Blake Lively Displayed ‘Admiration’ and ‘Ownership’ Over Ryan Reynolds at TIME100 Gala, Body Language Expert Says

At the 2025 TIME100 summit, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively took center stage, offering thoughtful reflections on their entertainment, philanthropy, and advocacy work. While their signature poise and charisma marked their appearance, it also came amid increased public attention surrounding the impending legal proceedings involving filmmaker Justin Baldoni. Here’s what a body language expert noticed regarding how Reynolds and Lively looked at the gala.

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively looked ‘synchronized’ at the TIME100 gala

Blake Lively emerged to celebrate the honor of TIME naming her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. And, of course, Ryan Reynolds stood by her side. The couple stepped out for the TIME100 gala amid their high-profile lawsuit against Justin Baldoni. Celebrity body language expert Judi James told Casino.ca that the couple appeared “in total synchronization and body language harmony” while on the red carpet.

“This couple was in total synchronization and body language harmony up to the point where Ryan looked set for the red carpet exit while Blake preferred to pander to the yells of the photographers and get him back for a solo encore,” James explained.

“Their non-verbal tie-sign signals had been on point to that stage. Tie-signs are those small touches, squeezes, or subtle pats a couple will use to communicate with each other at social events, and Blake and Ryan’s had illustrated the power of a strong marriage when it comes to like-minded thinking,” James continued. “The way Ryan placed one arm right around his wife’s hips with a relaxed hand holding onto her even defined them as the tactile real deal in terms of romantic relationships, thanks to their long-term marriage.”

James noticed that Lively “leaning into” Reynold’s torso signified a “classic, well-worn routine” of nonchalance. Lively also placed “the hand of possession” on Reynold’s chest, “with her fingers splayed to signal admiration as well as ownership.”

Ryan Reynolds had a ‘more wary expression’ than his famous wife

Blake Lively seemed to want more camera time than Ryan Reynolds at the TIME100 gala.

“Blake’s dazzling smile was sustained while Ryan adopted a more wary expression, making several hand signals to the press to suggest he wouldn’t be posing for long,” celebrity body language expert Judi James continued.

“When Ryan went to break the posing though by leaning his weight onto his left foot in a bid to circuit-break in an intentional gesture, Blake used what looked like a series of restraining gestures in a bid to get him to change his mind, ending up holding first his arm then his hand and finally his bicep (usually a gesture that flatteringly emphasises a man’s strength and power) before turning her back to the cameras to appear to go beyond the non-verbal tie-sign hint stage and face him in a display of cajoling,” James continued.

James noted that Reynolds “looked less comfortable with the performative poses” than Lively. He constantly “rocked from foot to foot” while “throwing a wary-looking hand out to the press” in a “warning” that he did not want to pose for long.

Blake Lively’s demeanor changed when her mother joined

Blake Lively mentioned her mother, Willie Elain McAlpin, in her TIME100 speech. Some blasted Lively for her speech about her mother, citing it as a PR move. According to Judi James, Lively showed “leadership and choreography skills” while speaking about her mom.

“Blake’s A-list, confident smile looked weatherproof here, and she and her mother stood holding dazzling, teeth-baring grins for the cameras,” James explained. However, “Ryan appeared awkward in terms of cracking the pose in the glamour sandwich, moving about a lot to re-check his own pose. At one point, he seemed to be ready to slope off quietly as Blake moved to pose with her mother side-by-side, but he appeared to be told by her to join them at the end of the trio.”

“As Blake leaned across to pull her mother to her side, Ryan performed some pointing and hand-shaking rituals to suggest he was leaving them to it, but Blake firmly corrected him, directing him back to join the pose,” James continued.

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