Ryan Reynolds dares to poke fun at Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni legal drama in SNL skit

Ryan Reynolds made a joke that poked fun at Blake Lively's unfolding legal battle against It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni. Photo / NBC

Ryan Reynolds made a joke on Saturday Night Live that poked fun at the unfolding legal battle between his wife Blake Lively and It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni, and an insider claims Baldoni’s legal team may use it in their defence against Lively’s “harassment” lawsuit.

The director, 40, is facing allegations of sexual harassment, extortion and defamation, brought against him by 48-year-old Deadpool and Wolverine star Reynolds’ wife Lively, 37, in December 2024.

But a source has now told Page Six that Reynolds’ comments on the SNL 50 anniversary special – which saw him respond to a question with, “Great! Why, what have you heard?” – could be used to bolster Baldoni’s legal case.

During the star-studded anniversary special, which saw appearances from Eddie Murphy, Kim Kardashian and Tom Hanks, Reynolds participated in a skit with former SNL star Amy Poehler and ex-lead writer Tina Fey.

Poehler and Fey were anchoring the Weekend Update sketch and taking questions from the crowd when they turned to Reynolds.

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As he stood up, the pair asked Reynolds how he was going, to which the actor replied: “Great! Why, what have you heard?” in an implied reference to his wife’s bitter legal battle with her former It Ends With Us co-star.

Blake Lively appeared stunned by a quip Ryan Reynolds made while in the audience during a SNL skit for the show's 50th anniversary special. Photo / NBC

A source told Page Six: “Justin is taking this lawsuit in all seriousness and isn’t making a public mockery out of it.

“It’s very plausible that Justin’s legal team will use this public outing to defend him.”

The lawsuit stems from Lively’s allegations Baldoni sexually harassed her on the set of It Ends With Us, a 2024 adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel.

She accused him of attempting to “destroy” her reputation through a smear campaign, which was detailed in a New York Times article titled, We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.

Lively filed a formal lawsuit against Baldoni weeks later, alleging sexual harassment, breach of contract, invasion of privacy and infliction of emotional distress.

Baldoni has denied all accusations, countering with a US$400 million ($700m) defamation and extortion lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds and their PR team.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynold are ensnared in a high-profile legal battle against It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni. Photo / Getty Images

He claims the actress extorted him and took control of their film.

Baldoni, known for directing Five Feet Apart, has also filed a US$250 million ($437.6m) libel lawsuit against the New York Times, accusing the publication of “cherry-picking and altering communications stripped of necessary context and deliberately spliced to mislead”.

A second source said Reynolds and Lively “have no regrets” about attending the SNL 50 event, adding: “They’re glad they showed up because they have nothing to hide and no reason not to.”

The Lively v Baldoni case is scheduled to go to trial in March 2026.

- Additional reporting, NZ Herald