Ryan Reynolds reveals reason for skipping Critics Choice Awards amid Justin Baldoni legal drama
Ryan Reynolds was a no-show during Friday night’s Critics Choice Awards despite his film “Deadpool & Wolverine” tying for Best Comedy film with Kieran Culkin’s “A Real Pain.”
The funnyman and his wife, Blake Lively, have largely avoided the spotlight amid their ongoing legal battle with Lively’s “It Ends With Us” co-star, Justin Baldoni.
However, Reynolds, 48, took to Instagram hours after the Critic’s Choice ceremony to acknowledge his win — and reveal his whereabouts.
“Zing! Thanks @criticschoice — whole team @deadpoolmovie is thrilled,” he wrote. “But wait a minute. Swipe ➡️➡️. Huge congrats to @arealpainfilm.”
Reynolds wrote, produced and co-starred in the superhero action comedy with best friend Hugh Jackman.
But the “Spirited” alum was absent from the event due to another obligation: the JP Morgan summit alongside Disney boss Bob Iger and agent Bryan Lourd.
Reynolds shared snaps from his night to his Instagram, captioning a group picture: “Had an amazing time on stage at @jpmorgan summit with Bob Iger and Bryan Lourd. Those boys are SHARP. Surprised to discover my mom there. She wanted to see Iger.”
The “Deadpool & Wolverone” win comes after Baldoni’s attorneys filed a $400 million lawsuit last month, claiming the “Gossip Girl” alum took certain measures to gain control over the 2024 film.
Lively previously filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and his associates in December, making claims of sexual harassment — which included allegedly walking in on her breast-pumping for her newborn and speaking about his past porn addiction — and a retaliatory smear campaign orchestrated by Baldoni.
The ex costars are now set to head to trial on March 9, 2026.
The court date for the case was scheduled by Judge Lewis J. Liman in a legal order filed on Monday, according to court documents obtained by The Post.
Reynolds and Lively have asked the judge to ban Baldoni’s lawyer from talking to the press, after he released raw footage from “It Ends With Us” to refute Lively’s sexual harassment claims.
In response, Freedman said in a statement that Baldoni’s team won’t be “bullied” by Lively and Reynolds.
