate and incessant—behavior before it turns against them. They have caused a hell of a mess.
From Legal Disputes to Financial Settlements
Sony’s public backing of Lively did not materialize until December 2024, arriving only after Lively formally accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and of engineering a concerted defamation campaign. Baldoni categorically denied both the harassment allegations and any involvement in a smear campaign.
The legal battle expanded past public relations into formal litigation. In April 2026, Judge Lewis Liman dismissed ten out of thirteen claims brought forward by Lively, ruling on legal technicalities regarding independent contractor status rather than addressing the core allegations. By May 2026, the opposing parties reached an out-of-court agreement, averting a scheduled trial.
Financial liabilities remained unsettled until late August 2026. On August 26, 2026, Judge Liman awarded Lively $363,245 in attorney fees and $44,206 in operational costs—totaling $407,451—a figure far below the roughly eight million dollars she had initially sought. The court strictly limited the reimbursement to the costs incurred defending against defamation claims rather than extending it across all of Baldoni’s legal filings.
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