Celebrity couple Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have received a wave of criticism after the former insisted they were both from “working class” backgrounds.
Ryan Reynolds spoke about Blake Lively in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, saying she is from a “working class” background. The Gossip Girl actress, however, is hailed a “nepo baby” by some as she comes from a family of actors.
Reynolds spoke about their kids
In the interview, Reynolds spoke about his and Lively’s kids, saying they aim to give them a private upbringing away from the spotlight.
The couple have four kids; James, 10 years old, Inez, 8, Betty, 5 years old, and 1-year-old Olin.
Reynolds spoke about childhood
The Deadpool actor spoke about the importance of a happy childhood, saying, “We try to give them as normal a life as possible. I try not to impose upon them the difference in their childhood to my childhood or my wife’s childhood.”
The actor said the couple were working class
“We both grew up very working class, and I remember when they were very young, I used to say or think, like, “Oh God, I would never have had a gift like this when I was a kid,” Reynolds said of his and Lively’s backgrounds.
Fans didn’t like what he claimed
Following Reynold’s words on his and his wife’s upbringing, fans blasted the claim for ignorance.
They expressed that Lively was not of a working-class background, referencing her actor family and her suburban upbringing in the Tarzana neighborhood in Los Angeles.
Lively’s parents were actors
The It Ends With Us actress’ parents were known in the film industry. Her father was the late Ernie Lively, an actor and director; her mother, Elaine Lively, had been an actress and talent manager.
Blake Lively made her acting debut at 10 years old in Sandman in 1998, directed by her father.
Lively’s siblings helped her out
The actress’s older siblings have also worked in the entertainment industry, with her older brother’s talent agent landing her a role in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in 2005 when she was 16.
The actress also attended Burbank High School in California.
Fans responded to Reynold’s claims
After Ryan’s quote was reposted by The Cut on Instagram, fans responded to his, claiming that the wife was from a working-class background.
One person wrote: “You keep using that word, “working class.” I do not think it means what you think it means.”
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Another person recounted her family history
One user wrote, “Quick search: She grew up in Tarzana and then went to Burbank High. Her whole family was in the entertainment business. She was cast in Sisterhood for the Traveling Pants as a teen. It’s giving at least middle class.”
More people appeared to be upset
People seemed upset at incorrectly using the ‘working class’ label. One person wrote, “’More and more I’m learning that rich people say “working class” when they mean “had a salary.”
Another said, “Just because her parents worked, doesn’t make them working class.”
Comparing Lively to Beckham
Many compared Blake Lively to Victoria Beckham, whose husband, David Beckham, told her to “be honest” after she claimed she was of working-class background in the 2023 Beckham documentary.
The former footballer had felt that his wife was not honest about her economic background, pointing out that her father drove a Rolls-Royce.
