Ryan Reynolds’ Private Texts Reveal His Push for Sony to Support Blake Lively Amid ‘It Ends With Us’ Backlash
When ‘It Ends With Us’ premiered in theaters in August 2024, it was intended to be a straightforward adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel. However, the film’s promotional campaign quickly became a focal point for controversy. Criticism surrounding how its stars were marketing a narrative about domestic violence overshadowed the film’s release.
Blake Lively found herself at the center of much of this backlash. Behind the scenes, tensions were escalating between her and co-star/director Justin Baldoni, leading to one of Hollywood’s most scrutinized legal battles. Recently surfaced messages provide insight into how her husband, Ryan Reynolds, reacted as the backlash intensified.
Page Six has obtained text messages from Reynolds that appear in court documents filed in November 2025 related to the Lively and Baldoni case. These messages indicate that Reynolds urged Sony Pictures to publicly defend his wife amid the severe online criticism she was facing. The texts are dated August 2024.
In a conversation with a talent agent, Reynolds reportedly expressed his frustration with Sony for not supporting Lively. He also emphasized that he wanted Baldoni to understand that the entire studio was aware of the situation. A source close to Reynolds shared with Page Six that it was well-known he was trying to shield his wife, who was allegedly targeted by a crisis PR team hired by Baldoni.
Other unsealed messages reveal similar sentiments of frustration. In an August 10, 2024 text to Hoover, Reynolds sharply criticized Baldoni, questioned why the narrative painted a woman as the issue, and predicted that more people would soon come forward. In an August 9 message to his agent, Warren Zavala, he used dismissive language about Baldoni while celebrating the film’s box office success.
Earlier unsealed filings showed Reynolds expressing harsh sentiments about Baldoni in messages to a WME executive in July 2024. At that time, a spokesperson for Reynolds stated that he became involved to support his wife. Reynolds’ attorney also noted that the messages do not substantiate Lively’s claims legally.
These messages emerge following a prolonged and contentious dispute. In December 2024, Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment during production and a retaliatory campaign aimed at damaging her reputation. Baldoni denied all allegations.
He subsequently filed a $400 million defamation and extortion lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, and their publicist, which a judge dismissed in June 2025. Lively and the remaining defendants reached a settlement in May 2026, just before a trial that was scheduled for May 18.
Even with the case resolved, the unsealed documents continue to influence public discourse. Supporters of Lively and Reynolds view the messages as evidence of a husband defending his wife during a significant online backlash. Critics, however, question the extent of influence a celebrity spouse should have behind the scenes.
Page Six reached out to representatives for Reynolds, Lively, Zavala, and Sony for comments, but those requests remained unanswered at the time of publication. As with all material derived from private messages, the full context of each exchange may not be entirely clear.
This saga has generated a continuous stream of revelations, from Lively’s own texts to Baldoni’s account of a tense meeting at the couple’s apartment in January 2024. Each new set of documents adds complexity to a narrative that began with a movie premiere. The situation remains unresolved in a manner that satisfies all parties involved.
What is evident is that the ‘It Ends With Us’ controversy continues to capture headlines. As more documents are made public, the discussion surrounding the events of 2024 is unlikely to diminish. For now, the latest texts contribute another chapter to a story that many fans are eager to follow.
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