Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds' 'SNL50' appearance could 'undercut any claim for emotional distress': expert
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' public appearance at "SNL50" could "undercut any claim for emotional distress damages" in their ongoing legal battle against Justin Baldoni.
Lively sued her "It Ends With Us" co-star for sexual harassment, retaliation and more in December, months after the film premiered. The actress claimed Baldoni's behavior caused emotional distress in a federal lawsuit filed in January.
The couple's appearance on "Saturday Night Live" could hurt and help them, legal experts told Fox News Digital.
"It could potentially affect them in the sense that they are out in public and clearly enjoying themselves, which would undercut any claim for emotional distress damages related to Blake's sexual harassment claim," Camron Dowlatshahi, a partner at MSD Lawyers said. "Typically, people who are severely distressed from sexual harassment are in therapy and trying to avoid publicly discussing and making light of their pending legal matter."
Reynolds seemingly poked fun at his and his wife's legal situation and the surrounding media frenzy as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler took the stage at Sunday's 50th anniversary celebration. The "SNL" alums spotted Reynolds in the crowd and asked, "How's it going?"
Reynolds quickly responded, "Great, why? What have you heard?"
The seeming reference to the lawsuits and "It Ends With Us" drama with Baldoni appeared to catch Lively off guard as she looked at her husband with a confused look on her face.
Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Lively and Reynolds for comment.
While the couple received some hate online, accusing them of trying to manipulate "the public into buying the 'I'm just a nice, funny guy' act" and saying the "SNL" moment was "cringe," Dowlatshahi explained to Fox News Digital that the move "humanizes" the Hollywood couple.
"It certainly humanizes Reynolds and Lively to have them out, showing their personalities that for years endeared them to fans. This is yet another indication that the couple (and Baldoni, of course) care more about their image and how the public views them, than underlying legal claims."
Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, told Fox News Digital the "presumption" is that the couple is doing damage control.
"Anytime you have this sort of divisive, public falling out—especially when one or both parties have a devoted following and a high Q-score—you often see a two-pronged, tactical approach… it's really the 'hokey pokey' of manipulating the court of public opinion: make yourself the victim, make someone else the bad guy, and in a near-simultaneous step, double down on how/why the public should like you. It's playing to both sides of the public sentiment and conscience: empathy and relatability," Eldridge said. "That's not to say the couple are following this script, but it's certainly been followed by others and there are some data points to indicate a similar trend line in this case."
Eldridge said Lively and Reynolds likely attended the "SNL" event because it was "a star-studded, who's who of Hollywood dignitaries and celebrated iconic show alums from various decades. It was bound to get wall-to-wall coverage—and presumably positive reviews—so, on the surface, it seemed like a safe calculation."
However, he said Reynolds' one-liner during the show "might prove to be another question all together."
"Their PR team might have been in favor of the move, but their legal team probably had a white-knuckled, four-lettered, response to the decision – much less, the subsequent public response," he said.
In December, Lively detailed allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, intentional affliction of emotional distress, negligence and more against Baldoni and film producer Jamey Heath in a complaint first filed with the California Civil Rights department and later in federal court.
Baldoni, in his own lawsuit filed in January, insisted that Lively had "falsely" accused him in an attempt to repair her reputation after the fallout of the movie's press tour after the actress took control of the film. Baldoni's legal team claimed Lively had no evidence of a deliberate smear campaign and instead worked to repair her reputation by accusing the actor and others of sexual harassment.
Amid the legal back-and-forth, Lively and Reynolds "need to be visible and likable." The "best thing" the A-list celebrity couple can do is "continue pursuing their careers."
"The legal case will continue until it's eventually resolved, but their brands have already been damaged by all the press surrounding the lawsuit, so they do need to be visible and likable because hiding and avoiding the public is not a good option," entertainment and media law attorney Tre Lovell told Fox News Digital.
"Attending SNL50 was a good idea and they both should make more appearances like that," the founder of The Lovell Firm explained. "The most important thing is to be humble, respond to any questions about the lawsuit in the vein of they respect the process and are letting it play out. In the meantime, they want people to know that their fans have not been forgotten, and the duo looks forward to many more years of moviemaking and entertaining the public."
The legal battle continued last week as Lively and Baldoni showed no signs of settling their respective lawsuits.
Legal teams for both sides told Judge Lewis Liman that "settlement discussions would be premature," according to a joint letter filed in court and obtained by Fox News Digital. The letter also noted that "the parties agree that mediation and the Discovery Protocols… are inappropriate for this case."
The federal judge agreed with the "It Ends With Us" stars and granted the order on Feb. 13.
Lively and Reynolds are also planning to file a motion to dismiss Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit. The deadline for the couple's legal team to file the dismissal motion is March 20.
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