Expert reveals how to cope with public jokes at your expense after Ryan Reynolds' SNL quip about Blake Lively

A relationship expert has weighed in on the awkward joke made by Ryan Reynolds and Tina Fey during SNL50 about Blake Lively's ongoing lawsuit - and what to do if you ever find yourself in a similar situation with a partner. On Sunday, fans were shocked when not only did the couple show up to the big event - their first one since she filed against It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni - but they also participated in a bit with the audience.

In December, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and launching a smear campaign against her. She claimed in the lawsuit that Baldoni had entered her trailer while she was topless, showed her a graphic video of his wife giving birth, and bit and sucked on her lips during an improvised kissing scene. He responded by filing a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, and also sued The New York Times for $250 million, claiming it 'relied almost entirely on Lively's unverified and self-serving narrative, lifting it nearly verbatim while disregarding an abundance of evidence that contradicted her claims.'.

The feud has only grown to be more explosive, as Baldoni released raw footage from the movie set and even a website with documents related to the suit in an attempt to clear his name, and Lively recently subpoenaed cell carriers to look for more receipts in her ongoing legal battle. Baldoni, Lively and Reynolds have all denied the allegations against them in the lawsuits. However, Reynolds seemed to poke at the situation during the special, as he stood up from the audience alongside Lively and said, 'I have a question' while Amy Poehler and Tina Fey were onstage.

A relationship expert has weighed in on the awkward joke made by Ryan Reynolds and Tina Fey during SNL50 about Blake Lively 's ongoing lawsuit - and whether or not it was planned in advance. On Sunday, fans were shocked as not only did the couple show up to the big event, their first one since she filed against It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni , but that they also participated in a bit in the audience.

In December, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and launching a smear campaign against her. 'Ryan Reynolds and his wife would have discussed the parameters of his SNL joke in advance,' Winter told DailyMail.com exclusively. He was asked by Fey, 'Oh Ryan Reynolds, how's it going?' to which the Deadpool star deadpanned, 'Great - why, what have you heard?' - in a nod to the months of headlines regarding the troubled production of the summer.

Lively first looked surprised and then smiled at the joke - and it divided fans. 'If you know anything about Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds you’d know they troll each other constantly and have similar senses of humor. Clearly Blake was in on the joke,' one person wrote on X. Another disagreed, 'Blake was shocked by Ryan’s comeback when he said “what have you heard."'. But according to relationship expert Susan Winter, the joke was most likely pre-planned due to the nature of their marriage.

'Ryan Reynolds and his wife would have discussed the parameters of his SNL joke in advance,' Winter told DailyMail.com exclusively. 'His commitment to his relationship far outweighs the need to get a laugh from his audience.'. The couple has been married since 2012, and share four young children together. The Hollywood couple have been married since 2012, and share three young children together. Winter noted that she thought it was 'brilliant PR' for the two of them to show up at SNL50 this weekend.

Winter noted that she thought it was 'brilliant PR' for the two of them to show up at SNL50. She also stressed that any 'joke' that is made at a partner's expense 'should be discussed beforehand,' as it's not something that should be sprung on your spouse or loved one in public. Winter explained that, often, making a joke at a partner's direct expense is 'cruel,' and shared what to do if you do find yourself the subject of a 'joke'.

"'Jokes' are often a harsh viewpoint cloaked in humor,' she explained. 'Making a joke at the direct expense of one's partner indicates a lack of respect.'. 'It signals anger, resentment, and dismissiveness,' the bestselling author continued. 'Humor is often used as a tool to express issues that are far too hard to say to one's partner directly.'. If you find yourself in this situation, and are upset by your partner's joke, you should find the time to talk to them once you've calmed down, according to Winter.

'If you're angry, wait until you can think clearly enough to express how the joke affected you. Communicating effectively is impossible when you're scattered and accusatory,' Winter offered. 'Explain how it hurt you, and tell them what you would have preferred instead. As in, "I wish you would have consulted me in advance,"' she suggested. And, at the end of the day, it's important to realize what the true intent of your partner was when they made the joke.