Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively donate $200k to NAACP following killing of George Floyd

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have become one of Hollywood’s most prominent couples over the years.

And the power couple is using their privilege to give back and provide a platform during uncertain times.

They announced Sunday that they’ve donated $200K to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund as protests and riots continue across the country after the killing of unarmed Black man George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

Reynolds, 43, and Lively, 32, posted a joint statement to their socials, reading: ‘We’ve never had to worry about preparing our kids for different rules of law or what might happen if we’re pulled over in the car. 

‘We don’t know what it’s like to experience that life day in and day out. We can’t imagine feeling that kind of fear and anger. We’re ashamed that in the past we’ve allowed ourselves to be uninformed about how deeply rooted systemic racism is.

‘We’ve been teaching our children differently than the way our parents taught us. We want to educate ourselves about other people’s experiences and talk to our kids about everything, all of it… especial our own complicity. 

‘We talk about our bias, blindness and our own mistakes. We look back and see so many mistakes which have led us to deeply examine who we are and who we want to become. They’ve led us to huge avenues of education. 

‘We’re committed to raising our kids so they never grow up feeding this insane pattern and so they’ll do their best to never inflict pain on another being consciously or unconsciously. 

‘It’s the least we can do to honor not just George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Eric Garner, but all the black men and women who have been killed when the camera wasn’t rolling.’

Back in March, Reynolds and Lively donated $1million to Feeding America and Food Banks Canada, as well as $400k to the hardest-hit hospitals in New York amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Lively wrote: ‘Communities are stepping up—shopping for the elderly, making lunches for children. We can all do something for one another, even if that’s simply staying home.’ 

The couple married in 2012 after starring together in 2011’s Green Lantern, and they share three daughters.