Ryan Reynolds Buys Second Soccer Club with Investors amid Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Lawsuits

Mar. 15, 2025

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.Photo:Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty

Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty

Ryan Reynoldsis investing in another soccer team after a successful run with the English clubWrexham A.F.C.in recent years.

Reynolds, 48, is among a group of celebrity investors who have acquired a stake in La Equidad, the Colombian club team announced this week.

La Equidad, which was founded in 1982, plays in the country’s top Categoria Primera A division. The team has never won its league championship, however La Equidad has been runners-up three times in 2007, 2010, and 2011.

ESPNreportedthat Reynolds and his Wrexham partnerRob McElhenneyagreed to invest in La Equidad alongside actressEva Longoria, baseball starJustin Verlander, his wifeKate Uptonand retiredNBAstar Shawn Marion.

“We welcome Al Tylis and Sam Porter, who arrive with a clear, long-term vision to continue strengthening our club,” La Equidadsaid in a statementon social media. “This is the first step towards a future full of opportunities.”

La Equidad celebrated the new ownership group as the beginning of a “new era” in the team’s history.

“Al Tylis and Sam Porter not only have extensive experience in the sports world but they also have the support of recognised figures such as Eva Longoria, Rob McElhenney, Ryan Reynolds, Justin Verlander, Kate Upton, Shawn Marion and Scott Galloway,” the team’s statement added, promising that “great things are coming.”

Ryan Reynolds.Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty

Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty

Reynolds andIt’s Always Sunny In Philadelphiastar McElhenney, 47, have led Wrexham A.F.C. to a historic turnaround sincepurchasing the teamin November 2020.

On the heels of their new celebrity ownership and an FX documentary series about the team, Wrexham hasearned promotionsin back-to-back seasons, taking them from competing in the lowly fifth-tier English soccer league up to the country’s third-tier league with hopes of one day earning a promotion into the top Premier League.

Reynolds and McElhenney, who areclose friends, are frequently seen at games together or actively commenting on social media during the team’s matches. The pair also invested in Tylis’ Necaxa team last April.

Blake Lively.Jeff Spicer/Getty

Jeff Spicer/Getty

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“This latest lawsuit from Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its associates is another chapter in the abuser playbook,” Lively’s legal teamsaid in a statementthis week. “This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim.”

source: people.com