Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' plantation wedding scandal resurfaces amid Justin Baldoni defamation lawsuit
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Amid their ugly court battle with It Ends With Us star Justin Baldoni, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' relationship is being put under the microscope.
The Hollywood couple — who have a combined net worth of $380million — are facing renewed backlash over their controversial 2012 plantation wedding.
Lively and Reynolds famously tied the knot on September 9, 2012 during an intimate ceremony attended by several celebrity pals at Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens in South Carolina.
The stunning backdrop to the couple's nuptials has a dark history of slavery, with 'preserved' slave cabins and fields of cotton serving as a constant reminder of the horrors that once took place there.
Lively and Reynolds were widely criticized for seemingly glamorizing the former plantation where Black slaves suffered and died.
Years later, the Deadpool actor branded the wedding 'a giant f***ing mistake' in a 2020 interview.
The 'shame' felt by the couple was so strong that Reynolds and Lively decided to wed for a second time at their New York home.
They've also gone on to donate millions to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and have been vocal about their support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Despite their efforts to right their wrongs, the scandal surrounding Lively and Reynold's wedding has resurfaced in recent weeks as their legal war with Baldoni continues to play out in the court of public opinion.
Amid their ugly legal battle with It Ends With Us star Justin Baldoni , Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are facing renewed backlash over their controversial 2012 plantation wedding; seen in 2024
Lively and Reynolds famously tied the knot on September 9, 2012 during an intimate ceremony attended by several celebrity pals at Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens in South Carolina; the former plantation pictured in 2004
The couple's 2012 nuptials at Boone Hall were attended by 35 guests and came just months after Reynolds popped the question.
The venue, located in the historic district of Charleston, famously appeared in Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling's 2004 movie, The Notebook — which is considered one of the greatest romance films of all time.
Lively's self-confessed 'idol' Martha Stewart — who recently got into an award back-and-forth with Reynolds — helped to create the big day, alongside local wedding planner Tara Guérard.
Months before their September nupitials, Lively gushed to Marie Claire about planning her 'dream wedding' and made it clear that she was most focused on what designer pieced she'd be wearing during her walk down the aisle.
'Every girl has her dream. But what I planned before I got into the business has changed,' she admitted.
'It used to be that my mom or I would make my dress. Now I'm like, 'Hmm, I wonder what shoes Christian [Louboutin] is going to make me. And which couture house should I go to?''
The couple's ceremony was held in a 'rustic barn' and the reception was held in a white tent at the plantation, while Lively's good friend, British singer Florence Welch serenaded the newlyweds with three songs.
Bette Midler was one of a number of high profile guests who attended, as well as Lively's The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel.
The private couple have only released a handful of images of their wedding via their planner Martha Stewart's magazine.
Lively wore a couture Marchesa ballgown and Reynolds was dressed in a Burberry suit with one of the pictures giving a glimpse of their attire as the couple stood hand in hand.
The ballgown featured hand-draped silk tulle bodice which was tripped with crystal and rose gold embroidery.
Her bridesmaids also wore blush silk chiffon confections with crystal detailing by the same label.
The stunning backdrop to the couple's nuptials has a dark history of slavery, with 'preserved' slave cabins and fields of cotton serving as a constant reminder of the horrors that once took place there
12 feet by 30 feet slave cabins still remain on the property, and today house information about the slaves who lived there
Stewart's website stated it was the pair's 'sole wish to have an intimate affair', adding: 'They wanted to celebrate in privacy—and in style.
The site added: 'When Ryan and Blake secretly got engaged last June, they knew it would take careful planning, confidentiality, and a select crew to pull off their nuptials before word got out. Enter Martha Stewart.
'We quickly discovered that Ryan and Blake are not like the many altar-bound celebrities who sell their big-day photos to the highest bidder.'
Martha Stewart Weddings' style director Kate Berry created Lively;s lush bouquet of pink jasmine, andromeda, dusty miller, and blushing bride hydrangea.
She dipped select petals in subtle rose-gold glitter to play up the embroidery of the same color on the bride's ballgown.
While photos and details from the wedding painted a stunning picture, the history of Boone Hall isn't as pretty — a fact that the plantation doesn't shy away from.
It is one of America's oldest working plantations. In the 19th century it was owned by Henry and John Horlbeck who were in the brick business, building many of the public spaces in downtown Charleston using brick from the plantation.
By 1850, Boone Hall was producing 4,000,000 bricks per year using 85 slaves.
The plantation has also been owned by a Georgian prince while since the 1950s it has been owned by the McRae family, who opened the 738 acre estate up to public tours in 1956.
12 feet by 30 feet slave cabins still remain on the property, and today house information about the slaves who lived there.
Boone Hall is one of America's oldest working plantations and by 1850 it was producing 4,000,000 bricks per year using 85 slaves
On the official website, Boone Hall Plantation acknowledges that slavery 'is an important topic that must be discussed openly and honestly whenever plantation life is addressed'
The couple's ceremony was held in a 'rustic barn' and the reception was held in a white tent at the plantation, while Lively's good friend, British singer Florence Welch serenaded the newlyweds with three songs; Lively and Reynolds seen in 2017
The cabins were in use well into the 20th century, as they were occupied by sharecroppers through the 1940s.
On the official website, Boone Hall Plantation acknowledges that slavery 'is an important topic that must be discussed openly and honestly whenever plantation life is addressed.'
They also vow 'to present the history of slavery in an accurate and educational manner each day in a way that pays honor and respect to that history and the progress of Black Americans.'
Visitors are encouraged to visit the plantation's Black History in America Exhibit at no additional charge.
Years after using the former plantation as their wedding venue, Reynolds profusely apologized on behalf of himself and Lively in an interview with Fast Company in 2020.
He called their choice of location 'something we'll always be deeply and unreservedly sorry for.
'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,' Reynolds continued.
'Years ago we got married again at home - but shame works in weird ways. A giant f***ing mistake like that can either cause you to shut down or it can reframe things and move you into action.
'It doesn't mean you won't f*** up again. But repatterning and challenging lifelong social conditioning is a job that doesn't end.'
He also went on to emphasize the need for 'representation and diversity' in Hollywood — something his production company Maxium Effort has tried to do by creating the Group Effort initiative, which helps 'Black, Indigenous, people of color or people from marginalized and excluded communities' break into the film industry.
Years later, the Deadpool actor branded the wedding 'a giant f***ing mistake' in a 2020 interview; Reynolds seen on January 7, 2025
Despite their efforts to right any wrongs, the scandal surrounding Lively and Reynold's wedding has resurfaced in recent weeks as their legal war with Baldoni continues to play out in the court of public opinion; the couple seen in August 2024
'Representation and diversity need to be completely immersive. Like, it needs to be embedded at the root of storytelling, and that's in both marketing and Hollywood. When you add perspective and insight that isn't your own, you grow,' Reynolds said.
In wake of Reynold's apology, Boone Hall Plantation released a statement, saying: 'We treasure all our relationships with couples that have chosen to get married at Boone Hall, and, when needed, respond to them in private, honest, and personal discussions to address any concerns they may have.
'The discussions are heartfelt as we want to listen and put love and respect at the center of any issues that arise.
'We will always work to be a part of the solution for our couples, not a part of the problem.'
Amid public outcry over the killing of George Floyd and other unarmed Black Americans in 2020, Lively and Reynolds donated $200,000 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
They vowed to 'use our privilege and platform to be an ally' to Black people and to educate their four children on racial inequity.
'We want to educate ourselves about other people's experiences and talk to our kids about everything, all of it...especially our own complicity,' the couple said in a statement.
'We talk about our bias, blindness and our own mistakes. We look back and see so many mistakes which have led us to deeply examine who we are and who we want to become. They've led us to huge avenues of education.'
This donation came less than a year after the couple pledged a whopping $2million to the non-profit organization, which 'fights for racial justice.'
