The 'Deadpool' actor says he wanted to help the actress overcome the criticisms she received for playing a wife who received an exercise bike from her husband.
- Dec 10, 2019
AceShowbiz - Ryan Reynolds mocked the headline-making Peloton commercial to help actress Monica Ruiz overcome the criticism she received off the back of the now-viral ad.
In the original advert, titled The Gift That Gives Back, a woman receives an exercise bike from the fitness equipment company as a Christmas gift from her husband.
The commercial received backlash from people who believed it portrayed a man who wanted his wife to lose weight, but the "Deadpool" actor couldn't help but see the funny side of the situation, and created his own commercial, The Gift That Doesn't Give Back, promoting his alcohol brand Aviation Gin.
Speaking to The New York Times, the star revealed he chose to give the actress a spot in his ad to help relieve the immense backlash she had been subjected to.
"As an actor, I can certainly relate to creating a piece of content or being part of something that's not well-received, and how alienating that can feel," he said. "We had immense respect for any reservations she might have had. We don't want to make the situation any worse for her."
He also told the publication he had to act fast to ensure he got his desired effect - contacting Ruiz last Wednesday, December 4, before filming and releasing the commercial on Friday.
"Ads are generally disposable pieces of content," Reynolds told the newspaper. "If you're going to do something like this, you have to jump on the zeitgeist-y moment as it happens."
