apr 25, 2023 - Reynolds Accuses Baldoni of Fat Shaming

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"April 25, 2023: Baldoni was summoned by Lively to her penthouse and greeted by Reynolds, who swore at Baldoni and accused him of fat-shaming his wife (“How dare you fucking ask about my wife’s weight? What’s wrong with you?”). The tone from Reynolds and Lively was so aggressive that Baldoni felt he had no choice but to offer repeated (and completely unwarranted) apologies for what was a good-faith and reasonable question to his trainer (not Lively). Reynolds demanded that Baldoni remove the lift scene entirely.

In Lively’s Complaint, she falsely states that “the scene wasn’t even in the Film,” suggesting it never existed. Contrary to her attempt to manipulate verifiable facts, the only reason the scene was not in the Film is that Lively and Reynolds demanded it be removed, despite the fact that it had already been rehearsed with a stunt-double. Accommodating Lively, Baldoni re-wrote the scene with her despite the fact that, for creative reasons, he felt the scene was necessary.

Baldoni was stunned by Lively’s accusation because, when Lively had earlier expressed concern about her postpartum figure on February 17, 2023, and February 24, 2023, Baldoni genuinely reassured her that she “did not need to worry about her body.” In fact, it was Lively who insisted that she be fit for the role, despite Baldoni’s assurances. In this meeting where Baldoni was aggressively confronted by Reynolds and Lively, Lively told Baldoni that if he could not get on board with how she works, “he still had 2 weeks to recast her.”

As Lively well knew at the time, it would be impossible to recast her without incurring millions in expenses for a Film that was already half-shot. In addition to financial repercussions, it would cause the studio, and Baldoni, severe reputational damage, including their relationship with Sony, the Film’s distributor, and financiers. Thus began a pattern of demands by Lively and
acquiescence by Baldoni. He opted to get on board for lack of a viable alternative. "

(see page 16 and 17)

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