Ryan Reynolds issued a public, joking apology to his wife, Blake Lively following the sale of his company Aviation American Gin. Reynolds handed the spirits brand over to European beverage company Diageo in a deal estimated to be worth $610 million, according to a report by PEOPLE. He then admitted that the earnings might have made him speak rashly to loved ones, including Lively.
Reynolds’ apology came in the form of an out-of-office message affixed to his email address at the Aviation Gin website. When reached for a comment, Reynolds’ account sends back an automated response, apologizing for how he supposedly reacted upon learning how much money he thought he had made. That included Lively, and a long list of other people that Reynolds had told “to go f— themselves in the last 24 hours.”
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“Thanks for your email. I am currently out of the office but will still be very hard at work selling Aviation Gin. For quite a long time, it seems,” the joke message read. “In related news, I just learned what an ‘earn out’ is… And I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to everyone I told to go f— themselves in the last 24 hours. My lawyers just explained how long it takes to achieve an ‘earn out’… so… turns out I’m not as George Clooney as I thought.”
Reynolds was likely referring to Clooney’s massive 2017 deal with Diageo, where they acquired his Casamigos Tequila. He went on: “The point is, to those listed below, I’m sorry… and I’ll indeed be needing your help in the coming months and years. Thanks in advance!” The list read: “Mom, Blake, Peter, Diageo CEO, The Rock, George Clooney, Southern Glazer’s, Betty White, TGI Friday’s, Baxter, Calisthenics, AMC Theaters, Total Wine, The Number 8, Don Saladino, Darden, The Head of Alfredo Garcia, Soothing Lavender Eye Pillows.”
Reynolds’ deal is huge, though it does not put $610 million directly into Reynolds’ pocket. For one thing, the deal included Diageo’s acquisition of several other liquor brands — Astral Tequila, Sombra Mezcal and TYKU Sake — all through the company Aviation Gin LLC and Davos Brand LLC. Diageo will initially pay $335 million for these assets, with future payments totaling up to $275 million based on their performance in the years to come.
Reynolds became a co-owner of Aviation Gin in 2018, and quickly took a more personal interest in it than many other celebrities take in their product endorsements. In a press release on the acquisition, Reynolds admitted that “learning a new industry” was genuinely joyful and creatively fulfilling for him.
