Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' plantation wedding controversy reignites amid 'It Ends With Us' drama
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, known for their dazzling careers and blockbuster successes, recently found themselves at the center of a heated controversy that dates back to their 2012 wedding.
Despite their recent box office successes with 'It Ends With Us' and 'Deadpool & Wolverine,' the choice of Boone Hall Plantation in South Carolina as their wedding venue has reignited controversy. Some fans are boycotting 'It Ends With Us' because of the plantation's history.
As the couple's past choices intersect with current controversies, the debate over their wedding venue remains a poignant reminder of the complex intersection between personal decisions and historical legacies.
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' plantation wedding controversy
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ wedding day, which took place on September 9, 2012, at the Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens in South Carolina, sparked controversy due to the venue's dark history as a former plantation.
At the time, the picturesque setting, famous for its role in 'The Notebook,' seemed a perfect choice. However, the plantation's troubling past led to significant backlash.
By 2020, Ryan Reynolds described the venue choice as "a giant f*****g mistake," acknowledging that what they initially saw as a beautiful location on Pinterest was later recognized as a site with a painful history.
He shared, "It's impossible to reconcile. What we saw at the time was a wedding venue on Pinterest. What we saw after was a place built upon devastating tragedy," as per Distractify.
In response to the criticism, the couple donated $200,000 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and publicly expressed regret over their lack of awareness about systemic racism.
In a statement posted to Instagram, they admitted, "We're ashamed that in the past we've allowed ourselves to be uninformed about how deeply rooted systemic racism is."
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Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' wedding controversy resurfaced
Recently, the discussion about their wedding venue has resurfaced amid the controversy surrounding the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel, 'It Ends With Us.' Some fans have boycotted the film due to its association with Boone Hall Plantation.
A TikToker reminded viewers of the controversial wedding location as the film achieved box office success, noting, "Let’s not forget that Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds got married on a plantation."
In response to the backlash, Blake and Ryan had a second wedding ceremony at their home, reflecting their regret over the original choice.
Ryan Reynolds confirmed in a Fast Company interview that the couple decided to renew their vows privately, stating, "Years ago, we got married again at home—shame works in strange ways." He acknowledged that while mistakes might occur, “but repatterning and challenging lifelong social conditioning is a job that doesn't end.”
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively become first married duo to top charts
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have made box office history, becoming the first married couple in 34 years to have films occupy the top two spots. Since its release on August 9, Lively’s 'It Ends With Us' has already earned $50 million, placing it just behind Reynolds' 'Deadpool & Wolverine,' which has grossed over $54 million this weekend and $494.3 million domestically since its July 26 debut.
The last couple to achieve such a box office feat were Demi Moore and Bruce Willis in 1990. At that time, Willis's 'Die Hard 2,' released on July 3, and Moore’s 'Ghost,' which premiered less than two weeks later, held the top two positions at the box office.
'Ghost' garnered five Oscar nominations and won two, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 1990 with $217.6 million, while 'Die Hard 2' ranked eighth with $117.5 million.
Moore, 61, and Willis, 69, met at a 1987 screening of 'Stakeout,' married that same year, and had three daughters before divorcing in 2000. Despite their split, they remain close friends and appeared together in three films: 'Mortal Thoughts' (1991), 'Beavis and Butt-Head Do America' (1996), and 'Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle' (2003).
In comparison, Lively and Reynolds have worked together on 'Green Lantern' (2011) and the upcoming film 'IF' (2024), with Lively also making a cameo in 'Deadpool & Wolverine' as Ladypool.
