Newly released court documents have revealed a private text conversation where Ryan Reynolds referenced Johnny Depp‘s legal battles. The messages show the actor discussing the public relations strategy around his wife Blake Lively‘s ongoing lawsuit against her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni. The texts, sent to his talent agent in August 2024, were unsealed this week as part of the pre-trial proceedings.
The Leaked Text Exchange
The messages between Reynolds and his agent, Warren Zavala, were included in documents filed in a New York federal court. They show the two discussing the online narrative and PR approach to the conflict between Lively and Baldoni. Zavala suggested letting negative stories “burn,” to which Reynolds responded by bringing up Johnny Depp’s infamous court case with Amber Heard.
Warren Zavala: “This is all spin. I think we let it burn.”
Ryan Reynolds: “How’d that work out for Depp??”
Warren Zavala: “Not well. Cratered both of them ultimately.”
Earlier in the exchange, Reynolds expressed frustration that Baldoni and his team were not publicly addressing the growing speculation about trouble on the It Ends With Us set. He argued they should be “jumping in front of it” to protect Lively from what he called an “eye-roll-y narrative.” The agent agreed, calling Baldoni a “fraud s— weasel” and expressing hope he would be exposed.
The Background: Lively vs. Baldoni Lawsuits
The text exchange is part of a much larger legal battle that began in December 2024. Blake Lively filed a lawsuit accusing Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and of orchestrating a smear campaign against her during and after the filming of It Ends With Us. The lawsuit details several incidents where Baldoni allegedly crossed professional boundaries, including unwanted touching and rewriting scenes graphically without her consent. Lively is seeking substantial financial damages for reputational harm and lost earnings.
In response, Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit in January 2025 against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, their publicist, and The New York Times. He alleged defamation and claimed Lively had “robbed” him of control over the film to repair her own reputation. However, a federal judge dismissed Baldoni’s countersuit in June 2025, calling it an attempt to silence Lively’s allegations. The judge allowed Lively’s original lawsuit to proceed.
Trial Date and Recent Court Hearing
The case is currently moving toward a trial, which is scheduled to begin on May 18, 2026. A hearing was held on Thursday, January 22, where lawyers for both sides argued over whether the case should be dismissed before trial. Baldoni’s legal team asked the judge to throw out Lively’s lawsuit, arguing the behavior she described was part of creative disagreements on a film with intimate themes. Lively’s attorneys pushed back, stating the director’s actions were “consistently inappropriate.”
Outside the courthouse, Lively’s lawyer, Sigrid McCawley, confirmed the actress plans to testify. “The key witness will be Blake Lively herself,” McCawley stated. She added that neither Ryan Reynolds nor Lively’s friend Taylor Swift is expected to be called as a witness.
Wider Fallout and Celebrity Involvement
The legal documents unsealed this week included more than just Reynolds’s texts. They also revealed private messages between Blake Lively and Taylor Swift, where the two friends discussed the conflict. In the texts, Swift likened the situation to “a horror film no one knows is taking place.” These messages were previously subpoenaed by Baldoni’s team, but a judge later ruled against compelling Swift’s testimony.
Other cast members have also been drawn into the dispute. A deposition from actress Jenny Slate described the It Ends With Us shoot as a “really gross and disturbing” experience, echoing Lively’s claims of a toxic set environment. The released texts from Reynolds also noted that every key cast and crew member had unfollowed Baldoni on social media.
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What the Texts Reveal About Reynolds’ Role
The leaked messages offer a rare look at how Ryan Reynolds has been involved behind the scenes. The texts show him actively strategizing with his agent to defend his wife’s reputation. He passionately credited Lively for the film’s box office success, stating she “WILLED this weekend into reality” and worked tirelessly in edit rooms, missing time with her kids.
Reynolds’s decision to invoke Johnny Depp is a pointed commentary on PR strategy. By referencing a celebrity legal battle that severely damaged both parties’ public images, Reynolds implied that a strategy of silence or aggressive counter-narratives could backfire spectacularly. The comparison underscores the high-stakes, public nature of the conflict between Lively and Baldoni, which continues to unfold as the May 2026 trial date approaches.
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