The ongoing legal clash between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively has now roped in Disney, Marvel, and Deadpool & Wolverine. Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, sent a litigation hold letter to Disney CEO Bob Iger, Marvel President Kevin Feige, and director Tim Miller on January 7, demanding they preserve documents related to the development of “Nicepool,” a character portrayed by Ryan Reynolds in the Marvel tentpole.
The letter, viewed by Variety, alleges that the character of Nicepool — a bumbling, pseudo-feminist version of Deadpool — was a direct mockery of Baldoni. This claim emerges amid Lively’s accusations that Baldoni sexually harassed and fat-shamed her on the set of It Ends With Us. Nicepool’s remarks, such as complimenting Ladypool (played by Lively) for “snapping back” post-pregnancy, allegedly echo Lively’s claims against Baldoni.
Freedman accused Reynolds of trivialising Lively’s harassment allegations for comedic effect, stating, “If somebody is seriously sexually harassed, you don’t make fun of it. It’s a serious issue.” Reynolds, who was a writer, producer, and actor in Deadpool & Wolverine, has not addressed whether Nicepool was inspired by Baldoni.
The letter also instructs Disney and Marvel to preserve records of Reynolds’ creative control over the film and any complaints made against him, including from Tim Miller, who directed the first Deadpool but was replaced for its sequels after reported creative differences with Reynolds.
This dispute follows Baldoni’s $250 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times over its reporting of Lively’s harassment claims. Baldoni, who was dropped by WME after the allegations, has not yet filed suit against Reynolds or Lively, though his lawyer has suggested legal action is imminent.
Published – January 15, 2025 12:13 pm IST
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