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Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have found themselves at the center of controversy after Ryan described their upbringings as "very working class" during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. This comment has triggered debate, with fans and social media users questioning the accuracy of the claim, particularly regarding Lively's background.
In the interview, Reynolds explained how their experiences shaped their parenting of their four children. "We try to give them as normal a life as possible," he said. "I try not to impose upon them the difference in their childhood to my childhood or my wife's childhood. We both grew up very working class."
While Reynolds' upbringing in Vancouver, Canada, is often described as modest—his father was a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman turned food wholesaler, and his mother worked in retail—critics have taken issue with his characterization of Lively's background. Born in Tarzana, Los Angeles, Lively is the daughter of actor Ernie Lively and talent agent Elaine Lively. She grew up immersed in Hollywood, even attending acting classes with her parents and making her film debut in a project directed by her father.
Social media users were quick to respond. One commenter wrote, "You keep using that word 'working class.' I do not think it means what you think it means." Another added, "Just because her parents worked doesn't make them working class."
The uproar is reminiscent of a 2023 moment when Victoria Beckham faced scrutiny after calling herself working class in a Netflix documentary, only to be challenged by her husband, David Beckham, who pointed out that she was driven to school in a Rolls-Royce.
This isn't the first time Lively and Reynolds have faced criticism. They previously apologized for holding their wedding at a former slave plantation, with Reynolds acknowledging in 2020, "It's impossible to reconcile... What we saw after was a place built upon devastating tragedy."
Despite the backlash, Reynolds emphasized his focus on raising empathetic children. "They're already very much in touch with gratitude and understanding the world enough to have a strong sense of empathy," he said. Reflecting on his parenting philosophy, he added, "I'm willing to sit here and hear them out and feel whatever they're going through."
