LOS ANGELES (AP) — “It Ends With Us” actor and director Justin Baldoni has sued his co-star Blake Lively and her husband, “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds, for defamation and extortion on Thursday in the latest move in a bitter legal battle surrounding the dark romantic drama.

"It Ends with Us" director Justin Baldoni accused Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds of defamation, while Lively's team says his attack is "desperate."

Escalating his litigiousness, Baldoni has sued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds for $400 million, alleging that the power couple stole control of Baldoni's film as a director and orchestrated an effort to destroy his career and reputation with what he's referring to as false allegations of sexual assault.

"It is not strange that Ryan Reynolds was named in light of Baldoni's theories in the complaint," a defamation attorney tells Yahoo Entertainment.

Ryan Reynolds may have been named in a $400 million lawsuit by Justin Baldoni, but that isn’t stopping him from expanding his soccer empire.

Ryan Reynolds is investing in another soccer team after a successful run with the English club Wrexham A.F.C. in recent years, amid the ongoing lawsuits between him, his wife Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.

The "Deadpool" franchise is named in Justin Baldoni's new lawsuit against "It Ends With Us" costar Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds. Here's why.

Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, had said for weeks he planned to file a suit against Lively, Baldoni’s co-star on “It End With Us,” and Reynolds, Lively’s husband.

Baldoni, his studio Wayfarer, and their publicists are alleging civil extortion, defamation and a slew of contract-related claims about the film It Ends With Us.

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The lawsuit is the latest legal action in a feud tied to the 2024 film “It Ends With Us,” which starred Ms. Lively and Mr. Baldoni, who also directed the film.