By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-27 17:16:45 | Updated at 2025-01-29 06:13:21
1 day ago
Their friendly feud fast became one of Hollywood’s most beloved bromances, with playful trolling and witty remarks creating endless fodder for adoring fans.
But despite being so public with their friendship, Jackman, 56, chose to stay silent in the immediate wake of the legal brawl between Reynolds' wife Blake Lively and her costar Justin Baldoni, which has threatened to tarnish the actor's Mr Nice Guy image.
On Friday, Reynolds, 48, and Lively, 37, were subpoenaed for all texts, emails, and messages sent about Baldoni and the film, It Ends with Us.
It was the latest update in the spiralling saga which exploded in December when Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and his production company, in which she accused him of sexual harassment and creating a toxic work environment on the set of the Colleen Hoover adaptation.
The feuding costars have since been embroiled in a back and forth, with Reynolds dragged into the spat when Baldoni fought back with his own $400 million counter suit in which he accused the spouses of conspiring to trash his reputation.
Lively has had support from names including Paul Feig, Amy Schumer and Michele Morrone, as well as her former Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel, who released a joint statement in which they declared they ‘stand with her in solidarity’.
Hugh Jackman finally backed Ryan Reynolds in the wake of the lawsuit when he invited him on stage for the opening night of his new show in New York City on Friday (pictured August 2024)
In December, Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, in which she accused him of sexual harassment and creating a toxic work environment on the set of It Ends With Us
But Jackman, who had refrained from publicly defending Reynolds over fears for his own image, finally backed the actor when he invited him on stage for the opening night of his new show in New York City on Friday.
Insiders claim Jackman had been conscious of being ‘dragged’ into the drama after his own image was on shaky ground after he went public with his new girlfriend Sutton Foster amid his ‘messy’ divorce from Deborra-Lee Furness.
‘Hugh is one of the only people who Ryan opens up to,’ an insider told DailyMail.com exclusively. ‘He does support Ryan, but he has his divorce to deal with right now, and the last thing he wants to do is be dragged into this.
‘Inviting him on stage was Hugh’s way of showing his support without speaking out publicly.
‘He owes Ryan. Deadpool was his saving grace during the break down of his marriage to Deborra-Lee.’
Reynolds surprised the crowd at Radio City Music Hall when he stood up in the audience and shared a heartfelt message about his Deadpool costar for the opening night of his concert series From New York, With Love.
'I wanted to actually just say, I love this man, I care about this man,' he said as he recalled Jackman’s ‘courtesy, gentleness, and curiosity’ from their time on X-Men Origins: Wolverine nearly 20 years ago.
Reynolds concluded: 'He is genuinely the best human being I know. And I have four children!'
Jackman, 56, who had initially refrained from publicly defending Reynolds, 48, over fears for his own image, invited his pal on stage for his new show in New York on Friday (pictured)
It came as Reynolds and Lively, 37, were subpoenaed for all texts, emails, and messages sent about Baldoni and the film, It Ends with Us, on Friday
Jackman replied: ‘I love you, Ryan Reynolds. I love you, man. Thanks for coming. And thanks for asking for a free ticket, too.’
The insider said Lively was also invited, but it was decided that her attendance would take the spotlight away from Jackman, whose new love interest was also in the audience.
‘Hugh invited them both to his show, but only Ryan attended,’ they said. ‘He was told that Blake would have loved to go but had to miss out because she isn’t doing outings.
‘Hugh was also told that they didn’t want to make that super important and special night about them, which is what it would have been had Blake joined her husband.’
Blake hasn’t attended anything publicly since November, when she walked the red carpet at the LACMA Art + Film Gala in Los Angeles.
But she stepped out with Reynolds and Morrone – her A Simple Favour costar – this weekend, with the Italian actor posting a picture of the trio.
'Missed you guys!! Love you,' he wrote about the beleaguered spouses, whose past behaviour has been picked apart in the wake of the lawsuit.
Fans have poured over footage as they struggle to work out who to side with, with Reynolds in the firing line when a video recently resurfaced of comedian TJ Miller, 43, claiming the actor was 'horrifically mean' to him on set.
Lively and Reynolds had last week requested a gagging order for Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman (pictured with Baldoni in the film)
It came as Rossella Rago, a former extra on Gossip Girl, accused Lively of being 'very unpleasant' during their time on the show.
The 37-year-old also claimed Lively was open about her flatulence between takes.
‘She would burp and fart in the middle of set – and act like we were lucky to be smelling her farts’, she said in a TikTok post.
'She was very unpleasant to work with. I just don't know how else to say it'.
Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment in December.
At the same time, the New York Times released a story based on her legal filing that accused him of orchestrating a smear campaign against her.
Baldoni hit back by suing the Times for defamation before launching a $400 million lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds earlier this month in which he accused the Hollywood pair of conspiring to trash his reputation with the allegations.
He also accused Lively of hijacking the filming of the movie, which he directed, and claimed she forced him and his family to wait in a basement holding area at the premiere so she did not have to see him.
Reynolds was embroiled in Baldoni's counter suit, in which he was accused of 'swearing' and 'berating [Baldoni ]in an aggressive tirade' at a meeting held at the penthouse he shares with Lively
Reynolds was embroiled in the counter suit, with Baldoni accusing him of 'swearing' and 'berating him in an aggressive tirade' at a meeting held at their New York penthouse - where Reynolds was present as his wife's 'representative' to discuss Baldoni's conduct.
Tensions increased last Tuesday when Lively and Reynolds asked that a protective order be issued against Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, who they accused of launching a 'harassing and retaliatory media campaign' against them.
Insiders at the time told DailyMail.com that Reynolds pushed for the shock request for the sake of his wife’s well being – and in a desperate bid to stave off any disruption to his upcoming projects and the staff at his company, Maximum Effort Productions.
Lively's turn as Lily Bloom in the film was supposed to mark the actress’ big comeback after she took a hiatus to raise her and Reynolds' children, daughters James, Betty and Inez, and son Olin.
