Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are the parents of four children now. The latest addition to their little yet illustrious clan is a baby boy, Reynolds confirmed in a recent social media post. In that same post, Reynolds reached out to fans to tackle feelings of love, loss, depression, and family, delivering a powerful message for all who may be feeling alone.
47-year-old Reynolds and 36-year-old Lively first met back in 2010 when they were filming and co-starring in Green Lantern. They started dating in October 2011 and tied the knot the following September. They are parents to James, born in December 2014; Inez, born in September 2016; Betty, born in October 2019; and finally, Olin, whose birth quietly passed in February 2023 and whose gender was finally confirmed in a powerful social media post by Reynolds.
Ryan Reynolds confirms that his and Blake Lively’s newest baby is a boy in an emotional video about family and togetherness
View this post on Instagram
Last winter, Reynolds and Lively welcomed their fourth child together, a baby boy named Olin. Details about him were further confirmed by Reynolds himself in a new social media post. In the accompanying video, shared on Friday, July 26, Reynolds introduces Wrexham AFC fan John Bell, who tragically lost his son Jake. Bell is transparent about the incomparable grief he suffered and the depths his sorrow brought him after the death of Jake, whose favorite comic book character was Deadpool, played on-screen by Reynolds across several films.
RELATED: Ryan Reynolds Remembers His Last Conversation With Alex Trebek
In the video, Bell dresses as Deadpool in honor of his son and carries a bathtub lined with rubber ducks to deliver a powerful message about depression and mental health struggles. Reynolds helps Bell get fully into makeup resembling Wade Wilson’s scarred face, and the two share a meaningful conversation from father to father.
Reynolds meets a real-life hero
Bell took the opportunity to share just how much Jake meant to him. “Where do I start?” he wondered. “He was just so funny, so comical — and we did everything together. He was my firstborn son. He was just absolutely everything to me.” He went on to admit, “I was planning my own death and talking myself into staying because my family needs me, my kids need me.”
Bell had to bring himself out of “a very dark place,” which took a lot of inner reflection and taking stock of everything around him. “What I do now keeps me alive daily because I’ve made my peace with death,” he shared. “I’m gonna be reunited with him at some point, but it damn right ain’t now.”
Bell devotedly uses Deadpool’s likeness in honor of his son to raise awareness of mental health struggles so others can know they are not alone and there is always strength to be had.
Reynolds was moved by his efforts. “The resilience it takes to, you know, put one foot in front of the other as many times as you’ve done it, and transmute that much grief into something powerfully useful,” he marveled. “I’m very grateful that you shared his story.” He added, “I want to share with you that I too have a son and that if … boy, John, if I love him one-tenth as much as you love Jake, I feel like I’ve done a pretty damn good job.”
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, help is available. Contact 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7. You can also reach out to The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
