Back in July, the entertainment world was shocked when it was revealed last summer that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was cancelled. But the comedian and host had months to prepare for his final show, with celebs like Ryan Reynolds attended in the audience. And a new report claims to know why his wife Blake Lively was noticeably missing from the show's taping.
While fans have been wondering where Colbert stands with the network post-cancellation, another question fans are asking is why the Deadpool star attended alone, rather than both Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds going as a pair. Rumors are swirling, and according to scooper Rob Shuter, the Gossip Girl star would have totally been allowed to attend the show. The report reads:
The show had zero problem with Blake attending. She was welcome and fully expected at one point. Ryan simply decided it would be better if he flew solo.
There you have it. It sounds like Lively's It Ends With Us drama with co-star and director Justin Baldoni reportedly didn't end up excluding her from the fun of Colbert's last taping. Instead, she simply decided not to attend, with Reynolds contributing to the celebrity contingency or the audience alongside Bryan Cranston, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and more.
It sounds like, while Blake Lively was invited to The Late Show, Ryan did decide to attend the show solo. Allegedly the It Ends With Us drama is still following the pair, as it was reported:
Ryan understood that if Blake showed up, she would instantly become the story. The attention would shift away from Stephen Colbert’s goodbye and straight onto the controversy surrounding Blake.
This is probably a fair assessment. When Lively filed a complaint against Wayfarer Studios back in 2024, it started a years-long battle that has become synonymous with both her and Justin Badloni. While the It Ends With Us stars finally reached a settlement, the aftershocks of the drama are still being felt. According to the report, this is a big reason why the Green Lantern actress stayed home on Colbert's last taping, the same story alleges:
Blake’s image is extremely polarizing right now, and Ryan knows it. He didn’t want Stephen’s final show overshadowed by gossip, social media backlash, or questions about Blake. Going alone was the smartest move.
It Ends With Us (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription) is most closely associated with the legal fight between its stars, rather than the deeper message of the book to screen adaptation. Lively and Baldoni reached a resolution and put out a joint statement, but the discourse hasn't stopped online. And per this report, that's why Ryan Reynolds went solo to The Late Show.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert aired its final episode May 25th as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll just have to see what comes next for its host in the wake of the cancellation.
