Ryan Reynolds breaks silence on wife Blake Lively's Time100 speech

by · Mail Online

Ryan Reynolds broke his silence on his wife Blake Lively's blistering TIME100 gala speech in which she alluded to her legal battle with Justin Baldoni.

The Deadpool star, 48, stepped out solo for a Parkinson’s charity panel in New York City—just one day after that awkward red carpet appearance with Lively.

Flashing a giddy smile, the actor told People of Lively's speech: 'I'm incredibly in awe of my wife in many ways' despite his stoic appearance at Thursday's event.

Dressed in a laid-back pink polo and crisp white sneakers, Ryan radiated charm and ease—far from the tense energy seen the night before.

The 37-year-old actress is currently locked in a heated feud with Megyn Kelly and facing off in a messy legal war with her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni.

And the pressure may be cracking their public façade, as body language expert Judi James told DailyMail.com that the couple’s interactions at the Time100 event hinted at subtle power plays and visible strain.

Ryan Reynolds broke his silence on his wife Blake Lively's blistering TIME100 gala speech in which she alluded to her legal battle with Justin Baldoni 
Their stiff Time100 showing raised eyebrows, especially as it came on the heels of mounting drama for Blake
Dressed in a laid-back pink polo and crisp white sneakers, Ryan radiated charm and ease—far from the tense energy seen the night before

She explained how the actress seemed to steer the ship on the red carpet, even physically maneuvering Ryan into position. 

'Blake quite happily lets us know via her pointing and shrugging that she's openly keen to get her reluctant-looking husband to pose solo,' James noted. 

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The Gossip Girl star, who was named one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people, gave a lengthy speech at the event, where she thinly veiled references to her explosive legal showdown with Baldoni. 

'I have so much to say about the last two years of my life, but tonight is not the forum,' she told the crowd.

Lively went on to say, 'What I will speak to separately is the feeling of being a woman who has a voice, today and since I could speak, because of the pain, caution and fight of the many women who have paved the way and the men who stood beside them — millions I will never know the name of — because every life, every act, big or small, affects another.'

Reynolds, however, had nothing but admiration for his wife — telling PEOPLE backstage at the Parkinson’s benefit, 'I don't know that I've met somebody stronger.'

He even managed to crack a joke: 'And her coping mechanisms are just coffee,' he said. 

Despite the icy red carpet vibes, Ryan was quick to shower Blake with praise at Friday’s charity event — just hours after their strained appearance
The It Ends With Us stars are locked in a fierce legal battle 
Reynolds, however, had nothing but admiration for his wife — saying backstage at the Parkinson’s benefit, 'I don't know that I've met somebody stronger' 

'Which is amazing to me because I don't know how I could hold what she holds and do it with [her] grace and strength. It's pretty profound.'

During her speech, however, the actress came under fire for sharing details of her mother’s past trauma — a move many critics online slammed as an 'obvious PR stunt.' 

In a video shared to social media, the actress publicly talked about her mother's, 77, experience as a survivor of an assault by a coworker.

'I have so much to say about the last two years of my life, but tonight is not the forum,' Lively said.

Instead, she decided to speak about 'the feeling of being a woman who has a voice today.'

Lively shared that her life was 'influenced most' by her mother, Willie Elaine McAlpin, who accompanied her to the event. 

She explained her mom was the 'survivor of the worst crime someone can commit against a woman.'

Lively stated that her mother credited a woman who shared a 'similar circumstance' on the radio with saving her life.

During Blake's speech, however, the actress came under fire for sharing details of her mother’s past trauma — a move many critics online slammed as an 'obvious PR stunt.' 
Reynolds, 47, meanwhile, appeared to be playing along — but with visible reluctance

'The woman painfully and graphically shared how she escaped. And because of hearing that woman speak about her experience instead of shutting down in fear and unfair shame, my mom is alive today. She was saved by a woman whose name she'll never know.'

Towards the end of her speech she thanked 'every man, including my sweet husband [Ryan], who are kind and good when no one is watching.'

'And to all the communities across the gender, age, political, geographical, and racial spectrum who fight every day just to be safe, I see you,' she added.

Many fans criticized the star for discussing her mother's ordeal, pointing out her silence on domestic violence while promoting It Ends With Us — directed by and co-starring Baldoni — which portrayed an abusive relationship. 

'Blake seems to take over the role of director and choreographer,' James continued
'He uses a closed-lip smile to suggest modesty or irony,' James said, pointing to his understated demeanor as a sign of discomfort

'Oh so now she is using her Mother’s SA to be likable??? But in August she didn’t mention DV when promoting a movie about DV. Interesting…' one person wrote. 

Lively also sparked a furious response from Megyn Kelly at the gala on Thursday, following the actress' controversial inclusion on the publication's Most Influential People list.

The 54-year-old conservative journalist blasted Blake and her ongoing lawsuit against Justin in an impassioned rant while speaking to DailyMail.com on the red carpet.

According to Megyn, Blake — who left readers outraged over her TIME100 cover — 'shouldn't be here.'