Justin Baldoni Wasn't Dropped by WME at Request of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Agency Says

Mar. 15, 2025

“The wielding of power and influence became undeniable,” the filing states. “Baldoni and Wayfarer grew increasingly fearful of what Lively and Reynolds were capable of, as their actions seemed aimed at destroying Baldoni’s career and personal life.”

Justin Baldoni in December 2024.Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty

Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty

However, in a statement to PEOPLE, WME has denied Baldoni’s claims about being pressured to drop him.

“In Baldoni’s filing there is a claim that Reynolds pressured Baldoni’s agent at theDeadpool & Wolverinepremiere. This is not true,” the agency said on Wednesday, Jan. 1. “Baldoni’s former representative was not at theDeadpool & Wolverinepremiere nor was there any pressure from Reynolds or Lively at any time to drop Baldoni as a client.”

As of Dec. 21,WME droppedBaldoni, according to multiple outlets includingDeadline, which was first to report the news.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in July 2024; Justin Baldoni in August 2024.Taylor Hill/WireImage; John Nacion/Variety via Getty

Taylor Hill/WireImage; John Nacion/Variety via Getty

Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman has called the allegations “false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt."

On Tuesday, Dec. 31, Baldoni was among plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit against theTimes, accusing thenewspaper of using “ ‘cherry-picked’ and altered communications stripped of necessary context and deliberately spliced to mislead" in the article.

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Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in August 2024.John Nacion/Variety via Getty

John Nacion/Variety via Getty

Representatives for the actress did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

The same day, Dec. 31, Lively’s attorneys filed a federal complaint against Wayfarer Studios, Baldoni and other parties in the Southern District of New York.

“Ms. Lively previously sent her California Civil Rights Department Complaint in response to the retaliatory campaign Wayfarer launched against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety concerns,” Lively’s attorney said in a statement to PEOPLE. “Unfortunately, Ms. Lively’s decision to speak out has resulted in further retaliation and attacks.”

Lively originally fileda bombshell complaintalleging sexual harassment and retaliation aganist Baldoni, his production company and others on Dec. 20, which is a precursor to filing a discrimination lawsuit in California.

In the complaint, Lively also claims that Baldoni went out of his way to criticize her “age and weight.”

The complaint also claims that Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath “deliberately withheld” from Lively that she had been exposed to COVID in an on-set outbreak that led to her and her then-infant getting the virus.

source: people.com