Minka Kelly revealed why her boyfriend, Dan Reynolds, didn’t return in season 2 of Ransom Canyon.
“We tried to find a way to bring Billy Brinks back,” Kelly, 46, told People on Monday, July 27, about pitching an onscreen love triangle with Josh Duhamel and Reynolds. “I was like, ‘Maybe the triangle is with Billy Brinks.’”
The Imagine Dragons singer, 39, however, was too booked up.
“Sadly, he was unavailable,” Kelly added. “He’s a little busy.”
Reynolds made his Ransom Canyon debut in season 1 when he was caught in the middle of brothers-in-law Staten (Duhamel) and Davis (Eoin Macken). The “Radioactive” hitmaker didn’t interact with his girlfriend — whose character, Quinn, was part of a love triangle with Staten and Davis.
Kelly confirmed Reynolds’ surprise on screen appearance at the time, telling People in April 2025 that he was “such a good sport” about the cameo and “down to play.”
Duhamel, 53, also had nothing but praise for Reynolds, adding, “He’s an amazingly talented dude on many different fronts, but it takes one or two or three, maybe a couple, scenes, and all those nerves go away.”
The couple initially sparked romance rumors in late 2022 after Reynolds’ split from his wife, Aja Volkman, following a decade of marriage.
“After 7 beautiful years together, Aja and I’s marriage has come to an end,” Reynolds tweeted at the time. ”Our children continue to be the most important thing in our lives, & we will continue to coparent them with all our love. I ask that you please respect our privacy at this time as we work through this as a family.”
A source exclusively told Us in December 2022 that Reynolds and Kelly were enjoying each other’s company.
“These are obviously early days for Minka and Dan but it’s going great and they’re both incredibly happy,” the insider shared. “Being back on the singles’ scene after long relationships has been a challenging adjustment for each of them, so they’re taking their time and easing into it as opposed to running before they can walk, so to speak. But so far, so good, and they’re having fun, getting along great.”
Reynolds was not the only surprise onscreen cameo. Duhamel’s wife, Audra Mari, also filmed a scene for the Netflix western that never saw the light of day.
“My wife was on the show too. Yeah, she did a cameo,” Duhamel told People that same month after the show premiered all 10 episodes. “She was [Eoin Macken’s character] Davis’ girlfriend [that] he brought to the party, but they cut her out! Poor thing.”
Duhamel recalled how Mari was put “through all that hair and makeup” before they “cut her out,” adding, “She saw it with me.”
Ransom Canyon is currently streaming on Netflix.
