SNL cue card guy claims it was Ryan Reynolds' idea to include alleged joke about Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's legal feud during SNL50 Special

A Saturday Night Live cue card personnel claimed that it was Ryan Reynolds' idea to include the alleged joke about his wife Blake Lively's legal feud with Justin Baldoni during the event. Reynolds seemingly referred to the ongoing legal drama during the SNL50 Special, although he did not mention any names.

In an appearance on the Fifi, Fev and Nick podcast on February 18, an SNL staff member, Wally Feresten, claimed that Ryan Reynolds came up with the idea to crack an alleged joke about Lively and Baldoni's ongoing legal feud. Feresten claimed the actor replaced his original line during rehearsals and said:

"He had a different line in rehearsal and he pitched that to replace it. That was his idea. We wouldn’t want to do anything too controversial unless they were in on it."

During the SNL50 Special episode, hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler asked Ryan Reynolds in the audience "how it is going," seemingly as a veiled reference to his wife Blake Lively's legal feud with Justin Baldoni. In response, the Deadpool actor said:

"Great! Why? What have you heard?"

Ryan Reynolds has been mentioned several times in Justin Baldoni's counter-lawsuit against Blake Lively. It all began when Lively accused the It Ends With Us director and co-star of alleged s*xual harassment and damaging her reputation via a smear campaign in December 2024.

Justin Baldoni has since countersued Lively and Reynolds of defamation and extortion in a lawsuit filed on January 16. Lively resubmitted an amended complaint this week, including further charges against her co-star as well.

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Justin Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman criticizes Ryan Reynolds over alleged joke about the Blake Lively saga

SNL 50: The Anniversary Special for People Magazine - Source: Getty

In an episode of Hot Mics with Billy Bush dated February 17, Justin Baldoni's chief lawyer, Bryan Freedman, called out Ryan Reynolds for allegedly joking about his wife Blake Lively's s*xual harassment case.

"I'm unaware of anybody, frankly, whose wife has been s*xually 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," Freedman said.

In the latest developments of the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni saga, the Gossip Girl actress has filed an amended complaint against her co-star, including additional charges of defamation. Lively's new complaint also added Jed Wallace and his PR firm, Street Relations, as defendants.

This came after Jed Wallace filed a $7 million lawsuit against the actress over her alleged false claims in her original complaint, where she accused him of conspiring with Justin Baldoni to run a smear campaign against her.

Further, Blake Lively added to her original allegations of s*xual harassment against Justin Baldoni, claiming that at least two other women felt uncomfortable with the director-actor on the sets of It Ends With Us. However, Lively's lawsuit does not include any names to allegedly protect their privacy.

“The dangerous climate of threats, harassment, and intimidation fueled by the Defendants’ retaliation campaign has required Ms. Lively to alter her personal and professional life and to take steps to protect innocent bystanders rather than exposing them to further harm. Thus, this Amended Complaint does not refer to certain witnesses by name, nor does it provide screen shots of their text messages," Lively's lawsuit stated.

Yet, the actress claimed that these anonymous female cast members are willing to testify in court to prove the claims.

"Importantly, however, these witnesses have given Ms. Lively permission to share the substance of their communications in this Amended Complaint as contained herein, and they will testify and produce responsive documents in the discovery process," it explained.

Additionally, Blake Lively also claimed to have reached out to a Sony executive named Ange Gianneti about feeling uncomfortable with Justin Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios CEO James Heath's behavior. Two other female cast members reportedly did the same, with one allegedly confiding in Lively about feeling "uncomfortable on set."

Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, criticized Lively's amended complaint, calling it "underwhelming" and "unsubstantial hearsay." He also alleged that there's a "lack of substantial evidence" in her new complaint.

"Her underwhelming amended complaint is filled with unsubstantial hearsay of unnamed persons who are clearly no longer willing to come forward or publicly support her claims. (...) What is truly uncomfortable here is Ms. Lively’s lack of actual evidence," Freedman said.

With the trial set for next year, further developments on the case are awaited.