Ryan Reynolds Accused Of Terrorizing Dwayne Johnson Amid Justin Baldoni’s Legal Battle With Blake Lively
An explosive new deposition by Justin Baldoni reportedly reveals another side of Ryan Reynolds, according to Popcorned Planet host Andy Signore, who says the filings reference a third figure believed to be publicist Stephanie Jones, formerly tied to Dwayne Johnson via Jonesworks, based on testimony from an anonymous woman.
Well, this escalated fast. A fresh deposition tied to the messy It Ends with Us legal fight just pulled Ryan Reynolds deeper into the drama, with new claims rippling out to Dwayne Johnson and a behind-the-scenes backstory that feels very different from Reynolds' jokey public persona.
The deposition curveball, and why a PR name is suddenly in the mix
YouTuber Popcorned Planet (Andy Signore) says the latest Justin Baldoni deposition names a third person who joined a call about Reynolds. Signore believes that person was Stephanie Jones of Jonesworks, who has represented Dwayne Johnson. In documents, an unnamed woman on the call allegedly said Reynolds had essentially 'terrorized' The Rock at one point, with talk of a letter and a decision that the two stars would not do press together. It is vague, but that vibe is the claim.
Reynolds vs. The Rock: not brand-new tension
If your memory is firing, Reynolds and Johnson reportedly clashed while making Red Notice. The Wrap previously said they had a 'huge fight,' tied to Johnson being late to set. Separate but related: when later reports accused Johnson of showing up 7–8 hours late on Red One, Amazon MGM Studios publicly shot that down. Their statement was blunt:
'Dwayne Johnson and Seven Bucks have been incredible partners on Red One and we couldn’t have made it without Dwayne’s constant work and support. Any reporting that implies that we got to this point with him showing up 7-8 hours late to set is both ridiculous and false.'
Worth noting: Seven Bucks produced both Red Notice and Red One. So the idea of lateness has been floating around two different projects, with the studio forcefully defending him on the latter.
Inside Baldoni's texts: an apartment meeting, accusations, and a forced apology
People says court filings include Justin Baldoni's texts describing a tense meeting at Reynolds and Blake Lively's New York apartment on January 4, 2024, the night before production was set to restart post-strikes. In a message sent January 5 to his friend Rainn Wilson, Baldoni says Reynolds spoke to him like he was a misbehaving kid, and told him that he and Jamey Heath having a podcast was 'unsafe' because it made people feel 'safe' around them. According to Baldoni, Reynolds then read a list of allegations from his phone, loosely connected to real events but, in Baldoni's view, totally out of context.
It gets rougher: Baldoni says Reynolds labeled him as Lively's co-star 'creepy' and 'abusive' and handed over a written apology he was expected to read aloud. Baldoni describes feeling emotionally paralyzed and spiritually gutted, saying the only way through was to absorb the anger, acknowledge the couple's feelings, and hope it ended. He says he prayed and, in the moment, felt abandoned. It's raw stuff, and not what you expect to hear about the guy from all those commercials.
Industry whisper network: the 'other' Ryan
Rob Shuter, on his Substack, says the texts set off a round of industry chatter that had less to do with Baldoni and more to do with Reynolds' reputation among insiders. The take, per Shuter and a veteran studio source, is that Reynolds has two modes: the charming, quippy brand you see in ads and interviews, and a more intense version that shows up behind closed doors. That intensity reportedly spikes when Blake Lively is involved, with Reynolds said to be fiercely protective of his wife in a way that can change the whole temperature of a room.
The question everyone asks: if this is common knowledge in certain circles, why hasn't it dinged his public image before now? One talent manager's answer, per Shuter: Reynolds exercises A-list level control over his brand. The Baldoni situation, they say, isn't shocking to people who have seen that other side.
What happened, in order
- On Red Notice, reports said Reynolds and Johnson had a blow-up over Johnson's lateness. Later, on Red One, Amazon MGM Studios denied claims of extreme lateness and praised Johnson and Seven Bucks.
- In new deposition materials flagged by Popcorned Planet, an unnamed woman on a call allegedly claimed Reynolds 'terrorized' The Rock at one point, referencing a letter and a decision to avoid joint press.
- People published Baldoni's January 5, 2024 texts to Rainn Wilson about a meeting at the Reynolds/Lively apartment: he says Reynolds talked down to him, read a list of accusations, called him 'creepy' and 'abusive,' and made him read a written apology; Baldoni says the ordeal left him emotionally frozen.
- Rob Shuter's newsletter frames this as consistent with long-running talk that Reynolds can be intensely protective and very different in private, especially when Lively is part of the equation.
Where this leaves things
These are allegations and impressions from depositions, texts, and industry voices, not a verdict. But the picture being painted is a pricklier, more controlling Reynolds than the one-liner machine we all know. And if more deposition pages keep landing, this is probably not the last time we hear about the letter, the non-joint press, or that apartment meeting.