Ryan Reynolds avoids all mention of wife Blake Lively after backlash over insult story

Ryan Reynolds remained tight-lipped in his final public speech on Wednesday, two weeks after he insulted wife Blake Lively on stage.

The 48-year-old Deadpool star was in trouble on Sept. 25 when he shared with a live audience his frustrations with trying to get her to be a part of the Bill Murray-produced documentary John Candy: I ​​Like Me.

She had finally received a call back from the Hollywood icon after leaving ’40 messages’, but her timing wasn’t right as the 38-year-old actor was about to head into a glitzy gala with his wife, which led to him swearing at her.

During the John Candy tour in New Jersey, he revealed: ‘I’m there with my wife and we’re about to go in, my phone rings and I look at it. Bill Murray and I shouted “Bill Murray!” we say.

He continued, lowering his voice as if reenacting what he had whispered to Lively: “Lively said, ‘We have to go in!’

And I said, “Fuck you!” I said. He shared the humiliating insult he said to his wife.

The actor made a bombshell in his last scene on September 25, telling his wife ‘Fuck you!’ He explained that he shouted. Trying to talk to Bill Murray – live photo with Reynolds in April

It is unclear which premiere the Canadian actor is referring to and on what date the change took place.

At the event held at the Kings Theater in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday, a shy Reynolds told an edited version of the story in which he made no mention of “my wife.”

Sharing how difficult it was to reach the Ghostbusters star, he told viewers: ‘I have a trick. I called. Voicemail arrived. Naturally, it was a Greek shipping company. ‘I left a message and did that about 20 more times and he finally called me back.’

Reynolds added the actor, omitting the part of the story that involved Murray calling Lively while he was with her. ‘He let me down’ and how he later ‘got desperate’ and sent her a ‘desperate hostage video’ of himself and their children.

‘It’s around 11.30 at night. My children showed up. They woke up and my daughter was behind me and I was in the middle of it. “Don’t do that.” I said. I’m leaving a message for Bill. It will strangle you; he is five years old.

‘Then my son shows up, he’s two years old… And I say, “Tell Bill to do that interview.”‘

It was the actor’s children who ultimately gained his support after Ryan pleaded, “I don’t know what kind of monster you have to be to say no to a kid like that.”

On September 25, Ryan shared with an audience in New Jersey: ‘I’m there with my wife and we’re about to go in and my phone rings and I look at it. Bill Murray says…'[Blake] “We have to go in!” And I said, “Fuck you!” I said.

Bill Murray is one of the A-list actors featured in Ryan’s documentary John Candy: I ​​Like Me, available to stream October 10.

He added: ‘And a second later I get a text… “What do you need from me? Where can I help you with JC?”

The couple, who celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary on Sept. 9, have four children: James, 10, Inez, eight, Betty, five, and Olin, two.

In addition to Bill, the documentary also includes interviews with stars such as Martin Short, Steve Martin, Macaulay Culkin, Tom Hanks, Andrea Martin, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara and Conan O’Brien, who knew the late actor John Candy, who died of a heart attack in 1994.

Instead of mentioning his wife, he welcomed his best friend Hugh Jackman to the stage, accompanied by director Colin Hanks, John’s son Chris Candy, and moderator Daniel Pasternack.

‘It’s called “An Evening…” with me, a few talented, incredible people who come and go, and my friends.

‘And I’m so proud, so lucky and actually honored to be able to call this person my friend for 17, maybe 18 years. “His name is Hugh Michael Jackman,” he said.

The Wolverine star appeared on stage with a band-aid on his face near his left eyebrow, causing concern among the audience.

Hugh joked about his friend injuring himself and told the crowd: ‘He’s a very nice guy but he hit me on the head as a welcome.’

Ryan’s best friend Hugh Jackman attended the Q&A on Wednesday. The Wolverine star entered the stage with a band-aid on his face (pictured)

The friends were joined on stage at the Kings Theater by moderator Daniel Pasternack, director Colin Hanks and John Candy’s son Chris (left to right).

Ryan praised Hugh, saying: ‘I’m so proud, so lucky and honored to be able to call this person my friend for 17, maybe 18 years’ (pictured together in July 2024)

This prompted Ryan to respond: ‘If you start tape dancing and get near my trumpet (make noise) you’ll be confused.’

Like his character superhero Deadpool, Ryan is known for having a funny side and making jokes; Even Hugh says that compared to John Candy.

He and Blake have playfully joked with each other in past interviews.

The Gossip Girl alum once joked that she was “married to her best friend… and also has her fifth child,” while Ryan said he “runs the show at home.”

However, when Ryan revealed his ‘fuck you’ comment to Blake, fans didn’t seem to like it and he received some backlash as well.

One fan commented: ‘My husband would never call me fuck you, we don’t talk to each other like that.’ [I don’t care] “Who’s calling you?” and another said, “Oh. Cancel it already!’

Another posted: ‘Keep talking Ryan. ‘The more you say it, the less the public likes you and your awful wife.’

Another added: ‘It used to be so funny, now it’s just disgusting.’

Blake and Ryan have been known to playfully prank each other in past interviews

Blake is in the middle of a legal battle with It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni

The couple is in the midst of explosive legal proceedings.

She filed a live lawsuit against It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment in December 2024, accusing him and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, of orchestrating a smear campaign against her. He also claimed he was experiencing ‘serious emotional distress’.

Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios denied the allegations. She soon sued him for defamation and extortion, but the $400 million lawsuit was dismissed in June 2025.

In May, Lively voluntarily agreed to drop allegations of infliction of emotional distress, according to her lawyer.

A few days later, attorneys for Baldoni and Wayfarer filed a motion to force Lively to provide medical and mental health care records to prove she was suffering distress, according to court filings. His attorneys also asked that the emotional distress claims be dismissed with prejudice so they could not be reopened.

However, the judge ruled that Lively did not have to submit her medical records to the court after the emotional distress claims were withdrawn.

Although Reynolds is not named as a plaintiff in the lawsuit, he is supporting Lively throughout the ongoing federal case, which is scheduled to go to trial in March 2026.

Reynolds’ documentary, John Candy: I ​​Like Me, will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on October 10.