Ryan Reynolds is learning the hard way that even Deadpool-level charm can’t save you from the internet’s wrath when you joke about regretting your kids — or at least the male ones.
The 48-year-old Marvel actor found himself in hot water after appearing on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” to promote a John Candy documentary. While discussing life with his four children— daughters James, 10, Inez, 9, Betty, 6, and 2-year-old son Olin — Reynolds made a crack that instantly rubbed people the wrong way.
He told Meyers that he and wife Blake Lively “would never” have had four children if their baby boy had been born first, explaining that Olin “came out with three things on his mind.”
‘We live in a very… like there’s nothing violent in our home,’ Reynolds began. ‘There’s nothing creepy. [But Olin] came out with three things on his mind. It was violence, breasts and engines.’
The kicker? Reynolds said if he’d had three boys first, he’d give himself a “punching vasectomy” to prevent more children.
‘I really don’t understand where this comes from,’ he continued. ‘If I had like three boys at first, I would never… there’s no way. I would give myself a punching vasectomy. Like, there’s no way I would allow that to happen.’
The comment landed like a lead balloon on social media, where critics quickly labeled his remarks as “disgusting.”
Daily Mail readers didn’t hold back their opinions on the controversial statement.
“I don’t like him anymore. He is not funny at all,” another commenter declared, while one concerned reader pointed out the long-term implications: “What a dufus! One day your GIRLS will read that!!!!”
Others were equally unimpressed.
“Everyone knows he is an idiot. If the fourth one had turned out a girl, he would probably have divorced her to try with someone else,” one person wrote.
Someone else chimed in with “That family gives me the creeps…something is off about them.”
A fifth person said, “I can’t stand him or his wife but come on. Boys can be wild. Some of you do not have boys or did not have brothers growing up. LOL,” one person wrote, offering a more measured perspective on the controversy.
This isn’t the first time Reynolds has faced criticism lately.
At the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025, he drew fire for being “condescending” and “rude” to a child reporter named Liam from CTV. When the young journalist tried to greet him politely, Reynolds interrupted with “Nice to meet you too. Let’s skip to the question,” causing social media users to accuse him of being mean-spirited toward the kid.
Even his neighbor Martha Stewart threw shade his way during a November episode of Bilt Rewards’ “Rent Free” game show.
The 83-year-old lifestyle maven said Reynolds “isn’t funny” in real life, adding, “He’s very serious. He can act funny, but he isn’t funny.”
She later walked it back slightly, saying, “Maybe he can get to be funny again … I’m going to get in trouble!” Reynolds responded on social media with characteristic wit, joking about Stewart being “unexpectedly spry” when he tried to disagree with her once.
Meanwhile, Reynolds and Lively’s friendship with Hugh Jackman also came under scrutiny amid rumors that they knew about Jackman’s alleged relationship with Broadway actress Sutton Foster before his 2023 separation from wife Deborra-Lee Furness. An unnamed source told Woman’s Day that Furness was disturbed by “the very real possibility that Ryan and Blake must have known about Sutton.”
Despite the controversies, Reynolds has repeatedly emphasized his commitment to fatherhood.
In April, he told Time about watching “Back to the Future” with his then-8-year-old daughter James, calling it “enough for me—and for her.” He also revealed in June 2024 that his children hold dual citizenships in Canada and the United States, saying they “feel a real connection” to their Canadian heritage and proudly tell people “I’m half Canadian, half American.”
The backlash suggests that while Reynolds may have been joking, audiences aren’t laughing — especially when comments seem sexist and the joke lands flat. Maybe Martha was right, he just isn’t a funny guy.
