Reynolds and Lively Face Scrutiny Over Leaked Studio Messages
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively returned to the center of Hollywood power dynamics after leaked private messages showed Reynolds pressing a major studio to defend his wife during a public relations crisis.
The Tech TL;DR:
- Core Incident: Leaked text messages from August 2024 reveal Ryan Reynolds lobbying Sony Pictures executives to release a public statement defending Blake Lively amid promotional backlash for the film It Ends With Us (Romper el círculo).
- Legal Context: The revelation adds to a string of industry controversies, following a high-profile legal battle between Lively and co-star Justin Baldoni that concluded with a settlement in May 2026.
- Broader Scrutiny: Separate allegations regarding production influence emerged from stunt coordinator Todd Bryant concerning a 2022 film set.
Private Messages Reveal Industry Influence
The newly surfaced communications, brought to light through court documents and published by Page Six, date back to August 17, 2024. During this period, Blake Lively faced heavy public scrutiny regarding her promotional campaign for It Ends With Us, a project centered on domestic violence. Ryan Reynolds contacted talent agent Warren Zavala to demand that Sony Pictures intervene more aggressively against the criticism.
Reynolds argued that the negative public reaction constituted a coordinated smear campaign intended to damage his wife’s reputation. He drafted a proposed press release for the studio to issue, which would publicly question the negative narrative surrounding Lively. While Sony did not publish Reynolds’ exact draft at the time, the studio ultimately released a formal statement of support for Lively in December 2024.
Lively and Baldoni Settle Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
The studio backing followed a formal escalation between Lively and the film’s director and co-star, Justin Baldoni. In December 2024, Lively filed a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and professional retaliation. The dispute between Lively and Baldoni passed from the professional sphere to the courts in December 2024, when the actress filed a lawsuit for alleged sexual harassment and retaliation. Both sides reached an out-of-court settlement in May 2026 before the scheduled trial, with a court ultimately dismissing several claims from both parties.
Parallel to the Sony communications, actor and stunt coordinator Todd Bryant alleged that Reynolds influenced his termination from the 2022 production Spirited (El espíritu de la Navidad), which starred Reynolds and Will Ferrell. Bryant told interviewer Kjersti Flaa that tensions arose during COVID-19 vaccine policy enforcement on set, after which he received an email attributing his dismissal to Reynolds. The allegations from Bryant remain unverified independently, but they have amplified industry discussions regarding the extent of creative and operational leverage held by prominent actors.
Additional Production Allegations
Todd Bryant began his account with a prior experience during the filming of Green Lantern (Linterna Verde), the superhero film Reynolds starred in in 2011. Bryant is a veteran actor and stunt coordinator whom many science fiction fans will remember for playing the Klingon captain Klaa in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (Star Trek V: La última frontera). The stunt coordinator relates his departure to Reynolds’ intervention and maintains that he received an email from a person close to Ferrell attributing to the star of Deadpool the decision to remove him from the shoot. An arrogant person who believes he is above others,
comes to summarize Bryant when describing his experience with the actor.
Future Industry Repercussions
The disclosure of these communications highlights the complex mechanisms through which high-profile talent manages studio relations and crisis response. As the fallout from the 2024 promotional cycle and subsequent legal resolutions settles, the limits of star influence on studio public relations strategies remain a subject of active debate among industry analysts and legal professionals.