Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds seem unable to catch a break with their every move both past and present coming under scrutiny amid their high-profile libel case with Justin Baldoni.
The Hollywood couple - who have a combined net worth of $380million - are now facing renewed backlash over their controversial 2012 plantation wedding.
The actors got married on September 9, 2012 during an intimate ceremony at Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens in South Carolina.
Despite the picturesque backdrop, the location chosen for the nuptials has a dark history linked to slavery, with “preserved” slave cabins and cotton fields serving as a constant reminder of the atrocities that once took place there.
On the official website, Boone Hall Plantation acknowledges that slavery “is an important topic that must be discussed openly and honestly whenever plantation life is addressed.”
They further state that their mission is “to present the history of slavery in an accurate and educational manner each day in a way that pays honor and respect to that history and the progress of Black Americans.”
Lively and Reynolds were accused at the time of seemingly glamourising the former plantation where an untold number of black slaves would have suffered and died.
The venue, located in the historic district of Charleston, famously appeared in Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling's 2004 film, The Notebook, which is considered one of the greatest romance films of all time.
Just 35 guests watched them tie the knot and only a handful of images have ever been publicly released via Martha Stewart’s magazine.
In 2020, Reynolds addressed the controversy and admitted it had be a “giant f***ing mistake”
The Deadpool star said that the “shame” they both felt over it was so strong that they had decided to marry for a second time at their home in New York.
They have tried to further make amends by donating millions of Dollars to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and have been vocal about their support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Renewed interest in the couple’s every move seems unwavering as they prepare for an ugly showdown with Baldoni in court.
Baldoni directed and starred opposite Lively in last year’s romantic drama It Ends With Us, but reports of a feud between them threatened to overshadow the release.
Then, in December, Lively sued him for alleged sexual harassment, including claims that he would ask probing questions about her sex life, would invite his friends into nude scenes with Lively, and would make jokes about Lively’s dead father.
Shortly after Lively filed her lawsuit, The New York Times published an article based on Lively’s claims alleging that Baldoni orchestrated a smear campaign against her and amplifying the harassment allegations.
In response, Baldoni filed a defamation lawsuit against the New York Times and launched a lawsuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of leveraging their celebrity status to take control of his film and damage his career.
