{"id":144453,"date":"2025-01-17T09:06:52","date_gmt":"2025-01-17T09:06:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/17\/ryan-reynolds-buys-another-soccer-team-amid-justin-baldoni-lawsuit\/"},"modified":"2025-01-17T09:06:52","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T09:06:52","slug":"ryan-reynolds-buys-another-soccer-team-amid-justin-baldoni-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/17\/ryan-reynolds-buys-another-soccer-team-amid-justin-baldoni-lawsuit\/","title":{"rendered":"Ryan Reynolds Buys Another Soccer Team Amid Justin Baldoni Lawsuit"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Kevin Mazur\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ryan Reynolds<\/strong><\/a> is expanding his soccer empire!<\/p>\n

The Deadpool & Wolverine<\/em> star and his Wrexham AFC co-owner<\/a>, Rob McElhenney<\/strong>, were named Thursday, January 16, among a group of investors set to take over the top Colombian team, Club Deportivo La Equidad Seguros.<\/p>\n

According to Bloomberg<\/a> and ESPN<\/a>, the group of investors is led by real estate investor Al Tylis<\/strong> and soccer executive Sam Porter<\/strong>, who both own a stake in the Mexican soccer team Necaxa. Other investors include actress Eva Longoria<\/strong><\/a>, supermodel Kate Upton<\/strong><\/a> and Upton\u2019s husband, MLB pitcher Justin Verlander<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe welcome Al Tylis and Sam Porter, who arrive with a clear, long-term vision to continue strengthening our club,\u201d La Equidad shared in a statement via X<\/a> on Thursday. \u201cThis is the first step towards a future full of opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAl Tylis and Sam Porter not only have extensive experience in the sports world but they also have the support of recognized figures such as Eva Longoria, Rob McElhenney, Ryan Reynolds, Justin Verlander, Kate Upton, Shawn Marion<\/strong> and Scott Gallowa<\/strong>y,\u201d the statement continued.<\/p>\n

Reynolds, 48, and McElhenney, 47, took over ownership of Welsh team Wrexham<\/a> in 2021, helping the club achieve worldwide visibility in part thanks to their FX docuseries, Welcome to Wrexham<\/em><\/a>. Tylis bought a small stake in Wrexham in April 2024, while Reynolds and McElhenney invested in Necaxa<\/a>, reported Bloomberg.<\/p>\n

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\n Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.<\/span> Courtesy Sony Pictures Ent.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

News of Reynolds\u2019 latest investment came the same day as he was named a defendant<\/a> in a $400 million lawsuit filed by Justin Baldoni<\/strong>, his wife Blake Lively<\/strong>\u2019s It Ends With Us<\/em> costar and director.<\/p>\n

According to the filing obtained by Us Weekly<\/em> on Thursday<\/a>, Baldoni, 40, is accusing Lively, 37, Reynolds, and Lively\u2019s publicist, Leslie Sloane<\/strong>, of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy and other claims. In the suit, Baldoni claimed he was pressured by Reynolds and a \u201cmegacelebrity friend\u201d<\/a> of Lively\u2019s to accept the actress\u2019 changes to the film\u2019s script.<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s Reported ‘It Ends With Us’ Drama Explained<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tUPDATE 1\/16\/25 at 12:43 p.m. ET: Justin Baldoni\u2019s Wayfarer Studios filed a $400 million lawsuit against It Ends With Us costar Blake Lively and her publicist, Leslie Sloane, on Thursday, January 16. In the 179-page filing obtained by Us Weekly, Baldoni claimed that Lively was \u201cdetermined\u201d to make him a \u201creal-life villain in her story.\u201d [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Baldoni\u2019s lawyer, Bryan Freedman<\/strong>, shared in a statement to Us<\/em>, \u201cThis lawsuit is a legal action based on an overwhelming amount of untampered evidence detailing Blake Lively and her team\u2019s duplicitous attempt to destroy Justin Baldoni, his team and their respective companies by disseminating grossly edited, unsubstantiated, new and doctored information to the media.\u201d<\/p>\n

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