Ryan Reynolds Skips SAG Awards Amid Backlash Over Blake Lively Joke

Ryan Reynolds notably skipped the 2025 SAG Awards in Los Angeles following criticism for a joke he made at the Saturday Night Live 50th-anniversary special. The joke referenced his wife, Blake Lively's, ongoing legal battle with 'It Ends With Us' director Justin Baldoni, where she accuses Baldoni of sexual harassment and a smear campaign. The couple's absence from the SAG Awards, where Reynolds' film 'Deadpool & Wolverine' was nominated for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble, fueled speculation that Reynolds was avoiding further scrutiny after the SNL incident. Wally Feresten, a long-time writer for SNL, revealed Reynolds himself suggested the controversial line, replacing the original script. The joke, delivered during a Q&A segment with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, reportedly made Lively visibly uncomfortable and sparked significant online backlash.