Justin Baldoni’s lawyer criticises Ryan Reynolds for ‘Saturday Night Live’ sketch
Bryan Freedman, the lawyer representing Justin Baldoni in his legal battle against Blake Lively, has condemned Ryan Reynolds for appearing in a sketch which made light of the saga on Saturday Night Live.
Reynolds, who previously hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live in 2009, was among the star-studded audience for the show’s 50th-anniversary special over the past weekend and made a brief cameo during the broadcast.
On the three-hour SNL 50 special which aired on NBC on February 16th, Reynolds, who walked the red carpet with Lively prior to the event, appeared when hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler participated in a segment that welcomed questions from audience members.
Upon Reynolds standing up to ask the duo a question, the hosts asked, “Ryan Reynolds! How’s it going?”. In response, the Canadian actor referenced the ongoing legal battle, stating, “Great! Why, what have you heard?” Fey and Poehler then said they’d only been privy to “cool” and “great stuff” about his ongoing situation while Lively looked on in bemusement as the skit unravelled.
Now, Freedman said on the Hot Mics podcast with Billy Bush, “I’m unaware of anybody, frankly, whose wife has been sexually 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.”
He also stated that Baldoni is currently on holiday with his family in Hawaii, adding, “I don’t think anybody who has been accused of heinous, arguably what are crimes, is on vacation. I think that he is trying to gather with his family and get some semblance of peace.”
In December, Lively submitted a lawsuit against Baldoni, her co-star and director in It Ends With Us, accusing him of sexual harassment as well as orchestrating a smear campaign to damage her reputation.
Baldoni later filed a lawsuit against the New York Times for $250 million over the publication’s reporting of Lively’s allegations. Additionally, the actor submitted a countersuit against Lively and Reynolds for $400 million, claiming they are seeking to damage his career and cause reputational damage.
As it stands, the case is set to head to trial in March 2026.
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