The TRUTH About Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Potential CBS Lawsuit, and Russini Scandal, with Maureen Callahan | Ep. 1313
Episode of The Megyn Kelly Show · May 8, 2026 · 1 h 41 min
Megyn Kelly and Maureen Callahan criticize Blake Lively after her Baldoni settlement, dissect the 2026 Met Gala, the Russini–Vrabel scandal, Ted Turner's marriages, and CBS News turmoil.
Summary
Megyn Kelly hosted Maureen Callahan, host of The Nerve, for a wide-ranging celebrity and media discussion. They opened with Blake Lively's appearance at the 2026 Met Gala following her settlement with Justin Baldoni, which Kelly characterized as a resounding victory for Baldoni since Lively received no money after suing for $400 million. Kelly cited a Sony email suggesting Lively had asked for dailies to be destroyed despite denying it under oath, while Callahan revisited Lively's texts with Taylor Swift and recounted Ryan Reynolds' teenage arson of his school.
The pair then critiqued other Met Gala attendees, including Blue Ivy Carter, Sunday Rose Kidman Urban, Amy Griffin, Lauren Sánchez Bezos and Eileen Gu, arguing that celebrity parents were pushing their children into fame and that the event rewarded people they considered disreputable. They also discussed King Charles removing a Harry and Meghan wedding photo.
Discussion moved to the alleged affair between reporter Dianna Russini and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, including newly surfaced 2020 boat footage, and then to Ted Turner's death and his marriage to Jane Fonda, which led to broader commentary on womanizing wealthy men and marrying for money. Kelly described Bill Maher calling her an antisemite, and both criticized his podcast.
In the final segment they mocked Don Lemon's suggestion he might run for president, discussed reports that 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi was preparing to sue CBS News and Bari Weiss, with both arguing Weiss mismanaged talent, and closed on the rescue of 1,500 beagles from a Wisconsin testing facility.
Chapters
- 2:18
Blake Lively at the Met Gala
Kelly and Callahan criticize Lively's post-settlement Met Gala appearance, her 'shy' remark and treatment of a valet.
- 6:54
Swift texts and godparent choices
They revisit Lively's texts with Taylor Swift and compare her naming Swift godmother to Meghan Markle choosing Tyler Perry.
- 15:23
Settlement terms and perjury allegations
Kelly argues the settlement was a win for Baldoni and cites evidence Lively lied about destroying dailies.
- 20:57
Ryan Reynolds and the royals
Callahan details Reynolds' school arson and Deadpool conduct, then they discuss King Charles removing a Sussex wedding photo.
- 27:50
Met Gala guests: Blue Ivy, Kidman, Griffin, Sánchez
The hosts criticize celebrity children at the gala, Amy Griffin's memoir, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos' appearance.
- 51:14
Eileen Gu and Aaron Rose Philip
They criticize Eileen Gu's self-regard and Aaron Rose Philip's Met Gala presence.
- 59:42
Russini–Vrabel scandal
New footage of a 2020 boat trip and a Zoom clip fuel discussion of the alleged affair and its effect on Russini's family.
- 1:05:27
Ted Turner, Jane Fonda and powerful men
After Turner's death, they discuss his infidelity, Fonda's marriage, womanizers and marrying for money.
- 1:13:48
Bill Maher
Kelly recounts Maher calling her an antisemite and Callahan critiques his show and dating views.
- 1:27:09
Don Lemon's presidential talk
They mock Lemon's comments to Kara Swisher about possibly running for president.
- 1:31:30
Sharyn Alfonsi and CBS News
They discuss reports Alfonsi is preparing to sue and argue Bari Weiss has mismanaged CBS News.
- 1:36:29
Beagle rescue
Kelly praises activist Wayne Hsiung for freeing 1,500 beagles from a Wisconsin testing facility.
Key points
What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.
- Megyn Kelly
Kelly argues the settlement was a clear win for Baldoni because Lively sought $400 million and received nothing.
“there is no question that this is a resounding victory for Team Baldoni. She was suing him for $400 million, Maureen”
- Maureen Callahan
Callahan argues Lively has damaged the credibility of other women with legitimate harassment claims.
“The incalculable damage that Blake Lively has done to every other woman, especially in her Hollywood sphere, who wants to come forward with legitimate claims”
- Megyn Kelly
Kelly says Lively was reportedly desperate to settle to avoid cross-examination, citing Bryan Freedman's TMZ interview.
“Brian Friedman actually gave an interview to TMZ saying that she was panicked because she didn't want to have to be cross-examined”
- Megyn Kelly
Kelly argues a Sony executive's email shows Lively lied in her deposition about asking for dailies to be destroyed.
“So here she is caught in just one example, red-handed, obviously lying under oath”
- Maureen Callahan
Callahan says Reynolds burned down his elementary school as a teenager and later admitted it in an interview.
“When Ryan Reynolds was a teenage boy, he burned down his elementary school in Canada to the ground”
- Maureen Callahan
Callahan says Paramount dropped three Reynolds projects and predicts any divorce would be driven by his career concerns.
“if they do get divorced, trust me, it will be because Ryan is trying to salvage his career”
- Megyn Kelly
Kelly argues Beyoncé and Jay-Z have tried to turn Blue Ivy into a celebrity since birth, and credits Jay-Z's marketing for Beyoncé's stature.
“all they've done for her since she was born, Maureen, is try to make her an independent clicks generator”
- Maureen Callahan
Callahan accuses Amy Griffin of appropriating another woman's sexual assault and using MDMA-recovered memories as cover.
“shrouded it all in recovered memories brought upon by a guided MDMA trip so that if she's ever accused of making this up”
- Megyn Kelly
Kelly says newly surfaced 2020 footage suggests the alleged Russini–Vrabel affair lasted at least six years, though both deny it.
“So it comes out that this alleged affair, they're denying it still, has been going on for at least six years”
Listen from 1:01:19 · Mike Vrabel–Dianna Russini boat photos
Linked moment · 1:08:02Skip to 1:08:02 using a listen link in the info box.
Megyn KellyKelly recounts that Turner cheated on Fonda from the first month of their marriage and never stopped.
“He cheats on her within the first month of their marriage and never stopped. Was cheating all the time”
- Maureen Callahan
Callahan argues compulsive womanizers do not truly love women and treat them as interchangeable.
“I truly believe that womanizers do not love women. They don't. Women are there to scratch and itch. They are interchangeable”
- Megyn Kelly
Kelly says Bill Maher called her an antisemite on his show, which she calls hypocritical and false.
“He ran to his microphone and on his show actually said, I was an anti-Semite”
- Maureen Callahan
Callahan argues Maher's show has declined, relying on predictable guests and treating female guests differently.
“Now he kind of has just like this sort of rotating lazy Susan of predictable guests”
- Megyn Kelly
Kelly advises women against aiming to marry wealthy men, arguing it leads to unhappiness.
“I don't think aiming to marry a man with money is a good aim at all. I think it will actually really make you quite miserable”
- Megyn Kelly
Kelly argues Lemon lacks Trump's business record and political gifts and is deluding himself about running for president.
“Don Lemon does not have these gifts. Right. So he's deluding himself, and it's kind of interesting”
- Megyn Kelly
Kelly argues Bari Weiss mishandled Sharyn Alfonsi's CECOT segment by skipping five screenings and pulling it at the last minute.
“you can't, as the manager, spike a reporter's story. because you failed to look at it the five times it was screened, right?”
- Maureen Callahan
Callahan argues Weiss lacks investigative and television experience and suggests the Ellisons have buyer's remorse.
“I don't think Barry Weiss has ever, ever worked as an investigative reporter. I don't think she's ever done a door knock”
- Megyn Kelly
Kelly says CBS ratings have fallen since Weiss took over and predicts the Ellisons will have to reevaluate her.
“CBS has literally record low ratings across the board, the morning show, the evening show, they have fallen precipitously since she took over”
- Megyn Kelly
Kelly applauds the activist who took beagles from a Wisconsin testing facility, distinguishing them from egg-laying hens.
“That is so effed up. And I applaud this guy. I am completely on his side”
People
In the conversation
- Megyn KellyConservative broadcaster and podcaster
- Maureen CallahanAmerican journalist, Daily Mail columnist and host of The Nerve podcast
Discussed
- Blake LivelyAmerican actress who sued Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios
- Justin BaldoniAmerican actor and director of It Ends With Us
- Ryan ReynoldsActor and husband of Blake Lively
- Taylor SwiftAmerican singer-songwriter cited as an example of public love-and-hate cycles
- Bryan FreedmanAttorney for Baldoni and Megyn Kelly
- Meghan MarkleDuchess of Sussex, cited as a PR cautionary example
- Tyler PerryFilmmaker, godfather to the Sussexes' daughter
- BeyoncéSinger, mother of Blue Ivy Carter
- Jay-ZRapper and businessman
- Nicole KidmanActress who plays Kay Scarpetta in the TV series
- Amy GriffinInvestor and author of the memoir The Tell
- Lauren Sánchez BezosMedia personality and Met Gala honorary chair, wife of Jeff Bezos
- Eileen GuFreestyle skier who competes for China
- Dianna RussiniNFL reporter pictured with Vrabel
- Mike VrabelHead coach of the New England Patriots
- Ted TurnerFounder and president of CNN at the time of the 1987 rescue
- Jane FondaActress, Turner's former wife
- Bill MaherComedian and talk show host
- Don LemonIndependent journalist and former CNN anchor scheduled as an upcoming guest
- Sharyn Alfonsi60 Minutes correspondent
- Bari WeissEditor-in-chief of CBS News, criticized by Wagner over ratings
- Wayne HsiungAnimal rights activist charged over beagle rescue
Topics
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From the publisher
Megyn Kelly is joined by Maureen Callahan, host of "The Nerve," to discuss Blake Lively’s awkward Met Gala appearance following her legal settlement drama, her attempt to pretend she's shy while on red carpet, the truth about Taylor Swift's role in the lawsuit, disturbing allegations about Ryan Reynolds’ arsonist past, claims Blake Lively was caught lying during her legal battle with Justin Baldoni, nepo baby Blue Ivy Carter appearing at the Met Gala despite the age rules, her parents Beyonce and Jay-Z pushing her into celebrity from a young age, Lauren Sanchez Bezos’ evolving appearance and face, her new spin on her inappropriate inauguration outfit, the Dianna Russini scandal matters even if there was no affair, how Russini has publicly treated her husband for years, the strange relationship habits of Ted Turner and other wealthy and powerful men, Bill Maher’s dating choices, reports that Sharyn Alfonsi is lawyering up for a possible lawsuit against CBS News and Bari Weiss after losing her job, tensions behind the scenes at CBS, and more. Subscribe to Maureen's show The Nerve: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nerve-with-maureen-callahan/id1808684702 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4kR07GQGQAJaMNtLc9Cg2o YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenerveshow?sub_confirmation=1 Substack: https://thenerveshow.com/ Brooklyn Bedding: Upgrade your sleep with Brooklyn Bedding—Visit https://brooklynbedding.com and use promo code MEGYN for 30% off sitewide! SimpliSafe: Visit https://simplisafe.com/MEGYN to claim 50% off any new system! Birch Gold: Text MK to 989898 for a free info kit and to see if you qualify for up to $10,000 back through May 29. Herald Group: Learn more at https://GuardYourCard.com
Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 28, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.