Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni legal battle tarnishes Ryan Reynolds' Hollywood image: expert

Fox News

05-02-2025

Ryan Reynolds' Hollywood reputation is likely taking "a little bruising" nearly one month after Justin Baldoni filed a $400 defamation lawsuit against the "Deadpool" star and his wife, Blake Lively.
Reynolds and Lively were accused of attempting to hijack "It Ends With Us" and create their own narrative in the federal suit Baldoni filed just weeks after Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment on set of the film.
As the legal battle heats up with a recent court hearing and trial date set for March 2026, each of the actors has remained relatively low-profile in public. However, Reynolds' social media presence of late and a surprising show of support at an A-list pal's performance has experts questioning if the Canadian actor is picking up the pieces of the squeaky-clean image he once held in both hands.
Hours after the first court appearance in the case, where a judge ordered the stars' legal teams to limit speaking to the press, Reynolds shared a selfie with his wife of nearly 13 years. The couple appeared to be walking through New York City streets in the smiling shot posted on his Instagram stories.
Reynolds used the 1994 Hootie & the Blowfish song, "Only Wanna Be with You," to go along with his photo.
"Ryan's 'nicest guy in Hollywood' aura is taking a little bruising," Ryan McCormick, reputation management expert and managing partner at Goldman McCormick PR, told Fox News Digital. "It's hard to fathom why both sides (and various media conglomerates with a financial stake in all three actors) would allow this prolonged legal case to be in the public eye. It is mutually-assured, reputation destruction."
"Ryan's 'nicest guy in Hollywood' aura is taking a little bruising."
Before their legal teams met in court Monday, Reynolds appeared in New York on Thursday to sign autographs for fans. The "Van Wilder" actor didn't seem to have a press obligation, per social media sleuths, leaving keyboard warriors to question if he staged the "paparazzi swarm."
On opening night of buddy Hugh Jackman's "From New York, With Love" show at Radio City Music Hall, Reynolds took the mic and praised "The Greatest Showman" star in front of the audience: "I love this man, I care about this man. He is genuinely the best human being I know. And I have four children," he said, per Variety.
"Ryan Reynolds has spent years cultivating an image as Hollywood's most likable, self-aware, and business-savvy A-lister," Alexandra LaManna, a communications advisor and former White House spokesperson, told Fox News Digital. "His connection to this legal mess, whether direct or by association, is not a great look. If this case spirals, it could chip away at his sterling reputation. Blake and Ryan have also built their brand as Hollywood's power couple – witty, polished, and in tune with their audience – but this situation is starting to crack that image."
LaManna added, "The real battle here isn't about facts, it's about perception. And with the trial more than a year away, the longer they stay tangled in this PR fight, the worse it gets. What started as a legal dispute is turning into a messy spectacle. Neither side is winning the he-said-she-said, and the more they engage, the more exhausting they become. At this point, there's so much noise around it that people are starting to tune out entirely; when a controversy drags on with no end in sight, everyone stops caring."
"His connection to this legal mess, whether direct or by association, is not a great look. If this case spirals, it could chip away at his sterling reputation."
On the day Baldoni filed his federal suit, Reynolds and his Wrexham soccer club co-owner, Rob McElhenney, announced they were part of a group that acquired the Colombian club La Equidad.
Adrienne Uthe, founder and strategic advisor for Kronus Communications, told Fox News Digital that Reynolds' reputation is "already taking a hit" weeks into the Baldoni legal issue.
"This is one of those 'untouchables' having their persona shattered into a million pieces," Uthe said.
"This is one of those 'untouchables' having their persona shattered into a million pieces."
Uthe said there's an easy way for Lively and Reynolds to move forward, though.
"I think the couple should drop the suit, move on and find resolve through mediation for damages done to Justin Baldoni," she said. "This case will mirror the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard case, and it won't be in their direction. The best thing they can do right now is stop playing victim and open up the receipts 100%. Justin's team took action and is allowing the public to sort through information for themselves and make the judgment call — they should, at minimum, do the same."
Fans turned their heads once again when it was revealed that Lively's sequel with Anna Kendrick, "Another Simple Favor," would be opening the acclaimed SXSW film and music festival, with Reynolds' name also being mentioned.
"Will Ryan be making fun of Anna is his next film as well?" one fan asked in the comments of Lively's post promoting the film. Another user commented, "Never watching a Blake or Ryan film ever again."
However, Kevin Mercuri, CEO of Propheta Communications, said the couple's brand is still strong despite a challenging time in both of their lives.
"Ryan Reynolds is probably the only celebrity in this case who stands to have his image burnished," Mercuri told Fox News Digital. "His sole task will be to stand as a supportive husband. As a couple, Ryan and Blake seem to be pretty solid, making them stand out among the usual Hollywood couples who seem prone to breakups and divorce. They've been married since 2012 and chose to raise a family away from the usual entertainment meccas of Los Angeles and New York City. Doing so has made them more relatable to their fan base."
He added, "In terms of potential impact, it's hard to estimate. Justin Baldoni's legal team has already come out swinging in an apparent attempt to intimidate Blake. Still, she has the support of a vast fan base who will require a boatload of evidence in order to believe that she is lying."