Justin Baldoni's lawyer slams Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds' 'SNL50' joke amid sexual harassment lawsuit
Justin Baldoni's lawyer slammed Ryan Reynolds' decision to joke about the "It Ends With Us" star's ongoing legal battle with Blake Lively.
Reynolds and Lively appeared at "SNL50" on Feb. 16, where the "Deadpool" star made a cameo.
Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment, retaliation and more in December, months after the film premiered. The actress claimed Baldoni's behavior caused emotional distress in a federal lawsuit filed in January. Baldoni has denied the allegations against him.
"I'm unaware of anybody, frankly, whose wife has been sexually harassed and has made jokes about that type of situation," Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, said during an appearance on "Hot Mics with Billy Bush." "I can't think of anyone who's done anything like that. So it surprised me."
Reynolds seemingly poked fun at his and his wife's legal situation and the surrounding media frenzy as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler took the stage at Sunday's 50th anniversary celebration. The "SNL" alums spotted Reynolds in the crowd and asked, "How's it going?"
Reynolds quickly responded, "Great, why? What have you heard?"
The seeming reference to the lawsuits and "It Ends With Us" drama with Baldoni appeared to catch Lively off guard as she looked at her husband with a confused look on her face.
"I'm unaware of anybody, frankly, whose wife has been sexually harassed and has made jokes about that type of situation. I can't think of anyone who's done anything like that. So it surprised me."
The couple's appearance on "Saturday Night Live" could hurt and help them, a legal expert told Fox News Digital.
"It could potentially affect them in the sense that they are out in public and clearly enjoying themselves, which would undercut any claim for emotional distress damages related to Blake's sexual harassment claim," Camron Dowlatshahi, a partner at MSD Lawyers, said. "Typically, people who are severely distressed from sexual harassment are in therapy and trying to avoid publicly discussing and making light of their pending legal matter."
While the couple received some hate online, accusing them of trying to manipulate "the public into buying the 'I'm just a nice, funny guy' act" and saying the "SNL" moment was "cringe," Dowlatshahi explained to Fox News Digital that the move "humanizes" the Hollywood couple.
"It certainly humanizes Reynolds and Lively to have them out, showing their personalities that for years endeared them to fans. This is yet another indication that the couple (and Baldoni, of course) care more about their image and how the public views them, than underlying legal claims."
It seems neither Lively nor Baldoni plan on settling the legal back-and-forth anytime soon. Legal teams for both sides told Judge Lewis Liman that "settlement discussions would be premature," according to a joint letter filed in court and obtained by Fox News Digital. The letter also noted that "the parties agree that mediation and the Discovery Protocols… are inappropriate for this case."
The federal judge agreed with the "It Ends With Us" stars and granted the order on Feb. 13.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
New Doc Explores How Julia Sweeney's ‘SNL' Favorite Pat Became a Complex Nonbinary Icon
Julia Sweeney's popular Saturday Night Live character Pat gets their plaudits (and some criticism) as a gender non-conforming pioneer in a new clip from the upcoming documentary, We Are Pat, premiering exclusively on Rolling Stone. Sweeney played Pat throughout her run on SNL in the early Nineties and even got to star in a spin-off film, It's Pat. The inscrutability of Pat's androgyny was pushed to comedic extremes, effectively offering prominent, yet thorny representation for gender non-conforming people on television long before the term 'nonbinary' was being widely used. More from Rolling Stone USC's SoCal VoCals Are Pitch Perfect in 'Just Sing' Documentary Trailer See 'SNL' Spoof Mike Myers' Infamous Kanye West Moment in Elevator Sketch 'SNL': Watch Bad Bunny Perform 'NUEVAYoL,' 'PERFuMITO NUEVO' We Are Pat director Ro Haber tells Rolling Stone in an email they 'wanted to make a film about transness that had humor at the heart of it,' and kept coming back to their complicated feelings about Pat. 'Why am I laughing at something that's meant to laugh at me? Why do I love Pat? Is Pat a nonbinary icon or a transphobic trope of yesteryear?' Haber continues. 'In exploring these questions, it was really important that the film embraced a spirit of curiosity and conversation rather than cancel culture and judgment.' The new clip opens with Karam Ann, a professor of TV studies, noting the prescience of Pat and how the relatively new discussion around nonbinary identity and the use of they/them pronouns has 'reanimated Pat from the grave.' Actor and filmmaker River Gallo, who is nonbinary, adds, 'What's interesting to me about being nonbinary, and the definition of nonbinariness, is it's saying you're not these two things. It's not really definable but only by what it isn't. It's interesting thinking of Pat in those ways.' We Are Pat will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on Sunday, June 8. It's set to feature interviews with an array of queer and trans comedians and writers, including Molly Kearney, Esther Fallick, Abby McEnany, Pink Foxx, and Roz Hernandez. Sweeney also partook in the film, as did her SNL co-star Kevin Nealon. Haber says one of the most profound things they learned while making the film was from Sweeney, who created Pat while grappling with her 'own gendered pressure as a woman trying to make it in the Ninetes boys club of comedy and SNL.' 'Pat grew out of familial and societal expectations of femininity that were placed on Julia during that time, and Pat was something of an escape for her,' Haber says. 'In the film, she says, 'It was actually a joy to be Pat because I got to have a break from having to be a girl too.' That sense of reacting to a gender expectation placed on you felt really relatable to the comics in the film and me.' { pmcCnx({ settings: { plugins: { pmcAtlasMG: { iabPlcmt: 1, }, pmcCnx: { singleAutoPlay: 'auto' } } }, playerId: "d762a038-c1a2-4e6c-969e-b2f1c9ec6f8a", mediaId: "4665abb0-57e9-4e09-a93a-fa846cda00cb", }).render("connatix_player_4665abb0-57e9-4e09-a93a-fa846cda00cb_2"); }); Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Best 'Saturday Night Live' Characters of All Time Denzel Washington's Movies Ranked, From Worst to Best 70 Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
‘Deadpool and Wolverine,' ‘Thunderbolts,' ‘The Last of Us' lead the 2025 Critics Choice Super Awards nominations
Deadpool & Wolverine, Thunderbolts, and The Last of Us are having a super good Wednesday. The pair of Marvel Studios movies lead the film nominations for the fifth annual Critics Choice Super Awards, with six apiece including Best Superhero Movie. That top category is rounded out by Captain America: Brave New World, The People's Joker, Robot Dreams, and Venom: The Last Dance. More from GoldDerby Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña on Pixar's first Mexican-Dominican animated lead in 'Elio': 'The future of America are Latinos' 'RuPaul's Drag Race': Onya Nurve and Jewels Sparkles dish their 'ride of a lifetime,' stolen jokes, and turning drag 'inside out' 'And then somebody throws a piece of sh-t at you': 'The Diplomat' star Ato Essandoh on Stuart getting honeytrapped For television, HBO's zombie apocalypse drama The Last of Us leads the field with six bids, including Best Superhero Series, Limited Series, or Made-for-TV Movie. The other programs competing in that race are Agatha All Along, The Boys, Fallout, The Penguin, and Superman & Lois. Liane Hentscher/HBO The Critics Choice Super Awards honor films and shows in four separate genres: action, superhero (which includes comic book and video game adaptations), horror, and science fiction/fantasy. While heroes are the stars of the show, there are also two categories for villains. This year's nominated baddies are: Austin Butler (Dune: Part Two), Emma Corrin (Deadpool & Wolverine), Hugh Grant (Heretic), Jack O'Connell (Sinners), Lewis Pullman (Thunderbolts), and Denzel Washington (Gladiator II) for film; and Vincent D'Onofrio (Daredevil: Born Again), Michael Emerson (Evil), Colin Farrell (The Penguin), Takehiro Hira (Shōgun), Julianne Nicholson (Paradise), and Jesse Plemons (Black Mirror: USS Callister: Into Infinity) for television. "The Super Awards continue to spotlight the incredible achievements in genre cinema and television. This year's slate of nominees truly blew us away with their performances and craftsmanship. These selections represent the very best of popular culture, and we can't wait to see who takes home the honors," Sean O'Connell, CCA director of the Super Awards, said. Marvel Studios The eligibility period for scripted features and TV series is from Jan. 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025. Content may be delivered to audiences theatrically and/or by broadcast, cable, or online apps and services. Here are the 2025 Critics Choice Super Awards nominations: BEST ACTION MOVIE Civil War The Fall Guy Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning Monkey Man Rebel Ridge Warfare BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE Tom Cruise – Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning Taron Egerton – Carry-On Ryan Gosling – The Fall Guy Dev Patel – Monkey Man Aaron Pierre – Rebel Ridge Jack Quaid – Novocaine BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE Emily Blunt – The Fall Guy Ana de Armas – From the World of John Wick: Ballerina Kirsten Dunst – Civil War Cailee Spaeny – Civil War June Squibb – Thelma Anya Taylor-Joy – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga BEST SUPERHERO MOVIE Captain America: Brave New World Deadpool & Wolverine The People's Joker Robot Dreams Thunderbolts Venom: The Last Dance BEST ACTOR IN A SUPERHERO MOVIE David Harbour – Thunderbolts Tom Hardy – Venom: The Last Dance Hugh Jackman – Deadpool & Wolverine Anthony Mackie – Captain America: Brave New World Lewis Pullman – Thunderbolts Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool & Wolverine BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPERHERO MOVIE Emma Corrin – Deadpool & Wolverine Vera Drew – The People's Joker Lady Gaga – Joker: Folie à Deux Jennifer Garner – Deadpool & Wolverine Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Thunderbolts Florence Pugh – Thunderbolts BEST HORROR MOVIE Bring Her Back Heretic Longlegs Nosferatu Sinners The Substance BEST ACTOR IN A HORROR MOVIE Nicolas Cage – Longlegs David Dastmalchian – Late Night With the Devil Hugh Grant – Heretic Michael B. Jordan – Sinners Bill Skarsgård – Nosferatu Justice Smith – I Saw the TV Glow BEST ACTRESS IN A HORROR MOVIE Lily-Rose Depp – Nosferatu Willa Fitzgerald – Strange Darling Sally Hawkins – Bring Her Back Demi Moore – The Substance Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners Naomi Scott – Smile 2 BEST SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY MOVIE Alien: Romulus Companion Dune: Part Two Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Mickey 17 The Wild Robot BEST ACTOR IN A SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY MOVIE Austin Butler – Dune: Part Two Timothée Chalamet – Dune: Part Two David Jonsson – Alien: Romulus Robert Pattinson – Mickey 17 Jack Quaid – Companion Miles Teller – The Gorge BEST ACTRESS IN A SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY MOVIE Naomi Ackie – Mickey 17 Lupita Nyong'o – The Wild Robot Cailee Spaeny – Alien: Romulus Sophie Thatcher – Companion Alicia Vikander – The Assessment Zendaya – Dune: Part Two BEST VILLAIN IN A MOVIE Austin Butler – Dune: Part Two Emma Corrin – Deadpool & Wolverine Hugh Grant – Heretic Jack O'Connell – Sinners Lewis Pullman – Thunderbolts Denzel Washington – Gladiator II BEST ACTION SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE 9-1-1 Black Doves The Day of the Jackal The Gentlemen Reacher Shōgun BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE Sterling K. Brown – Paradise Theo James – The Gentlemen Eddie Redmayne – The Day of the Jackal Alan Ritchson – Reacher Hiroyuki Sanada – Shōgun Ben Whishaw – Black Doves BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE Angela Bassett – 9-1-1 Viola Davis – G20 Keira Knightley – Black Doves Lashana Lynch – The Day of the Jackal Zoe Saldaña – Lioness Anna Sawai – Shōgun BEST SUPERHERO SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE Agatha All Along The Boys Fallout The Last of Us The Penguin Superman & Lois BEST ACTOR IN A SUPERHERO SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE Charlie Cox – Daredevil: Born Again Colin Farrell – The Penguin Walton Goggins – Fallout Tyler Hoechlin – Superman & Lois Pedro Pascal – The Last of Us Antony Starr – The Boys BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPERHERO SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE Danai Gurira – The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Kathryn Hahn – Agatha All Along Cristin Milioti – The Penguin Erin Moriarty – The Boys Ella Purnell – Fallout Bella Ramsey – The Last of Us BEST HORROR SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE Anne Rice's Interview With the Vampire Evil From The Last of Us True Detective: Night Country What We Do in the Shadows BEST ACTOR IN A HORROR SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE Kevin Bacon – The Bondsman Matt Berry – What We Do in the Shadows Mike Colter – Evil Michael Emerson – Evil Pedro Pascal – The Last of Us Harold Perrineau – From BEST ACTRESS IN A HORROR SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE Natasia Demetriou – What We Do in the Shadows Jodie Foster – True Detective: Night Country Katja Herbers – Evil Melanie Lynskey – Yellowjackets Niecy Nash-Betts – Grotesquerie Bella Ramsey – The Last of Us BEST SCIENCE FICTION / FANTASY SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE Andor Black Mirror Doctor Who Dune: Prophecy Fantasmas Severance BEST ACTOR IN A SCIENCE FICTION / FANTASY SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE Ncuti Gatwa – Doctor Who Walton Goggins – Fallout Diego Luna – Andor Adam Scott – Severance Tramell Tillman – Severance Julio Torres – Fantasmas BEST ACTRESS IN A SCIENCE FICTION / FANTASY SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE Adria Arjona – Andor Caitriona Balfe – Outlander Kathryn Hahn – Agatha All Along Britt Lower – Severance Cristin Milioti – Black Mirror: USS Callister: Into Infinity Michelle Yeoh – Star Trek: Section 31 BEST VILLAIN IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE Vincent D'Onofrio – Daredevil: Born Again Michael Emerson – Evil Colin Farrell – The Penguin Takehiro Hira – Shōgun Julianne Nicholson – Paradise Jesse Plemons – Black Mirror: USS Callister: Into Infinity SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Stephen King movies: 14 greatest films ranked worst to best 'The Life of Chuck' cast reveal their favorite Stephen King works, including Mark Hamill's love of the 'terrifying' 'Pet Sematary' From 'Hot Rod' to 'Eastbound' to 'Gemstones,' Danny McBride breaks down his most righteous roles: 'It's been an absolute blast' Click here to read the full article.
UPI
2 hours ago
- UPI
'Thunderbolts,' 'Last of Us' lead Critics Choice Super Awards nominees
June 11 (UPI) -- The nominations for the Critics Choice Super Awards are in. Deadpool & Wolverine, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as the titular characters, tied with Thunderbolts, starring Florence Pugh, for the most film nominations. Both titles are up for six awards, including Best Superhero Movie, according to a press release. The Last of Us, the TV series starring Pedro Pascal, is also nominated for six awards, topping the television categories. The show's nominations include Best Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie and Best Horror Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie. The Critics Choice Association holds the Critics Choice Super Awards to honor fan favorites in the superhero, sci-fi and fantasy, horror and action genres in television and film. "The Super Awards continue to spotlight the incredible achievements in genre cinema and television. This year's slate of nominees truly blew us away with their performances and craftmanship," said CCA Super Awards director Sean O'Connell in a statement. "These selections represent the very best of popular culture, and we can't wait to see who takes home the honors." Winners for the 5th annual awards show will be announced Aug. 7 at 9 a.m. EDT on Marvel stars walk the red carpet
