Reynolds admitted he "really didn’t feel like" donning his Deadpool suit for a charity project amidst his wife’s feud with former collaborator Justin Baldoni.
Ryan Reynolds has remained silent on the sexual harassment allegations his wife, Blake Lively, made against her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni. However, he hinted at the toll the situation has taken on him in a social media post on Monday.
While expressing gratitude to his collaborators for their efforts on a fundraising video for the SickKids Foundation—where he appeared in his iconic Deadpool suit—Reynolds revealed that the video, initially shared on the foundation’s Instagram page a week prior, was filmed “during a time I really didn’t feel like putting the suit on.”
Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni on Friday, accusing him of sexually harassing her and then using a PR team to tarnish her reputation during and following their work together on the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us.
The suit alleges that during the film’s production, Baldoni’s behavior was so egregious that an all-hands meeting was held to confront him and establish clear boundaries. Reynolds also attended the meeting, according to the lawsuit.
Over the summer, as Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni promoted It Ends With Us, social media criticism began to target Lively. The backlash stemmed from her responses in interviews and a resurfaced clip interpreted as her being dismissive to an interviewer. This growing narrative painted Lively—and possibly Ryan Reynolds—as contributing to a challenging production environment for Baldoni.
Adding to the controversy, Reynolds faced backlash last week for describing Lively as having grown up "very working class" during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, despite her parents' established Hollywood careers. Social media users criticized the comment as "out of touch."
Although Reynolds has not directly addressed these controversies, he acknowledged feeling emotionally drained while filming his SickKids Foundation fundraising video. While he refrained from elaborating on the source of his low spirits, the public speculation has plenty to draw from.
Just days after Ryan Reynolds' widely criticized press comment, Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, presenting explosive allegations. The suit included text messages between Baldoni and his PR team, reportedly showing their satisfaction with the negative press surrounding Lively during the It Ends With Us promotional tour. It also claimed that Lively's experience on the film "traumatized" her and the couple's three young children.
Since the lawsuit became public over the weekend, Baldoni has faced significant fallout, including being dropped by his agency, losing his podcast co-host, and having his Vital Voices Award for women's advocacy revoked.