Ryan Reynolds may have delivered the joke, but did he actually come up with it? Turns out, not exactly.
The 48-year-old actor found himself in the middle of a mini-controversy after seemingly poking fun at Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s ongoing legal battle during Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary special.
Earlier this week, a staff member claimed Ryan made last-minute edits to the joke in rehearsal, implying he had a direct hand in shaping the punchline. But now, SNL reps are setting the record straight.
A spokesperson for the show told People that the claim was inaccurate, explaining that the staff member in question “isn’t a writer involved in the show’s creative process.”
A source close to Ryan also weighed in: “The opening joke was pitched by SNL and never changed. The follow-up joke was rewritten in rehearsal.”
The SNL anniversary show was also the first major public appearance for Blake since she accused Justin of sexual harassment and launching a smear campaign against her in December 2024. Given the context, the joke struck a nerve—but now we know it wasn’t Ryan going off-script.
