‘SNL’ Denies Staffer’s Claim About Ryan Reynolds’ Lively-Baldoni Lawsuit Joke on ‘SNL50’
Ryan Reynolds made headlines when, during the SNL50 special, he made a scripted joke about wife Blake Lively’s ongoing legal drama with her It Ends With Us director-star Justin Baldoni.
As a bit during the three-hour special celebrating Saturday Night Live‘s five decades on the air, SNL alums Tina Fey and Amy Poehler called on Reynolds in the audience, as he was sitting next to Lively. After Poehler asked him how it’s going, the Deadpool star replied, “Great! Why? What have you heard?” with a worried look.
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On Tuesday’s Fifi, Fev and Nick podcast episode, the show’s longtime cue card holder Wally Feresten, who’s worked at the sketch comedy series for 35 years, shared his insights on the joke from Sunday’s star-studded TV event, which pulled in big viewers for NBC and Peacock.
“He had a different line in rehearsal, and he pitched that to replace it. So, that was his idea to do it,” Feresten claimed about Reynolds.
Feresten continued, “We wouldn’t want to do anything too controversial unless they were in on it.”
An SNL spokesperson, however, denied Feresten’s claim to The Hollywood Reporter. Feresten is not a credited writer on the series and isn’t part of the creative process.
A source close to Reynolds told THR the opening joke was pitched by SNL and never changed, and that the follow up joke was rewritten in rehearsal.
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, went on Billy Bush’s Hot Mics podcast earlier this week and also shared his thoughts on the bit. “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,” Freedman said. “It surprised me.”
In December, Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and facilitating a smear campaign against her. Baldoni then filed a $400 million lawsuit against the couple, where he accuses the couple of forming a smear campaign against him in an attempt to extort and defame him.
Earlier this week, Lively filed an amended complaint in which she alleges two actresses that Baldoni made feel uncomfortable and they are ready to testify.
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