Ryan Reynolds has broken his silence days after his wife Blake Lively filed a lawsuit for sexual harassment against It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni.

The actor hinted at it being a difficult time as he took to his social media to raise awareness for him and his wife’s campaign with children’s charity Sick Kids Hospital. He dressed up as his iconic Deadpool character in the short clip where he admitted the campaign was filmed ‘during a time I really didn’t feel like putting the suit on.’

Their message read: “It’s almost Christmas Eve. Last day to donate to @sickkids. @blakelively and I are matching any donation to $500k. This organisation is a sanctuary for so many kids and their parents traversing the unimaginable. Thank you @rowlandbb for directing this amazing little piece during a time I really didn’t feel like putting the suit on.

“Thank you @reallyndacarter for your time, grace and talent. Thank you to my daughter for being such a good person despite your dad asking you to swear (for a good cause).” Lively and Baldoni reportedly had a contentious time working together on the Hollywood movie, It Ends With Us, which was released in August.

She is now suing Baldoni for “sexual harassment” on the set of the film, alongside claims that the actor made a concerted effort to “destroy her reputation.” Lively played florist Lily Bloom who suffers domestic abuse at the hands of her neurosurgeon husband Ryle Kincaid, portrayed by Baldoni – who also directed the film.

Ryan’s wife Blake Lively has filed a lawsuit for sexual harassment ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

Justin Baldoni starred alongside Livley in It Ends With Us ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
According to a sexual harassment lawsuit filed to the California Civil Rights Department on Friday, the backlash against Lively wasn’t an organic reaction to the star’s conduct but a heavily orchestrated campaign against her. Negative stories, it is alleged, had been deliberately planted in an attempt to ‘bury her’. Excerpts from text messages and emails have been published by the New York Times, which Lively says she acquired through a subpoena.

Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freeman has called the newly emerging allegations ‘false, outrageous and intentionally salacious’. In a statement he said: “It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions.”

He added: “It was also discovered that Ms. Lively enlisted her own representative, Leslie Sloan with Vision PR, who also represents Mr. Reynolds, to plant negative and completely fabricated and false stories with media, even prior to any marketing had commenced for the film, which was another reason why Wayfarer Studios made the decision to hire a crisis professional to commence internal scenario planning in the case they needed to address.”

Lively’s complaint claims Baldoni and a lead producer on the movie, Jamey Heath, embarked on ‘repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behaviour’ against her. This includes claims that Baldoni engaged in impromptu and unwanted kissing with Lively, along with making sexual comments, while Heath, 55, is accused of showing her pictures of his wife naked and watching her while she was topless and getting her make-up removed, even when asked to look away. Reference is made to a meeting which saw all parties agree to a 30 point code of conduct in order for production to resume, with most of the requirements related to sex.