Ryan Reynolds turned up for Stephen Colbert’s emotional “Late Show” farewell on May 21 surrounded by major celebrity guests. However, fans were quick to notice one absence. Blake Lively did not attend the heavily watched sendoff, despite reports claiming she was invited and welcome to join the crowd of celebrity guests.
According to insiders, the decision was intentional and allegedly came from Reynolds himself. Sources claim the actor wanted the focus to remain on Colbert’s sendoff rather than outside attention surrounding his wife.
Ryan Reynolds didn’t want Blake Lively to become a ‘story,’ says source
Rob Shuter’s “Naughty But Nice” learnt that there was “never any issue” from producers about Blake Lively attending the farewell taping. One insider claimed they had “zero problem” to have her there and that she had even been “fully expected at one point.” However, Ryan Reynolds is said to have ultimately decided it would be better to attend alone.
“Ryan understood that if Blake showed up, she would instantly become the story,” one source explained. The insider further claimed that Reynolds did not want attention shifting away from Colbert’s goodbye and onto online discourse surrounding Lively. According to the report, the actor allegedly felt that arriving solo would help preserve the emotional tone of the evening.
Reynolds still played a memorable role during the final episode. Colbert spotted him in the audience and joked about whether the “Deadpool” actor might become the show’s final guest. Reynolds responded with humor, saying he was there to “pay my respects” before pivoting into a joke about Colbert’s longtime keyboardist.
The farewell episode also featured appearances from several major names. Some of them were notably Paul Rudd, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and Paul McCartney. The show ended with music, comedy, and emotional tributes celebrating Colbert’s long run as host.
Sources also alleged that Reynolds was aware of how heavily scrutinized any public appearance with Lively might become. “Blake’s image is extremely polarizing right now, and Ryan knows it,” one insider said. “Going alone was the smartest move,” the source claimed. He added that the Canadian actor wanted to avoid distracting headlines or social media backlash.
