Lorne Michaels, the legendary Saturday Night Live (SNL) creator and producer, 

seems to be more invested in Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s ongoing legal battle than his own show’s 50th anniversary celebration. 

According to former SNL cast member Dana Carvey, 

Michaels has been fixated on the situation, even going so far as to repeatedly text about it after the highly successful SNL50 special.

Carvey, who was part of SNL from 1986 to 1993, shared this surprising revelation during a recent episode of the Fly on the Wall podcast, which he co-hosts with David Spade. 

Instead of discussing the anniversary event, Michaels kept steering the conversation back to Lively and Baldoni’s headline-making courtroom showdown

—especially after Ryan Reynolds made a lighthearted joke about it during the live broadcast.

Lorne Michaels Can’t Stop Talking About It

Following the SNL50 special, Carvey texted Michaels to congratulate him on the well-received production. However, instead of discussing the night’s standout performances or memorable sketches, Michaels responded with an unexpected message:

“Baldoni will now countersue. I think that Lively will probably get a new attorney.”

Carvey admitted he was caught off guard and attempted to redirect the conversation, bringing up other highlights of the show, such as Tom Hanks’ appearance and the opening monologue featuring comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short. But Michaels remained focused on the lawsuit.

“I don’t know where Ryan Reynolds is on this, but certainly, they have deep pockets,” he reportedly texted back.

A representative for Michaels has not commented on Carvey’s claims, but it’s clear that the SNL boss has been paying close attention to the ongoing legal drama between Lively and Baldoni.

Ryan Reynolds’ Joke at SNL50

The SNL50 special featured an all-star lineup of past and present cast members, along with several surprise celebrity guests. One of those guests was Ryan Reynolds, who appeared on stage with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

During their exchange, the two comedians jokingly asked Reynolds how he was doing, to which he replied, “Great! Why, what have you heard?”

The quip was widely interpreted as a reference to the legal dispute involving his wife, Blake Lively, and her former It Ends With Us director, Justin Baldoni. While some viewers found the joke amusing, others criticized it as being in poor taste, considering the serious nature of the allegations.

Carvey, however, defended Reynolds’ approach, saying, “It’s been in all the newspapers … and when Ryan Reynolds said, ‘What have you heard?’ [he was] basically being tongue-in-cheek about it. So it was a good moment.”

His podcast co-host, David Spade, echoed that sentiment, adding, “They’re like us. Whatever is going on, you try to make a joke about it.”

Who Came Up With the Joke?

Since the SNL50 special aired, there has been debate over who actually came up with Reynolds’ joke.

Wally Feresten, SNL’s longtime cue card writer, claimed during an interview on the Fifi, Fev & Nick podcast that Reynolds himself suggested the line during rehearsal.

“He had a different line in rehearsal and he pitched that to replace it. That was his idea,” Feresten said. “We wouldn’t want to do anything too controversial unless they were in on it.”

However, multiple sources close to the show have disputed Feresten’s account.

An SNL insider told Page Six, “The opening joke was pitched by SNL and never changed. The follow-up joke was rewritten in rehearsal.”

A representative for NBC also stated that Feresten’s claims were “not true,” emphasizing that he is “not part of the writing process or part of any of those decisions.”

Lively and Baldoni’s Legal Battle

Lively and Reynolds’ appearance at the SNL50 event marked their first red carpet outing together since Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni in December 2024. The Gossip Girl star accused the It Ends With Us director of sexual harassment and alleged that he orchestrated a smear campaign against her.

Baldoni has vehemently denied the accusations and responded with his own lawsuit, suing both Lively and Reynolds for defamation and extortion. The director is reportedly seeking $400 million in damages.

While the legal battle continues to unfold, Michaels’ fascination with the case seems to have no end in sight. Whether it’s because of the high-profile names involved or simply his own curiosity, the SNL creator’s text messages suggest that he, like much of Hollywood, is watching the drama play out with great interest.

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