Ryan Reynolds is under fire after fans accused him of being “condescending” toward a child reporter during the Toronto International Film Festival. The “Deadpool” star is no stranger to viral moments on the red carpet, but this particular exchange, which involved a young CTV interviewer named Liam, quickly sparked outrage on social media. The moment, which took place just as Ryan Reynolds is navigating heightened public attention due to his wife, Blake Lively, and her legal drama with filmmaker Justin Baldoni, drew a flood of reactions online.
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Ryan Reynolds Criticized For Brushing Off Child Reporter In TIFF Interview
In the now-viral clip, Reynolds appeared to brush past the child’s polite introduction, jumping straight to the question and cracking jokes that many viewers felt came off as dismissive rather than playful.
Reynolds is seen greeting the child reporter with, “Hi, what’s the question?” before the young interviewer even had the chance to introduce himself.
When the child politely said, “Hi Ryan, nice to meet you,” Reynolds grinned and replied, “Nice to meet you too, let’s skip to the question.”
The actor laughed as he delivered the line, but onlookers appeared unsure of how to react. Social media users later criticized the interaction as dismissive rather than charming.
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Reynolds’ Mayo Joke To Child Reporter Falls Flat With Fans
The young reporter, identified as Liam, eventually asked, “Why is there so much Chipotle mayo on your Tim Horton breakfast?”
Reynolds responded in typical comedic fashion, “You know what I wish I had some control over that, I can send a strongly worded letter to the chef. Consider it done young man.” He then added, “What’s your name? Liam. I’ll make it downright vicious, but I’ll say it’s from you though.”
Though Reynolds smiled through the moment, many viewers felt the lighthearted joke fell flat, especially in the context of speaking with a child.
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Fans Blast Ryan Reynolds For ‘Ruining’ Child Reporter’s Confidence
Social media quickly lit up with criticism, with fans accusing the actor of ruining what should have been a special moment for the young journalist.
One person wrote: “That poor kid, way to ruin someone’s confidence.” Another commented, “Not a kind manner at all with this child. He’s lucky he wanted to interview him.”
Others echoed the sentiment, calling Reynolds “condescending” and accusing him of trying to force humor into a situation that didn’t call for it. “Hey, Ryan. Not everything can be turned into a joke,” one critic noted.
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Reynolds Branded ‘Mannerless’ And ‘Disgusting’ In Viral X Backlash
The clip also made it to X (formerly Twitter) where the comments continued to attack Reynolds.
One user wrote, “He is soo… manner less,” while another added, “It’s one thing to joke with an adult but a kid won’t get what he believes are jokes.”
Others didn’t hold back, with one fan slamming the exchange as “Disgusting” and another saying, “He looks unhinged.” Another critic went even further, tying in Reynolds’ wife, Blake Lively, writing, “Ryan and Blake are so condescending and mean to people they deem ‘beneath them.’”
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Ryan Reynolds Balances Backlash With Bigger Battles
The timing of Reynolds’ TIFF controversy comes as the actor is already navigating heightened public scrutiny over Lively’s ongoing legal dispute with director Justin Baldoni. Lively filed a sexual-harassment complaint in December 2024 tied to their work on “It Ends with Us,” sparking a legal fight that continues to unfold in the headlines.
In a profile for TIME100 Companies, published June 26, Reynolds reflected on how online chatter around the case, and his own public image, affects his businesses. “I can read something that says, ‘He should be drawn and quartered.’ I could read something that says I should win a Nobel Prize. Both are meaningless,” Reynolds said at the time. “None of us are comprised of our best moments. None of us are defined by our worst moments. We are something in the middle.”
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He also made it clear that for him, character speaks louder than controversy. “Accessibility and accountability are a big part of how I do things,” the actor said. “The people that I work with know me, so there’s never a question of anything like that. If you operate with some degree of core values and integrity, they’re going to help you up. If you’re an a–hole, they’re not. And that’s pretty simple.”
While he has commented on the legal feud with Lively and Baldoni, Ryan Reynolds has yet to address the recent TIFF backlash.