Ryan Reynolds under fire as old clip of him slapping a child actor resurfaces: “That’s literally..."

"I don’t want to get attached to the kids," said Ryan Reynolds while talking about his unscripted slap to a young co-actor
PUBLISHED MAR 28, 2025
Screenshot of Ryan Reynolds from The Amityville Horror (2005). (Cover image source: Amazon MGM Studios | YouTube)
Screenshot of Ryan Reynolds from The Amityville Horror (2005). (Cover image source: Amazon MGM Studios | YouTube)

Ryan Reynolds is once again grabbing major headlines, but for all the wrong reasons. Known for his exceptional comedic timing, the 'Deadpool' actor is under public scrutiny for his participation in his wife Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's defamation suit. While Reynolds is seeking the dismissal of the $400 million defamation lawsuit filed by the Baldoni, the stars are still not shining bright for the actor. Given his current controversies, the Internet has now unearthed an old clip where Reynolds can be seen improvising slapping a child.

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 05: Actors Blake Lively (L) and Ryan Reynolds attend the
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds attend the 'Charles James: Beyond Fashion' Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. (Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Mike Coppola)
 

The clip dates back to the filming of the 2005 flick, 'The Amityville Horror,' where Reynolds is shown improvising a slap to child actor Jesse James, who was 15 at the time. In a 2005 interview with Radio Free, Reynolds addressed the incident, joking that James "had it coming" before clarifying his regret, saying, "No, it was actually horrible. I didn’t mean to do it. It wasn't hard or anything. He looked up like he just won the lottery. It was just so cool to him. And I look over and the script supervisor's crying, and I'm trying to apologize to her. I don't know what's happening."



 

To add more, Reynolds gave a bizarre explanation for the incident, claiming it happened due to Native Americans possessing his character. "It was one of those great moments. In a perverse way, I was sort of excited by the fact that something happened on film that was just totally unplanned. And it just came out organically enough and not so organically that it actually hurt anyone. So everyone walked away from it, but it was definitely disturbing." The actor also admitted he deliberately kept his distance from his younger co-stars. "I don’t want to get attached to the kids. I don’t want to get to know them and love them. I want to stay as far away from them as possible. It helps me do my job better." Despite this, Reynolds acknowledged the professionalism of his young co-stars, saying, "One of them is my financial advisor now!"

The Internet was obviously not amused with Reynolds' attitude, as many shared their opinion under the TikTok video's comment section. A comment said, "And his behavior as a piece of s**t probably escalated even higher after this day because he faced no consequences over this." While another said, "Ugh, it’s uncomfortable to watch honestly." Another comment reads, "That’s literally assault." In a similar vein, a comment reads, "That’s ACTUAL abuse." A comment remarked, "I would have sued if I were the parent."



 

On another occasion, Reynolds revealed that he accidentally gave Denzel Washington two black eyes while filming their 2012 action film, 'Safe House.' Speaking with David Letterman on 'My Next Guest Needs No Introduction,' Reynolds explained the incident happened during a high-speed fight scene in a moving car, as reported by The New York Post. "There’s a scene in the movie where he crawls through the trunk in the back, and he grabs me and chokes me. We were really driving a car at top speed," Reynolds recalled. He emphasized that no stunt drivers were used, adding that it was only the second day of filming when he was supposed to "smash" Washington in "the face."



 

During the filming, Reynolds accidentally struck Washington in the eye during a chaotic car fight scene, leaving him with two black eyes. Fearing he would be fired or worse, Reynolds panicked about the consequences of injuring the veteran actor. Reynolds said, "I'm thinking I'm going to be sent home via crematorium, like, this is it; not only my career but my actual pulse will cease." However, Washington remained composed and reassured Reynolds, saying, "Hey, accidents happen. Let's do it again, and we’ll shoot it from the other side so we can keep shooting so you don't see this."

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