Ryan Reynolds pitched 'SNL 50' joke about Justin Baldoni lawsuit: 'That was his idea,' claims staffer

The SNL staffer claims, "He had a different line in rehearsal and he pitched that to replace it."

Ryan Reynolds is at the center of controversy after an ‘SNL 50’ staffer claimed he was behind the joke referencing his wife Blake Lively’s legal drama with Justin Baldoni. During the anniversary special, Reynolds stood up from his seat next to Lively for a segment with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, where he quipped, “Great! Why? What have you heard?”—a remark that many believe alluded to Lively’s legal battle with her former ‘It Ends With Us’ co-star.

Wally Feresten, the show’s longtime cue card handler, alleged on the ‘Fifi, Fev and Nick’ podcast that the joke was Reynolds’ own idea. “He had a different line in rehearsal and he pitched that to replace it,” Feresten claimed.

“That was his idea.” The ‘SNL’ staffer added, “We wouldn’t want to do anything too controversial unless they were in on it.” However, a source close to Reynolds has denied the claims, as has NBC.

Ryan Reynolds with Blake Lively on #SNL50 pic.twitter.com/JM6dUwPP0a

— clubheartbreak (@clubheartbreak) February 17, 2025

The backlash was swift. Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, weighed in on the moment during an appearance on ‘Hot Mics with Billy Bush,’ saying, “I’m unaware of anybody, frankly, whose wife has been sexually harassed and has made jokes about that type of situation. I can’t think of anyone who’s done anything like that. So it surprised me.”

An insider later told Page Six that Baldoni’s legal team may use Reynolds and Lively’s ‘SNL 50’ appearance to their advantage. “Justin is taking this lawsuit in all seriousness and isn’t making a public mockery out of it,” the source said.

The controversy escalated when Lively filed an amended complaint in a New York federal court following the backlash to Reynolds’ joke. The new legal documents reportedly allege that other women involved with the film have come forward, claiming Baldoni’s actions on set made them uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, social media reactions have been divided, with some calling Reynolds’ joke “tone-deaf” and others defending it as a harmless remark. “Gross. So they’re supporting the bullies too,” one social media user commented, while another wrote, “SNL has always been sooo problematic. Highlighting the abusers while making fun of the victims.”