Presenting at the National Board of Review Gala, the actor drew a parallel between stories that center women and women in everyday life, both of which he said are held to “different set of standards”
While presenting at the National Board of Review Gala, Ryan Reynolds highlighted a parallel between stories told about women on-screen and the realities women face in their day-to-day lives. “Stories about women seem to be held to a different set of standards, and that is to say that they’re often held to the standard women are held to in life,” the actor said on Tuesday evening at his first public appearance since his wife Blake Lively sued her It Ends With Us costar and director Justin Baldoni for harassment.
“You must be perfect. You must hide your strength. You must shape-shift or placate,” Reynolds continued. He was speaking particularly about the dynamic presented in Wicked, which was awarded Best Film by the National Board of Review. “It dares to center two powerful women,” he said of the blockbuster. “It examines a nuanced, complex relationship which has resonated with people for over two decades on stage.”
Reynolds has not spoken directly about the ongoing legal battle between Lively and Baldoni, who starred in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel It Ends With Us. During production, the actress claims, Baldoni subjected her to “disturbing” sexual harassment and engaged in a retaliatory social media campaign designed to “eviscerate” her credibility and “silence” her.
The battle has since escalated to include a $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times filed by Baldoni and a federal court lawsuit against Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer filed by Lively.
Reynolds has been mentioned in a number of documents regarding the surrounding lawsuits. In Baldoni’s legal filing against the New York Times, the actor-director claimed that Reynolds “aggressively berated” him for “fat-shaming” lively after Baldoni allegedly requested Lively’s weight from a trainer before lifting her in a scene “to ensure he could safely perform the lift without injury.” Lively’s suit states that Reynolds “has been affected mentally, physically, and professionally by his wife’s and children’s pain.”
