Ryan Reynolds is pushing back against claims that he was the one who suggested making a joke about Justin Baldoni during Saturday Night Live’s (SNL) 50th-anniversary special.
The controversy erupted after a long-time SNL crew member revealed
that the Deadpool star had allegedly changed a pre-planned line to reference his wife Blake Lively’s ongoing legal battle with Baldoni.
However, Reynolds’ camp now denies that it was his idea, leading to conflicting reports about how the controversial joke came to be.
Reynolds’ Joke at SNL’s 50th Anniversary Special
During Sunday night’s star-studded SNL special, comedy legends Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted a playful Q&A segment with celebrities in the audience.
When Reynolds stood up to participate, the duo jokingly asked him how he was doing.
With his signature dry humor, Reynolds responded, “(I’m doing) great. Why, what have you heard?” The quip sparked awkward laughter from the audience, and some celebrities—like Kevin Costner—were visibly taken aback. Lively, who was sitting beside her husband, initially smiled but then appeared surprised by his remark.
The joke carried significant weight because of Lively’s ongoing lawsuit against Baldoni, her It Ends With Us co-star and director. Lively has accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and claimed that his production company, Wayfarer Studios, fostered a hostile work environment. Given the serious nature of the allegations, Reynolds’ joke quickly became a topic of heated discussion.
SNL Crew Member Claims the Joke Was Reynolds’ Idea
Shortly after the special aired, SNL crew member Wally Feresten—better known as “Cue Card Wally”—spoke about the moment during an interview with Australian radio show Fifi, Fev & Nick. According to Feresten, Reynolds not only rehearsed the bit with Fey and Poehler beforehand but also personally altered the joke before the live broadcast.
“He used a different line in rehearsal,” Feresten revealed, “then pitched the Baldoni scandal joke to replace it. That was his idea to do it.”
Feresten emphasized that SNL typically ensures celebrity guests are comfortable with any jokes made at their expense.
“We wouldn’t want to do anything too controversial unless they were in on it,” he said. “So yeah, that was his line. That was his idea to do it.”
Reynolds’ Team Pushes Back
However, Reynolds—or at least his representatives—appear to be unhappy with Feresten’s claim. When contacted by Us Weekly, a source close to the actor denied that he had pitched the joke.
Additionally, SNL itself weighed in, contradicting Feresten’s account. Representatives for the show told Us Weekly that the long-time crew member’s claims were “not true.” The conflicting statements have only fueled speculation about who was responsible for including the joke in the broadcast.
Justin Baldoni’s Lawyer Reacts to the Joke
Reynolds’ remark also drew criticism from Baldoni’s legal team. During an episode of the Hot Mics With Billy Bush podcast, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, questioned the appropriateness of making light of Lively’s accusations.
“I’m unaware of anybody, frankly, whose wife has been sexually harassed and has made jokes about that type of situation,” Freedman said. “I can’t think of anyone who’s done anything like that. So it surprised me.”
Freedman later doubled down on his criticism, stating that “Our clients have taken this matter and these issues very seriously, notwithstanding the jokes made publicly by the plaintiff and her husband.”
Lively and Baldoni’s Ongoing Legal Battle
The controversy surrounding Reynolds’ joke is just the latest development in the highly publicized legal dispute between Lively and Baldoni. The lawsuit, which was first filed in December 2024, alleges that Baldoni engaged in inappropriate behavior on the set of It Ends With Us and that his studio attempted to smear Lively’s reputation when she came forward with her claims.
Baldoni, for his part, has denied the allegations and has filed his own lawsuit, accusing Lively and Reynolds of interfering with the film’s creative process and orchestrating a media campaign to damage his career.
This week, Lively amended her complaint, adding claims that other women on the set of the film also felt uncomfortable around Baldoni. However, Freedman dismissed the new filing as “underwhelming” and criticized it for relying on “hearsay from unnamed persons who are clearly no longer willing to come forward.”
What’s Next?
While Reynolds has remained silent on the controversy, his team’s denial suggests that he wants to distance himself from the backlash. Whether or not SNL will further clarify the situation remains to be seen. Meanwhile, the legal battle between Lively and Baldoni is ongoing, with both sides continuing to present their cases in court and in the public eye.
For now, the debate over Reynolds’ joke—and whether he played a role in writing it—remains unresolved, adding yet another layer of drama to an already contentious Hollywood scandal.
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