Ryan Reynolds raves about “Working-Class” background comments

• Ryan Reynolds is facing backlash for saying Blake Lively had a working-class background.
• Lively’s parents worked in the entertainment industry and her four siblings are also actors.
• A PR expert said being relatable can help a celebrity, but it can backfire if it feels inauthentic.

Ryan Reynolds has come under fire for saying he and his wife, Blake Lively, grew up in working-class families.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published last week, the “Deadpool” star spoke about his and Lively’s decision to keep their four children out of the spotlight “to give them as normal a life as possible.”

“I’m not trying to impose on them the difference between their childhood and my childhood or my wife’s childhood,” Reynolds told The Hollywood Reporter.

“We both grew up working class and I remember when they were very young I used to say or think, ‘Oh God, I would never have gotten a gift like that when I was a kid’ or ‘I would never had this luxury of getting takeout or whatever, then I realized it wasn’t really their bag of rocks to carry,” Reynolds continued.

His comment about Lively’s upbringing has sparked some fans because her parents work in the entertainment industry.

Her father, Ernie Lively, was an actor and producer with a Hollywood career spanning nearly five decades, according to 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 on-screen 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,” according to her IMDB page.

All four of Lively’s siblings are actors, People reported.

In a 2006 interview with Radio freeLively said she had “grown up on set.” Her brother Eric got her into showbiz when she was a teenager, she added.

“He (told) his agents, ‘You guys need to start sending Blake out for auditions.’ And I didn’t want to make him mad because he’s such a good brother, so I just auditioned to appease him, and then after a few months of auditioning, I got ‘Sisterhood,'” Lively told Radio Free.

Some netizens criticized Reynolds’ remarks in the comments section of a Instagram posts by New York Magazine’s The Cut.

“I’m learning more and more that rich people say ‘working class’ when they mean ‘had a salary,'” one commenter wrote.

“You keep using that word, ‘working class’. I don’t think it means what you think it means,” wrote another.

Reynolds’ upbringing in Vancouver was apparently more modest than his wife’s.

His father, James Reynolds, worked as a police officer and then as a food broker, People reported. His mother, Tammy Reynolds, was a retail salesperson, according to Reynolds’ IMDb page.

Why do celebrities try to claim working class affiliation?

Reynolds and Lively are still dealing with backlash over the movie “It Ends With Us,” which may explain why they’re trying to lean into relatability, Megan Balyk, vice president at PR 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. Additionally, it can help deflect criticism of 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 are quick to highlight any discrepancies, 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 dad owns a Rolls-Royce,” Balyk said.

There is also a risk of trivializing the struggles of people from disadvantaged backgrounds, she said.

Balyk said the backlash in Reynolds’ case could be due to people becoming more aware of nepotism in Hollywood.

“There is a growing fatigue with celebrities who seem to downplay their privilege,” she said.

“A better strategy would be to openly acknowledge their current position while showing genuine appreciation for the advantages they have had. It is better to be honest about your background than to exaggerate past hardships,” she added.

A representative for Reynolds did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by BI outside normal business hours.