Ryan Reynolds says he didn’t feel like playing the part this year.
But the Deadpool actor’s decision to continue his annual fundraising for the SickKids foundation — even as his wife, Blake Lively, was launching a high-profile lawsuit, has paid dividends.
Together, Reynolds and Lively matched donations up to $500,000 while promoting the Toronto-based hospital’s charity. The timing coincided with Lively launching a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment against her co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, from the film “It Ends With Us.”
“Thank you (Bryan Rowland) for directing this amazing little piece during a time I really didn’t feel like putting the (Deadpool) suit on,” the actor wrote in an post to his Instagram story on Dec. 24.
Reynolds first released the Deadpool-themed promo for SickKids on Dec. 12, featuring the actor telling his daughter, dressed in a matching Deadpool mask and hoodie, that he wants to raise money to eliminate childhood sickness as the two prepare to fly away on a sleigh, an illuminated CN Tower in the background.
The holiday fundraising campaign raised $954,000 in donations, double what was raised last year, Ben Rodrigues, a spokesperson for the SickKids Foundation, said. Adding the $500,000 match provided by Reynolds and Lively, he said, that total for this year’s campaign sits at $1.45 million.
An unlikely boost for SickKids
“Ryan (Reynolds) continues to bring in new or ‘first time’ donors to SickKids from all around the world because of his reach and the media exposure,” said Kate Torrance, the vice-president of content and communications at SickKids.
SickKids saw a bump in donations every time Reynolds posted on social media promoting the fundraising campaign, with some donors directly attributing their contributions to his posts, Torrance said.
But, she attributes the campaign’s success to Reynolds and Lively’s offer to match donations up to $500,000.
“It not only doubles the impact of someone’s donation, it makes them feel connected to Ryan, and the cause, in a really meaningful way,” Torrance said.
Lively’s lawsuit and the SickKids fundraising campaign, though unrelated, likely also brought in more attention.
“Controversy definitely leads to increased visibility for campaigns like this,” explained Heidi Ruggier, CEO and founder of the lifestyle and culture public relations firm Matte PR.
“There’s more noise in the room. There’s more of a halo effect. So you’re getting more eyeballs on the campaign, even if that is indirectly.”
In a lawsuit that was filed on Dec. 20, Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of the movie and a subsequent effort to “destroy” her reputation in a legal complaint.
According to the complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department, Lively accused Baldoni and the studio of embarking on a “multi-tiered plan” to damage her reputation, following a meeting in which her and Reynolds addressed “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behaviour” by Baldoni and a producer on the movie.
The plan, the complaint said, included a proposal to plant theories on online message boards, engineer a social media campaign and place news stories critical of Lively. The complaint also says Baldoni “abruptly pivoted away from” the movie’s marketing plan and “used domestic violence ‘survivor content’ to protect his public image.”
Baldoni has denied the allegations. “These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media,” attorney Bryan Freedman, who represents Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, said in a statement.
Even though the lawsuit doesn’t have any relation to SickKids, Ruggier credits the foundation for creating a compelling campaign and message that can be boosted amidst a controversial lawsuit. It also helps, she added, that Reynolds delivers his message in a heartfelt way — “it’s all these things combined,” Ruggier said.
“When there is a viral moment or a cultural moment in campaigns, there is always this effect,” Ruggier said. “So with SickKids, I’m not surprised that they’re benefiting from this moment.”
