Justin Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, has responded to Ryan Reynolds' recent joke about Blake Lively’s lawsuit involving her It Ends With Us co-star during Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary special.
Speaking on Monday’s episode of Hot Mics with Bill Bush, Freedman said he was taken aback by Reynolds' decision to poke fun at the situation, especially as the legal dispute between Lively and Baldoni continues to make headlines.
“I’m unaware of anybody, frankly, whose wife has been sexually harassed and has made jokes about that type of situation,” he told the host.
“I can’t think of anyone who’s done anything like that. So it surprised me.”
The Standard has contacted Ryan Reynolds’ rep for comment.
The event marked the couple’s first public appearance together since the beginning of their legal battle with the It Ends with Us director and star.
During a segment on the celebration of Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, Reynolds stood up and playfully reference the controversy surrounding It Ends with Us and director during a comedic skit while Lively, 37, looked on.
The 48-year-old actor quipped: “I have a question.” When asked how he was doing, he jokingly responded: “Great—why, what have you heard?”—a clear nod to the months of headlines surrounding their legal troubles.
Notably Kevin Costner’s reaction to Reynolds’ joke on the night went viral among viewers.
Meanwhile, Lively’s last red carpet appearance was on December 11 at the 2024 Beauty Inc Awards, just weeks before the legal dispute with Baldoni surfaced.
She and Reynolds presented a united front at the NBC event, which brought together A-list attendees such as Eddie Murphy, Kristen Wiig, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kim Kardashian, Paul McCartney, Cher, and Steven Spielberg.
The couple’s presence at the star-studded taping marked Lively’s highly anticipated return to the public eye amid her intense legal drama with Baldoni.
Reports of a feud between them threatened to overshadow the release last summer.
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.
Since then, there has been no end to the twists and turns of the legal case which has gripped imaginations and headlines around the world, including Baldoni launching how own website to tell his side of events.
