made light of his and Blake Lively’s ongoing legal battle.
To be honest, no time is good to joke about something this serious, but given that the couple is in the middle of an expensive and highly publicized lawsuit, you’d think Reynolds’ notorious humor would have taken a back seat. That’s why it’s hardly surprising that Justin Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, wasted no time firing back.
The joke that started it all
Reynolds and Lively made their first public appearance together at SNL50 on Feb. 16, since the It Ends With Us controversy kicked off. The couple were seated in the audience when Tina Fey and Amy Poehler invited celebrity guests to ask questions. Reynolds, never one to miss an opportunity for a laugh, stood up and casually claimed that he had a question. Fey and Poehler responded enthusiastically, “Ryan Reynolds! How’s it going?” With a smirk, Reynolds quipped:
“Great! Why? What have you heard?”
The audience laughed, but it was Lively’s reaction that quickly went viral. From cheesing at her husband, to wearing a look of ghastly horror, Lively wasn’t exactly a fan of the moment either. She made it pretty obvious that she was not expecting her husband to go there, but the damage had already been done. Social media immediately jumped at the moment, with fans split between finding it hilarious, and others believing it was a major PR blunder, and both Reynolds and Lively were in on it. Regardless, this “joke” did not go unnoticed by Baldoni’s legal team.
Baldoni’s lawyer claps back
Sure enough, Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s attorney, had some thoughts. While appearing on Hot Mics with Billy Bush, Freedman didn’t hold back his disbelief over Reynolds’ decision to joke about something as serious as sexual harassment allegations.
I’m unaware of anybody, frankly, whose wife has been sexually harassed and has made jokes about that type of situation. I can’t think of anyone who’s done anything like that. So, it surprised me.
Evidently, that’s not exactly the kind of reaction Reynolds was hoping for. While the joke may have been meant to defuse the tension surrounding the lawsuit, it seems to have only fueled the fire. In the wake of the SNL moment, the internet had a lot to say, and many shared Freedman’s sentiment. Some fans defended Reynolds, claiming it was just his way of handling stress. Others, however, weren’t convinced, calling it “cringe,” especially given that Blake looked completely blindsided. They believe that Reynolds was trying to manipulate the public into buying the funny guy act while throwing his wife under the bus.
PR expert Ronn Torossian weighed in, telling Fox News Digital that while the move could be seen as an attempt to humanize Reynolds and Lively, it also showed that both they and Baldoni are more concerned with public perception than the actual legal battle. Despite the backlash, don’t expect Reynolds or Lively to issue an apology anytime soon. The couple is standing firm, even as Baldoni’s $400 million defamation lawsuit against them looms. Meanwhile, Lively’s own case against Baldoni remains ongoing, with no resolution in sight.
Published: Feb 19, 2025 11:19 am