Hollywood’s golden couple, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, took a heat check at the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special—and let’s just say, the audience wasn’t exactly buying what they were selling. With legal drama brewing between Reynolds and It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, their surprise appearance left a sour taste in the mouths of many.
Embed from Getty ImagesA Joke That Fell Flat
During the special, comedic powerhouses Tina Fey and Amy Poehler worked the celebrity-packed audience, landing on Reynolds. When asked, “How’s it going?” Reynolds, never one to pass up a bit, fired back: “Great, why? What have you heard?” A thinly veiled nod to the legal storm he’s wading through. Lively, caught in the blast radius, looked less than amused—her expression a mix of oh no and not again.
Social media went nuclear.
“SNL running PR interference for Ryan and Blake? Cute. But it won’t work,” one user fumed on X.
Another took aim at Reynolds directly: “Whoever greenlit this needs to be fired. He isn’t funny. Now that we know what a lowlife he is, it just makes him even more cringe.”
Then there was the cynicism: “This was damage control, plain and simple. A desperate attempt to push the ‘I’m just a funny, nice guy’ narrative.”
PR Move or Rogue Moment?
Some fans weren’t convinced this was scripted at all. One user speculated, “Given Blake’s face and the awkward silence afterward, I don’t think this was planned. Reynolds just couldn’t resist grabbing the spotlight.”
Still, not everyone was sharpening their pitchforks.
“I thought it was funny,” one user shrugged. “Y’all are too serious.”
“Reynolds always delivers the best lines,” another added.
The Takeaway
The verdict? Reynolds and Lively may have hoped to laugh off the controversy, but the court of public opinion isn’t in the mood. If this was a PR play, it backfired harder than a cheap bottle rocket. If it was unscripted, well—sometimes, less is more.
Last modified: February 19, 2025
