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