Spencer Pratt Goes After ‘Mayday’ Star Ryan Reynolds Over His “Brutal” Take on the 1980s

Celebrity feuds rarely need much of a spark to catch fire, and a passing comment about nostalgia proved to be exactly the kind of kindling this one needed. What started as a routine press junket interview quickly spiraled into a public back-and-forth playing out across social media.

Ryan Reynolds was promoting his new Cold War-era film ‘Mayday’ at its New York premiere when he offered some unexpectedly blunt thoughts about the decade his movie is set in. Speaking to Variety, Reynolds argued that modern nostalgia tends to paper over the darker realities of distinct historical periods, including the very decade his own film is meant to celebrate.

Spencer Pratt is now blasting Reynolds over those comments, accusing the actor of not knowing anything about history and of sabotaging Hollywood with his opinions. Pratt wrote on X that while he’s been trying to bring American film jobs back, actors like Reynolds keep saying things that make ordinary Americans dislike them, adding that Hollywood is seriously its own worst enemy and suggesting Reynolds should just stick to phone commercials instead.

The comments that sparked the backlash were fairly direct. Reynolds told Variety that the 1980s were a brutal, brutal time for people, calling the decade a mess and arguing that people tend to forget just how much social and political tension existed at the time, framing his remarks around the lingering effects of the era’s tumultuous history.

Pratt wasn’t the only voice pushing back on Reynolds’ characterization of the decade. Film critic Christian Toto told Fox News Digital that Reynolds’ comments were particularly striking given that ‘Mayday’ itself functions as a nostalgic tribute to the very era its star was criticizing, describing the film as a sweet nostalgia blast built around a buddy comedy template.

Lisa Cusack, President of the Don’t L.A. My Burbank PAC and a Los Angeles GOP delegate, also weighed in, arguing that Reynolds’ criticism overlooked what she viewed as the economic and cultural gains associated with the Reagan-era 1980s. Pratt further expanded on his own comments, invoking cultural touchstones from the decade and framing his defense of the era in broader terms about American identity and Hollywood’s relationship with mainstream audiences.

‘Mayday’ follows an American pilot who crashes in the Soviet Union in 1987 and is aided by a former KGB agent obsessed with American culture, blending Cold War tension with a lighter, buddy comedy tone. The film’s premise leans heavily into 1980s aesthetics and cultural references, which is precisely why Reynolds’ critical comments about the decade struck some observers as an unusual choice of promotional messaging.

Reynolds has not publicly responded to Pratt’s criticism as of this reporting, leaving the exchange largely one-sided for now. Given how quickly these kinds of celebrity dust-ups tend to escalate online, it remains to be seen whether Reynolds will address the backlash directly or let the comments speak for themselves.

This isn’t the first time Pratt has used his platform to weigh in publicly on Hollywood figures and industry dynamics, having previously been vocal about issues ranging from his own reality television colleagues to broader entertainment industry politics. The exchange adds another chapter to an ongoing pattern of celebrities clashing publicly over comments made during press tours, where offhand remarks can quickly overshadow the project they were originally meant to promote.

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