- Ryan Reynolds is facing backlash for saying that Blake Lively had a working-class background.
- Lively’s parents worked in the entertainment industry, and her four siblings are actors, too.
- Being relatable can help a celebrity’s appeal, but an inauthentic approach can quickly backfire, a PR expert said.
Ryan Reynolds has come under fire for saying that he and his wife, Blake Lively, grew up with working-class backgrounds.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published last week, the “Deadpool” star spoke about his and Lively’s decision to keep their four kids out of the spotlight “to give them as normal a life as possible.”
“I try not to impose upon them the difference in their childhood to my childhood or my wife’s childhood,” Reynolds told The Hollywood Reporter.
“We both grew up very working class, and I remember when they were very young, I used to say or think, like, ‘Oh God, I would never have had a gift like this when I was a kid,’ or, ‘I never would’ve had this luxury of getting takeout,’ or whatever. Then I realized that that’s not really their bag of rocks to carry,” Reynolds continued.
His comment about Lively’s upbringing has drawn the ire of some fans because her parents had entertainment careers.
Her father, Ernie Lively, was an actor and producer with a Hollywood career spanning almost five decades, per his IMDB page. His acting credits include the 1989 comedy film “Turner & Hooch” and the 1992 action thriller “Passenger 57.”
He also played Lively’s onscreen father in the 2005 film “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and its 2008 sequel.
Her mother, Elaine Lively, was a talent manager who also appeared in the 1993 video game “Return to Zork,” per her IMDB page.
All four of Lively’s siblings are actors, per People.
In a 2006 interview with Radio Free, Lively said that she had “grown up on sets.” Moreover, her brother, Eric got her into showbiz when she was a teenager, she added.
“He [told] his agents, ‘You have to start sending Blake out on auditions.’ And I didn’t want to make him mad because he’s such a good brother, so I just went on auditions to appease him. And then after a few months of auditioning, I got ‘Sisterhood,'” Lively said.
Some internet users posted their displeasure with Reynolds’ remarks in the comments section of an Instagram post by New York Magazine’s The Cut.
“More and more I’m learning that rich people say ‘working class’ when they mean ‘had a salary,'” one commenter wrote.
“You keep using that word, ‘working class.’ I do not think it means what you think it means,” another wrote.
Reynolds’ upbringing in Vancouver was seemingly more modest than that of his wife.
His father, James Reynolds, worked as a police officer and then as a food broker, per People. His mother, Tammy Reynolds, was a retail store saleswoman, per Reynolds’ IMDB page.
Why do celebrities try to claim working-class affiliations?
Reynolds and Lively are still dealing with backlash from “It Ends with Us,” which could explain why they’re trying to lean into relatability as a strategy, Megan Balyk, a vice president at public relations firm Jive PR + Digital, told Business Insider.
“In today’s world where authenticity is key, a working-class background can make a celebrity seem more genuine. Plus, it can help deflect criticism about privilege or nepotism,” Balyk said.
But an inauthentic approach can backfire.
Social media has made it easy for fans to fact-check claims, and they’re quick to call out any inconsistencies, she said.
“If a celebrity’s claims seem false or exaggerated, it can lead to backlash, as we saw not too long ago with Victoria Beckham when she said she grew up ‘working class’ in the Beckham documentary, despite her father owning a Rolls-Royce,” Balyk said.
There’s also a risk of trivializing the struggles of people from disadvantaged backgrounds, she said.
Balyk said the backlash in Reynolds’ case could be because people are becoming more aware of nepotism in Hollywood.
“There’s a growing fatigue with celebrities who seem to downplay their privileges,” she said.
“A better strategy would be to openly acknowledge their current position while showing genuine appreciation for any advantages they’ve had. It’s better to be honest about your background than to overstate past hardships,” she added.
A representative for Reynolds did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by BI outside regular hours.
