The actress who appeared in Peloton’s controversial “The Gift That Gives Back” ad that lost the company $942 million of its market value in a single day has reassumed her role in a sequel of sorts, appearing in a new tongue-in-cheek ad for Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin.
The new ad shows the actress seated at a bar with two friends, drinking martinis. They offer a toast to “new beginnings” — implying that the woman who some assume was being forced to exercise on the Peloton bike by her husband who gifted it to her in the original ad has decided to get a divorce — and she chugs her entire cocktail at once, while her concerned friends assure her that “you’re safe here.”
Reynolds tweeted out the advertisement, which is called “The Gift That Doesn’t Give Back,” captioning it “Exercise bike not included.”
Exercise bike not included. #AviationGin pic.twitter.com/jYHW74h81l
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) December 7, 2019
Meanwhile, the actor who played her husband in the original Peloton commercial recently spoke out about the role, telling Psychology Today that “the aftermath of the commercial has left me with more questions than answers” and noting that he hopes the backlash to the ad won’t prevent him from finding future acting gigs.
“I pride myself on being a great teacher and developing actor, and I can only hope that this affects neither,” he said. “I currently sit here hoping that I’ll be able to continue auditioning for commercials without any taint, and that if my students happen to find the commercial and recognize me, they won’t think about me any different.”
Update: Monica Ruiz, the actress in both ads, has put out a statement addressing her involvement in them. “I was happy to accept a job opportunity earlier this year from Peloton and the team was lovely to work with,” it reads. “Although I’m an actress, I am not quite comfortable being in spotlight and I’m terrible on social media. So to say I was shocked and overwhelmed by the attention this week (especially the negative) is an understatement. When Ryan and his production team called about Aviation Gin, they helped me find some humor in the situation. I am grateful to both Peloton and now Aviation Gin for the work and giving me the opportunity to do what I love to do.”
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