Ryan Reynolds has not been having the smoothest time lately. Famous for his wit and hilarious charm, he is now dealing with a whirlwind of legal drama involving his wife and the controversial It Ends With Us lawsuit. Reynolds recently missed a chance to collect a Golden Globe for his billion-dollar hit, Deadpool & Wolverine as well. But while he missed celebrating himself, he celebrated someone else’s big win instead.

Ryan Reynolds just made his first public appearance since the Blake Lively lawsuit, honoring Ariana Grande’s 2024 blockbuster Wicked.

On Tuesday, Ryan Reynolds attended the National Board of Review Awards gala, where he took the stage to introduce honoree Wicked. The musical was recently crowned the best movie of 2024 by the organization. This was Reynolds’ first public appearance since the lawsuit involving Blake Lively and her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni. Both he and his wife have kept a low profile in the weeks since the complaint. But it is also possible that Golden Globes did not want to risk its ratings by inviting the now-controversial couple. 

Page Six previously reported that Reynolds and Lively would not attend the Golden Globes. While they have not offered an official reason for the absence, the outlet claimed their decision to skip the event was made well before their legal drama with Baldoni and “isn’t due to the scandal whatsoever.” However, Golden Globes participants were still noticeably cautious about the controversy.

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In fact, the Golden Globes host admitted the lawsuit is so sensitive that even mentioning it could have sparked some major backlash.

Nikki Glaser, who just hosted the Golden Globes for the first time, weighed in on the It Ends With Us controversy ahead of the event. She made it clear that she had no plans to address the controversy during her hosting gig. “I’ve made a point not to, and that’s not to disappoint anyone,” she told Yahoo Entertainment.

Glaser also explained that she is avoiding mention of any Hollywood drama in her jokes. “I think the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni thing is such a hot-button thing right now,” the comedian said. She added that even mentioning the lawsuit could land her in some seriously tricky territory. As for Ryan Reynolds' fans, with the Golden Globes pass, they might need to put their hopes of seeing the actor host the Oscars on hold as well. 

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