Rob McElhenney is supporting Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively through their "difficult and challenging" legal wrangle with Justin Baldoni

And Ryan's close pal - with whom he co-owns Wrexham AFC football club - has revealed he and his wife Kaitlin Olson are showing their "support in any way that we can".

He told Variety: "It's just our way of staying connected and navigating something together. And also me giving and showing as much support as I possibly can with all the other stuff that he's got going on, that I know is so difficult and challenging.

"We both are just trying to offer our support in any way that we can that doesn't just simply add oxygen to the fire."

In January, Justin filed a countersuit against Blake, accusing her of defamation and extortion.

In the countersuit, he alleged Blake had invoked her pop star pal, Taylor Swift, and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, as protectors in creative disputes.

Justin's lawyers wrote in a filing: "The message could not have been clearer.

"Baldoni was not just dealing with Lively. He was also facing Lively's 'dragons,' two of the most influential and wealthy celebrities in the world, who were not afraid to make things very difficult for him."

The latest development is Blake allegedly asking Taylor to delete their text messages as part of the ongoing legal battle.

According to newly filed court documents revealed by Page Six, lawyers representing Justin and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, cite an anonymous source "who is highly likely to have reliable information", alleging that Blake made the text deletion request to Taylor - though the exact timing of the apparent conversation was not disclosed.

According to the filing, Justin's legal team further alleged Blake's lead attorney, Michael Gottlieb, had approached Taylor's law firm, Venable, to request a "statement of support" from the pop star.

The court document claims the request carried an implied threat: "If Ms. Swift refused to do so, private text messages of a personal nature in Ms Lively's possession would be released."

Justin's lawyers said a representative for Taylor responded to the alleged threat in a written communication sent directly to Michael.

Taylor has not been accused of any wrongdoing, but she has been subpoenaed as a potential witness in the case.

Michael responded to the allegations by calling them "categorically false" and "completely untethered from reality" in a statement to Page Six, adding he "unequivocally" denied them.

Taylor's publicist also stated the Grammy winner "was not involved" in the production of the film at the centre of the dispute between Justin and Blake, and had been "travelling around the globe during 2023 and 2024 headlining the biggest tour in history."

Blake and Taylor have been close friends since 2015.