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The company at the center of the recent legal clash involving Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, Vanzan Inc., has ignited fresh speculation online, prompting discussions about Lively’s relationship with Ryan Reynolds and when it may have begun. These rumors suggest a deeper connection dating back to when Reynolds was still married.
The Origin of Vanzan Inc. and Initial Speculation
The company’s moniker, Vanzan, is believed by internet investigators to be a combination of “Van” from Vancity – Reynold’s social medial handle which references Vancouver, where he grew up, and “Zan” referencing Tarzana, where Lively grew up. The fact that Vanzan Inc. was officially registered in California in September 2010, closely following Lively and Reynolds’ initial meeting on the set of “The Green Lantern”, has fueled intense speculation. At that time, Reynolds was still married to Scarlett Johansson, though they would later file for divorce in December of that year. Shortly after Vanzan was formed, Lively ended her relationship with Penn Badgley.
Podcast Sparks Further Rumors
Zack Peter, host of the celebrity gossip podcast “No Filter,” addressed the potential scandal. In a recent video, Peter highlighted the rumors of an affair during the filming of “The Green Lantern,” where Lively and Reynolds first met.
- Peter questioned whether “Zan” might allude to Tarzana, Lively’s hometown.
- He also noted that while Reynolds isn’t listed on the company’s records, Eric Binder, Reynolds’ business manager, is associated with the firm. This sparked questions about whether Lively and Reynolds might have jointly established the company around the time they met in 2010.
Debunking the Affair Rumors
Despite the speculation, the notion of Lively and Reynolds forming Vanzan at their initial meeting is inaccurate. According to a source with prior knowledge of the original company, Lively’s involvement with Vanzan began much later than its initial formation.
The Murky Past of Vanzan
The source further revealed that from its inception, the firm had a controversial history, marked by legal battles and subpoenas.
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- Established in Delaware in 2008, before Lively and Reynolds even met, the company initially filed to operate in California in 2010.
- Eric Rothchild was listed as the agent for the firm, based in San Diego.
A former colleague of Rothchild recalled the firm’s creation as a vehicle for telesales and marketing and expressed surprise at the later association with Lively and Reynolds.
The source stated, “I remember sitting around with Eric Rothchild when we came up with the name. We thought it sounded official and cool and old east coast money or whatever.” Rothchild and Vanzan later became embroiled in a lawsuit for allegedly failing to meet an office lease agreement. They faced other lawsuits in San Diego courts during 2010 and 2011.
Legal Troubles and Bankruptcy
In June 2011, the Wafico Company, a San Diego based firm, won a $100,000+ judgment against Vanzan due to the breach of an office lease agreement. Rothchild subsequently filed for bankruptcy the following year.
Rothchild’s Multiple Identities
The source revealed that Rothchild had various aliases, including Brian Urquhart and Brian Knapp. Furthermore, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) initiated a lawsuit against Rothchild in 2010 for allegedly disregarding a subpoena related to potential breaches of consumer data laws by his company.
Vanzan’s Role in Lively’s Legal Dispute
Fast forward, Vanzan has become central to another controversy involving a subpoena. Lively used the company in September 2024 to file a lawsuit and obtain a subpoena for Stephanie Jones (Baldoni’s ex-publicist), seizing numerous texts. These texts would then be used to support Lively’s claims of a smear campaign allegedly orchestrated by Baldoni, who denies these allegations and is counter-suing Lively for defamation.
Later Involvement of Lively and Reynolds
The source familiar with Vanzan in 2010 suggests that Lively and Reynolds may have become involved with a later iteration of the company, unrelated to Rothchild or telesales.
The source further speculated that if the couple got involved later ” the corporation could have expired and they could have just renamed it, or I suppose it’s possible that they bought the existing corporation.” He added that, the original company’s legal issues meant that that “there’s no way in the world that any person with a brain would have wanted to buy that company with the legal s**t that was behind it.”
California records indicate that Vanzan became inactive in 2013. The next public filing is in 2021, listing ‘Blake Reynolds’ (the actress’s married name) as CEO, secretary and Chief Financial Officer and an address at the office of her husband’s business management firm in New York.
Corporate records in New York also reveal the existence of another company named ‘Vanzan Inc.,’ which was established in 2019 and is registered at the Manhattan offices of Reynolds’s business management firm, ML Management.