TIMELINE | Ryan & Blake vs the world

For the past couple of months, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have landed in hot water for their seemingly self-obsessed approach to movie promotions and behind-the-scenes drama.

While Reynolds’ recent Deadpool & Wolverine has irked some fans for being a movie laden with navel gazing and a desperate cling to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Blake has irked moviegoers with a similar approach to her movie, It Ends With Us, and her approach to its sensitive topics.

Here's a look at the pair’s relationship, their beefs and eventual descent into Hollywood’s most disliked couple.

BIG BROTHER ERIC, 1990

While he would make a name for himself on The L Word, Blake’s brother Eric Lively would have a close bond with his sister, thanks to starting school together. Their talent manager mother was concerned he would not cope with being alone at school, so she had three-year-old Blake enrolled with Eric, then six.

In an interview with Marie Claire, Blake’s mother was apparently able to pull this off due to her [Blake] being so tall for her age. This would take a toll on her as she would nap between classes and nearly landed her in a class for the “mentally disabled”.

Their mother would eventually pull her out of the class but it would play a role in the growing relationship between her and Eric.

DISNEYLAND TRAINING. 1991

Following her removal from school, Blake would travel often with her mother to Disneyland. The regular visits to the theme park would play a role in teaching her how to act due to the stories her mother would tell her during these visits. She would go on to attend 13 different schools where she would excel academically. 

Reynolds broke into the industry on the Canadian kids' series, Fifteen, which ran for 65 episodes, where he was the only cast member to star in all of them.

45 MINUTES OF COLLEGE, 1995

Following the rush of playing a major role in a small series, and landing insignificant roles, Reynolds quit acting and enrolled for a criminology course before leaving 45 minutes into it. He would find solace with his own The L Word star, Chris William Martin, who would let Reynolds stay with him.

FLAVOURS OF REYNOLDS, FEBRUARY 2002

Attending many of Drew Barrymore’s soirées, Reynolds would get lucky in love with Grammy winner Alanis Morissette. The pair have been coy about when they officially kicked things off but People would report their relationship began at Barrymore’s 27th birthday bash.

THE BEGINNING OF DEADPOOL, 2004

Reynolds got a break starring in a number of shows, including Two Guys and a Girl, eventually taking the lead in the critical flop. It would also sour his relationship with co-star, Matthew Perry of Friends fame, who felt Reynolds stole his delivery and lines. Reynolds would make his first moves into the MCU in the third instalment of the Blade trilogy. The star of the movie series, Wesley Snipes, grew irate with Reynolds' humour, however this would catch the eye of Fox's former vice-president Jeff Katz who told Vulture that “the right character for Ryan is Deadpool”.

Reynolds would also speak on the comic book character in several interviews, sharing he was a favourite of his and that he was keen to play Deadpool given the chance. He would also have a bigger announcement that year, when he and Morissette would announce their engagement.

THE BIG AUDITION, 2005

Blake received a lot of pressure from family to try out for acting but she wouldn’t budge, with hopes she would pursue other studies at Stanford University. She told The Independent UK Eric would eventually convince her to attend auditions, and she went to her first because she “didn't want to make him mad”.

This would be her first and major role in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, alongside decorated actors like America Ferreira of Superstore fame. During this time, Reynolds would get into talks with Fox executives about Deadpool, making his debut in a X-Men or Wolverine spinoff.

BLAKE'S FASHION, 2006

Intending to leave acting, Blake would get cast in her biggest role yet on Gossip Girl. Other than wowing the showrunners, they had also considered her for the role due to fans fantasy casting her on the book series’ blogs.

The show would catapult Blake into the spotlight, with fans allowing its viewers to find affordable ways to access luxury fashion, while Blake would enter the world of fashion elites due to styling herself. She joked, telling Glamour: “Probably because I have control issues and a big ego.”

In June 2006, Reynolds and Morissette would have their first breakup. They would quickly be spotted by paparazzi later that year seemingly back together again. However, they would kick off 2007 with an official breakup announcement.

Morissette released her well-received 2008 album Flavour of Entanglement, which tackled some of the relationship woes she experienced with Reynolds. Ultimately, it was their relationship in the spotlight that became “the straw that breaks the camel’s back”, according to Morissette.

Reynolds shared in the same interview that he was “on a constant journey” towards “hitting the rock bottom”, as he felt he was avoiding his life’s journey. “Everything broke, and it was an amazing and horrifying time.”

RED CARPET DRESSING, SEPTEMBER 2007

In the 2007 Glamour interview, Blake said she loved being creative with her fashion, and this saw the introduction of method dressing on the red carpet. The phenomenon has hit the spotlight again, thanks to stars like Zendaya, but Blake has been avid in her approach with a reference back to her orange dresses for The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants premieres, and her blouse at the Gossip Girl premiere that immersed the style of the show’s trendsetter.

SPOTTED IN MEXICO, MAY 2008

While it was common by the late 2000s to see co-stars dating to promote a movie, it would seem Blake was keen to follow in the footsteps of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. While rumours of her and Gossip Girl star Penn Badgley being together were refuted, the pair’s affair made headlines — much to the excitement of the TV show’s fans. 

As Morissette’s album finally came out, Reynolds announced an engagement with actress Scarlett Johansson, much to the shock of many.

WEAPON X COMES ALIVE, APRIL 2009

Reynolds would finally get his shot with the foulmouthed Deadpool character in the X-Men Origins: Wolverine. However, behind-the-scenes drama would see the character lose its most defining characteristics, such as the iconic red and black costume, along with his lewd one-liners. The movie would receive critique for leaning into a heavy marketing rollout, the script and fans would be upset with how Deadpool was portrayed.

A month later, Blake and Badgely would break up, according to Gossip Girl showrunner Joshua Safran. 

In late 2009, Blake was cast in Ben Affleck’s The Town, which would receive critical acclaim and cement her status as a movie star. In contrast, Reynolds continued to have a year of poorly received movies when he would star next to romcom queen Sandra Bullock in The Proposal and minor roles in successful productions like Adventureland.

THE LANTERN OF LOVE, 2010

Blake and Reynolds would begin pre-production as co-stars on Green Lantern. This would be Reynolds’ first lead as a comic book character, bringing the humour he became known for in Blade Trinity.

Rumours would swirl that Johansson and Reynolds were headed for divorce. In December 2010, they would release an official statement confirming their breakup. Luckily for Reynolds, the Fox executives were still keen on a stand-alone Deadpool movie with a script made available for him that year.

DIVORCE IN THE GREEN, JUNE 2011

It wouldn't take long for tabloids to start noticing chemistry between Blake and Reynolds. Especially after Johansson gave an interview implying her and Reynolds called it quits due to her career eclipsing his. While she would begin filming for Marvel's Avengers, Reynolds and Blake would stave off dating rumours.

Adding flames to the fires sparked by Johansson, Green Lantern was a commercial and critical failure that sullied Reynolds' Deadpool project.

AVENGERS VS DEADPOOL, APRIL 2012

The success of the Avengers would put a damper on a CGI-filmed Deadpool pilot that made Johansson’s success eclipse Reynolds’ attempts at stardom. In an interview with Den of Geek, producers attempted to find ways to include the Deadpool character in the Avengers franchise but failed. This was a moment that became a major plotline in the third Deadpool movie.

THE TWO-YEAR ENGAGEMENT, 2012

Reynolds would continue a usual pattern of his by announcing his engagement to Blake, two years after they began dating. She spent the year making several red carpet appearances in white gowns whenever she was Reynolds’ plus one.

The wedding was a secret affair, with some of their closest friends and high-profile performances, including by Florence Welch. Their venue was the Boon Hall Plantation which they found on Pinterest and would be one of the many scandals to catch up to them in 2020 to heavier scrutiny.

Reynolds’ star power would get a fashion boost as he made his Met Gala debut next to Blake — the pair having spent time out of the spotlight since their wedding. While they attended many a red carpet, they would make their debut as a couple two years later.

A few months later, Reynolds helped to leak the test footage of the CGI Deadpool movie, with fans giving it positive feedback.

THE RISE OF RYAN REYNOLDS, FEBRUARY 2016

Reynolds would become heavily involved in the production of the Deadpool movie with critical and commercial success. The movie was laden with meta references and plenty of fourth wall breaks that have been synonymous with the character and his predecessor She-Hulk.

MEAN GIRL, 2017

In a Vanity Fair article, Safran said Blake had been difficult with her co-stars. While things ended well with her and Badgely, Safran confirmed rumours that Blake had been in a long feud with Gossip Girl breakout star Leighton Meester.

The feud was so intense that controversial actor Armie Hammer’s character hit a short-lived stint as Blake’s love interest. He said Blake was a “diva” on set, creating a work environment where everyone had to pick sides between her and Meester.

CLASH OF THE MILLERS, OCTOBER 2016

Fox was quick to announce the sequel for Deadpool 2 but news of Reynolds being difficult to work with would start to surface. Cancelled comedian and actor, TJ Miller, said Reynolds would often get lost in character and ad-lib hurtful lines that left crew members appalled.

The director of the first film, Tim Miller, initially signed on to be a part of the sequel but left shortly thereafter, due to Reynolds tussling for creative control. “It became clear that Ryan wanted to be in control of the franchise. You can work that way as a director, quite successfully, but I can’t,” he sad in a radio interview.

HARVEY WEINSTEIN BLUNDER, 2017

As a star in Hollywood, Blake would be asked about her views on the allegations against Harvey Weinstein at the height of the #MeToo movement. While she earnestly said she never experienced any assault, she was quickly lambasted for believing the atrocities experienced by the 80-plus victims would have persisted if they were real.

BECOMING DEADPOOL, MAY 2018

During this time, Reynolds would start investing in and acquiring a number of businesses, including Wrexham Football Club. He remained in the spotlight and said in a 2018 interview that he would often blur the lines between him and Deadpool as a means of coping with anxiety, so he would often pretend to be the fictional character in interviews.

Blake would land in hot water again for rumours she did not get along with co-stars when news of a feud with A Simple Favour lead Anna Kendrick surfaced. Sources said it would culminate in jealousy from Kendrick, and Blake taking a stance after the latter made fun of her friend Taylor Swift.

THE POWER COUPLE, MAY 2022

When the pair were announced as hosts for the 2022 Met Gala, they had solidified their status as a power couple to watch out for. Not only did this put Blake in the good graces of the fashion world, it also highlighted Reynolds as a money-making machine, with the likes of Pulp Fiction director Quentin Tarantino and Bollywood maven Kangana Ranaut questioning the state of lowbrow Hollywood movies headed by Reynolds.

IT ENDS WITH THE REYNOLDS, 2024

Behind-the-scenes drama would plague Blake’s latest movie, It Ends With Us, with reports that the director and lead Justin Baldoni was being given the cold shoulder. Reverting to her favoured method of dressing for red carpets, Blake would opt for floral outfits which Reynolds would also sport as part of promoting the film, which he produced. 

Reynolds and Blake received backlash over the inclusion of her recently launched beverage and haircare line as promotional material, despite the movie’s sensitive subject matter on domestic violence. Blake would also gloat that she dressed one of her co-stars in a floral ensemble for the red carpet.

Following the release of Deadpool, Reynolds continued his in-character antics and interviewed Blake's love interest (Brendan Sklena) in the movie with his mother.

Blake would also receive backlash for Baldoni sticking to the serious topic, while being iced out in similar fashion to Hammer and other Gossip Girl actors who were not on her side. Fans were also shocked when Britney Spears mocked Blake for wearing a 2000s Versace gown which the latter claimed was to honour her resilience.

Outside the controversy of the pair being seen as self-indulgent and narcissistic, Deadpool & Wolverine broke multiple records, while It Ends With Us grossed $80m (R1.4bn) profit over a $25m budget.